MARSHALL, Mo. – The No. 2-ranked Indiana Tech wrestling team ended the fall portion of its 2018-19 schedule on Friday by going 2-1 at the Viking Duals inside the Burns Athletic Center. Tech started off the day by defeating No. 12-ranked Williams Baptist College, 26-15, before suffering its first loss of the season to host and No. 19-ranked Missouri Valley College, 27-14, but finished the day with a 24-21 victory over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
After dropping their first two matches to the Eagles, Tech responded with four straight wins to take a commanding 21-6 lead.
Robert Humphrey recorded three takedowns over Brandon Dowling at 149-lbs. before putting the Warriors on the board with a pin at 4:34 to knot the match up at 6-6.
Rahman Johnson put the Orange and Black up for good after recording a takedown that forced his opponent to pull out to injury in the 157-lbs. bout while
Jacob Gross controlled the action through full time at 165-lbs. and came out on top with a 7-2 decision.
Jake Weimer recorded Tech's second fall of the day at 174-lbs. with just six seconds to go in the first period to make it four straight wins for the Warriors.
Oscar Martinez would clinch the match with a 17-0 tech fall at 197-lbs. after notching a trio of four near-falls and two takedowns.
The Warriors found themselves trailing 9-0 after the first two matches to the Vikings, but Humphrey would earn bonus points with a 10-2 major decision and scored four take downs. Gross and Weimer brought Tech to within four points at 15-11 following a 14-6 major decision and 6-5 win, but the hosts got a pair of pins over the course of the last three matches to hand the Warriors their first loss of the season.
In their final match of the day against the Spires, in which there would only be eight bouts, the Orange and Black found themselves trailing 6-0 right off the bat, but back-to-back-to-back pins from Humphrey, Johnson and
Hunter Gasper put Tech ahead 18-6 with four matches to go. Humphrey and Johnson pinned their opponents at 4:31 and 4:14, respectively, while Gasper needed just 1:22 to complete the fall. Saint Mary's would take the next two bouts to make it 18-15, but Martinez would be the beneficiary of a forfeit to pick up six points and put the match out of reach as Tech held on to win 24-21.
Tech (6-1) will have a break until January 4 when they travel to Louisville, Kentucky for the NWCA National Duals and the NUWAY College Open inside the Kentucky Expo Center. The Warriors first opponent for the National Duals will be released later this month.
