HIGHLIGHTS

ITHACA, N.Y. – The 16^th-ranked Ithaca College wrestling team closed out its dual meet schedule on Wednesday night when it played host to the Rumble & Tumble Meet inside the Hill Center's Ben Light Gymnasium. It was the fourth consecutive season that the Bombers and Red Dragons have competed in the dual format meet in conjunction with both institution's varsity women's gymnastics programs. IC stretched its winning streak to four in the Rumble & Tumble series, racing past Cortland for a comfortable 31-9 win that improved Ithaca's record to 12-4 in duals this season.
 
Prior to tonight's meet, Ithaca honored its Senior Class of 2020. The Bombers celebrated 11 members of the program in what was the final home dual ahead of next weekend's NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, which are set to be hosted across campus at the A&E Center's Glazer Arena. Once action got underway shortly after 7:00 p.m., the Bombers did not take long in snagging the upper hand. Ithaca scored victories in four of the first five bouts to take a 15-3 lead to the intermission. IC tacked on bonus-point wins at 165-, 184-, and heavyweight to easily clinch the match.
 
#16 Ithaca 31 – SUNY Cortland 9
125 LB: Logan Ninos (IC) def. Ben Lloyd (CORTLAND) | DEC: 8-1
133 LB: Travis Jones (IC) def. Pat Owens (CORTLAND) | FALL: 4:33
141 LB: Chandler Merwin (CORTLAND) def. Tito Colom (IC) | DEC: 9-5
149 LB: Ben Brisman (IC) def. Cahal Donovan (CORTLAND) | DEC: 3-2
157 LB: Sam Schneider (IC) def. Ben Bivar (CORTLAND) | DEC: 9-4
165 LB: #7/6 Austin Whitney (IC) def. Alex Leone (CORTLAND) | FALL: 5:45
174 LB: Demitreus Henry (CORTLAND) def. Alec Corrao (IC) | DEC: 6-3
184 LB: #10/10 Eze Chukwuezi (IC) def. Kevin Morgans (CORTLAND) | MD: 14-2
197 LB: Dylan Dubuque (CORTLAND) def. Steven Rice (IC) | DEC: 7-3
285 LB: Dalton Elias (IC) def. Trentyn Rupert (CORTLAND) | FALL: 3:40
EX: Luis Hernandez (IC) def. Jeremy Pond (CORTLAND) | FALL: 4:04
 
The night got off to a strong start for the Bombers with sophomore Logan Ninos controlling matters fairly convincingly in an 8-1 decision over Cortland's Ben Lloyd. The score line was relatively close through two periods with a second-period escape and takedown for Ninos giving the IC grappler a 3-1 lead heading into the third period. From the top position, Ninos was able to completely dominant the third period, riding out the entire final frame and tacking on four near-fall points with five-seconds remaining to complete the seven-point margin of victory.
 
First-year Travis Jones did not take long to extend the lead when he took the mat at 133-pounds. The rookie raced out to a 6-1 edge through three-minutes, but it all proved moot when he locked Cortland's Pat Owens in a cradle and took him to the mat at the 4:33 mark in period two. The pin was Jones' fourth over his past six bouts and his 13^th overall this season. The result upped Ithaca's lead to 9-0.
 
Cortland struck back at 141-pounds with Chandler Merwin besting senior Tito Colom in a hard-fought 9-5 decision. Colom was tied at three-all through the opening period; however, Merwin was able to use his size advantage to gas Colom over the final two frames, earning a takedown in each to establish the final margin.
 
The Red Dragons nearly stole another one at 149-pounds with scrappy rookie Cahal Donovan giving IC senior Ben Brisman all he could handle in a low scoring 3-2 decision. With Donovan opting for a cautious defensive battle against the former IC 141-pound national champion, Brisman held just a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. After an escape knotted things up, Brisman was able to get in on a quality shot near the edge of the mat. Although Donovan was able to scramble things up by hooking Brisman's leg for nearly 40-seconds, the IC senior was finally able to secure the two points midway the period. Donovan was able to work free for an escape with under 20-seconds left and then launched a last ditch shot that actually connected; however, Brisman was able to use his athleticism to hold out until the final horn to escape with the narrow win.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Sam Schneider continued the IC momentum into the intermission with a workmanlike 9-4 decision over Cortland's Ben Bivar at 157-pounds. Schneider connected on two takedowns during the first period, before securing a reversal in period two to take a 6-3 lead into a final frame. One final blast double leg drove Bivar to the mat again during the third to clinch the 9-4 win and give Ithaca a 15-3 lead at the midway point.
 
During the intermission, IC rookie 141-pounder Luis Hernandez put together an entertaining bout against Cortland's Jeremy Pond. Hernandez showcased a variety of offensive moves, scoring three takedowns and a four-point near fall, before locking in a pin at 4:04.
 
Redshirt-senior Austin Whitney (7^th NWCA | 6^th d3wrestle.com) put things out of reach for the visitors when action got back underway at 165-pounds. The former Red Dragon locked in Ithaca's second fall of the night when he pinned Cortland's Alex Leone at 5:45. Whitney had things well in control up to that point, conceding nothing in leading 5-0 and with over four minutes of riding time established at the time of the pin.
 
Cortland secured its second win of the evening at 174-pounds with Demitreus Henry out-lasting junior Alec Corrao in a closely-contested 6-3 decision. A third-period takedown proved to be the difference, as Henry was able to take Corrao to the mat with just under 40-seconds left.
 
Sophomore 184-pounder Eze Chukwuezi (10^th NWCA | 10^th d3wrestle.com) snatched momentum back for the Bombers with a convincing 14-2 major decision over Kevin Morgans. Four takedowns and a four-point near fall was more than enough offense in the lopsided victory. However, Cortland secured a win at 197-pounds when Dylan Dubuque earned a win at the Rumble & Tumble Meet for a second straight year in besting Ithaca's senior Steven Rice by a 7-3 decision. The Red Dragon nearly earned a pin in the bout; however, it was deemed that the period had concluded prior to the fall being established.
 
Senior Dalton Elias put the exclamation mark on the evening for IC when he took to the mat in front of the raucous crowd against Cortland heavyweight Trentyn Rupert. Despite giving up several inches and even more poundage to the Red Dragon big man, it was Elias that would prevail in thrilling fashion, earning Ithaca's third fall of the evening at 3:40. Rupert struck first in the entertaining bout, tossing Elias in the opening period for a loud two-point takedown and racking up some significant riding time. However, it was Elias that emerged out of the period with some momentum, earning a reversal late in the frame to deadlock matters at 2-2. Although Rupert pulled back ahead 3-2 with a six-second escape in the second period, Elias ripped Cortland's grappler to his back and locked in the pin shortly thereafter to send the fans home buzzing.
 
Ithaca will be back in action a week from Saturday when it plays host to the 2020 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at the A&E Center's Glazer Arena on Saturday, February 29, and Sunday, March 1.