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EAST STROUDSBURG – Redshirt sophomore Brendan McKeown had a third-period pin at 174 and redshirt seniors Thad Frick (165) and Ed Ebewo (197) won major decisions as East Stroudsburg University opened its wrestling dual schedule with a 23-14 victory over Wilkes on Monday night at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors gained 20 of their 23 points from regionally-ranked wrestlers and redshirt sophomore Braden Turner, a transfer from Rutgers, sealed the victory with a 7-1 decision at 157 pounds.

ESU rode the strength of its upperweights to a 17-0 lead starting with Frick's 15-3 major of Nathan White at 165. McKeown followed with a fall in 6:15, senior James Gonzalez had a 9-6 decision at 184 and Ebewo, ranked No. 7 in Division II, posted a 12-3 major at 197.

Wilkes won the next three bouts with a decision at 285 and major decisions at 125 and 133, but redshirt senior Adam Hluschak, No. 6 in Division II, stopped the run with a solid 5-0 decision over previously unbeaten Ryan Wilson at 141.

Anthony Dattolo, ranked No. 4 in Division III at 149, stopped redshirt senior Andrew Ritchie in his ESU debut with a 5-2 decision to make the team score 20-14 going into the final bout. Turner took a 2-1 lead into the second period and rode out Matthew Ellery, gaining three near-fall points, before posting an escape and the riding time point for the final 7-1 decision at 157.

Five Warriors entered with regional rankings in Hluschak (141, No. 4), Frick (165, No. 6), McKeown (174, No. 5), Gonzalez (184, No. 6) and Ebewo (197, No. 2). Hluschak and Ebewo, both national qualifiers in their careers at ESU, are ranked No. 6 and No. 7 in the nation in their respective weight classes.

Wilkes, ranked No. 12 in Division III, falls to 4-2 on the season. The Colonels won last year's dual 24-22 despite winning just one match on the mat thanks to a fall and three forfeits, ending ESU's 12-match winning streak in the series. Wilkes leads the all-time series, 32-23, in 55 meetings since 1950.

The Warriors are off until the Bloomsburg Duals on December 3 in central Pennsylvania where they are scheduled to wrestle three Division I programs in George Mason, Sacred Heart and the host Huskies.


ESU 23, Wilkes 14
165 – Thad Frick (ESU) maj. dec. Nathan White, 15-3; ESU 4-0
174 – Brendan McKeown (ESU) pinned Chase Martino, 6:15; ESU 10-0
184 – James Gonzalez (ESU) dec. Marlon Duque, 9-6; ESU 13-0
197 – No. 7 Ed Ebewo (ESU) maj. dec. David Oberrender, 12-3; ESU 17-0
285 – Jonathon Slack (W) dec. Zachary Koller, 6-0; ESU 17-3
125 – Michael Fleck (W) maj. dec. Chris Davis, 13-5; ESU 17-7
133 – Myzar Mendoza (W) maj. dec. Zach Jones, 12-3; ESU 17-11
141 – No. 6 Adam Hluschak (ESU) dec. Ryan Wilson, 5-0; ESU 20-11
149 – Anthony Dattolo (W) dec. Andrew Ritchie, 5-2; ESU 20-14
157 – Braden Turner (ESU) dec. Matthew Ellery, 7-1; ESU 23-14