WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The No. 13 ranked York College wrestling team completed the 2015 Budd Whitehill National Duals with a sixth place finish out of 16 teams, compiling an overall record of 3-2 with a record of 1-1 on Saturday.
The Spartans (11-4) finished second in their group on Friday, which placed them in contention for a potential top finish of fifth place. York defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point by a score of 23-12 in their first match on Saturday and then surrendered a 28-8 victory to No. 30 TCNJ as the Lions claimed fifth place and the Spartans had to settle for sixth.
York had a trio of wrestlers compile 4-1 records on the weekend in five total matches. Two of those wrestlers consisted of Tyler Rhoads (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East) and John Shorter (Lancaster, Pa. / Manheim Township) who both went 3-0 on Friday and both had a chance to remain undefeated heading into the final dual. Both suffered very disappointing losses in their final matches as Rhoads lost 6-4 in the first overtime period and Shorter dropped a 1-0 regulation decision.
Ryan Flynn (Newtown Square Pa. / Marple Newtown) owned York's third 4-1 individual record on the weekend as he entered Saturday gong 2-1 on Friday. Flynn buckled down and picked up two wins on day two with a 9-1 major in his first match and then a decisive 10-0 major in his final match.
#13 York 23 UW-Stevens Point 12
Flynn got York (11-3) on the board as he notched a 9-1 major decision at 133 and put the Spartans ahead 4-3. Wisconsin-Stevens Point (4-8) then regained the lead, taking a 3-1 decision at 141 and a 7-5 decision at 149.
The Green and White got back on the board when Adam Kritzer (Herndon, Pa. / Line Mountain) earned a 9-8 victory at 157. Krtizer finished the weekend with a 3-1 record as he did not wrestle in York's final dual match.
Facing a 12-7 deficit heading into the final four bouts, the Spartans picked up the intensity and came storming back to claim the victory.
Rhoads started the run with a 14-4 major at 174 and Nick Zak (Jackson, N.J. / Jackson Liberty) followed with a 4-0 decision to put York in the 14-12 lead.
Shorter sealed the Spartan victory as he claimed a pin fall in 6:17 at 197 and then Mike Spencer (Pompton Plains, N.J. / Pequannock Township) finished off the dual with a 4-0 decision at 285. Spence finished the weekend with a 3-1 record as did not participate in York's final dual against TCNJ.
#30 TCNJ 28 #13 York 8
Flynn once again scored the first team points for York (11-4) as he earned his second major decision of the day with a 10-0 margin.
The Lions (8-4) then went on to win five consecutive bouts from 141-174, compiling 18 points and ending the chance of a Spartan victory.
Zak finally put an end to the Lion run and earned York's second and final victory of the match with a 13-3 major decision. Zak finished the weekend with a 3-1 record, including a 2-0 performance on Saturday.
York will hit the mats again on January 16 in a home dual match against Johns Hopkins.
Ryan Flynn photo courtesy of David Sinclair
