ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Duhawks.com) - The Loras wrestling team dropped to 0-4 in duals on the year on Wednesday night with a 19-15 loss to Augustana (3-2). The Duhawks (0-4) recorded victories at 141#, 149#, 157 and 197. Junior Evan Weaver won by fall at 141#, topping Augustana's Sean McMahon.

DUAL RECAP
125#
Augustana's Jimmy Panozzo opened Wednesday's dual in convincing fashion, edging sophomore Dayton Olson by major decision. Olson did well to keep the bout close in the opening two frames, but Panozzo pulled away in the third.

133#
Sophomore Michael Triplett nearly saw himself disqualified in the opening period against Augustana's Brendan Gould after the referee docked him for a dangerous move. After reviewing the situation, the referee decided against it and awarded Gould one point. Triplett didn't let the penalty deter him and fought hard to get back to level ground with Gould. After starting on bottom to start the third, Gould earned an escape with just over a minute to go to take the lead. Despite multiple attacks from Triplett in the waning seconds, Gould held off the rally to secure the 2-1 decision.

141#
Trailing 7-0, Augustana was put in their place from the opening whistle as junior Evan Weaver took it to Sean McMahon. Weaver added to his 4-0 lead early in the second period, scoring seven points in a matter of seconds thanks to an escape coupled with a takedown and a four-point nearfall. Early in the third, Weaver scored a takedown and turned McMahon to his back and sealed the win with a pin to earn Loras six points.

149#
Loras continued to build on their momentum from Weaver's pin at 149# with senior Collin Griffin. Neither Griffin nor Augustana's Collin Tomkins produced much for action in the first period, going to the second scoreless. Griffin got on the board first with an escape and nearly added to his lead with a takedown, but Tomkins' defense kept him within one. After Tomkins scored an escape to level at 1-all, Griffin's takedown gave him a two-point advantage early in the third period. Tomkins' escape midway through the third cut the lead to one, but that would be as close as he could come as Griffin earned the win, 3-2.

157#
Sophomore Jimmy Davis went right to work against David Tessiatore, scoring a takedown in the first period to take the 2-0 lead. A quiet second period saw Tessiatore earn an escape to make it 2-1 entering the third. Davis chose bottom to start the third and preserved his riding time advantage with a quick escape. Tessiatore grabbed a hold of Davis' leg late in the third, but could not secure the takedown, falling 4-3.

165#
With Loras ahead 12-7, freshman Sam Schuler took to the mat against Augustana's Trace Timmons. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Schuler fought his way out of Timmons' hold and in the process scored a reversal to take the 2-0 lead. Timmons scored an escape and then a takedown before Schuler pulled off another reversal to tie the bout at 4-all. With less than 35 seconds to go, Timmons escaped to take the 5-4 lead just before the final horn sounded.

174#
Augustana's Alex Bowers commanded the mat from the very beginning against freshman Chris Malone, scoring two takedowns in the first period. After an escape and another takedown to open the second period, Bowers extended his lead to 7-2. Malone chose to start in the bottom position in the third and managed to escape, but another takedown by Bowers and with riding time sealed the win at 10-3.

184#
With Augustana back in the lead at 13-12, sophomore Awais Arain and Thomas Reyhons went toe-to-toe on the mat. A very close bout saw Arain and Reyhons even throughout, but a late escape by Reyhons with 30 seconds left gave him the advantage he needed, securing three points with a 4-3 decision.

197#
Senior Malcolm Watson earned an unconventional victory for the Duhawks, scoring one of his two points by escape and their other by way of a second stalling call on Christos Giatros. At multiple times in the bout, Watson had his double underhook in place, but couldn't quite get Giatros in position for the takedown. After being warned for stalling earlier in the match, a second stalling call on Giatros in the third period gave Watson the upper-hand and the win, 2-1.

285#
In a rematch from the opening weekend of the season, freshman Quin Gilliam faced Augustana's Jack Seaman in the final bout of the night with the chance to earn a dual victory for the Duhawks. The Shreveport native got on the board first with a takedown in the first period, but an escape and a takedown by Seaman gave the returning national qualifier the 3-2 lead going into the second period. After an escape from Gilliam in the second to level at 3-all, Seaman secured a takedown as time was winding down in the second to take a 5-3 lead into the final frame. Gilliam was awarded a point for a dangerous move by Seaman to make it 5-4, but that would be as close as Gilliam could get, as Seaman scored another takedown late to fend off the furious finish by Gilliam to win 8-4.

FRIEDMAN GROUP WRESTLER OF THE DUAL
Colin Griffin | In his first season of varsity action, Griffin wrestled smart on Wednesday night and didn't try to do too much against Augustana's Collin Tomkins. At the time, Griffin's win gave Loras the lead in the dual and momentum heading into the 157# bout.

SOUNDBITES | Randy Steward


UP NEXT
Loras travels to Nashville, Tennessee for the Gator Duals on Saturday, Dec. 19. The Duhawks will compete in four duals on the day, facing competition from the eastern part of the country. Their opponents have yet to be announced. Last year, Loras went 1-3 at the Gator Duals, securing a 31-11 win over Ferrum College.