ELMHURST, Ill.  - The Elmhurst wrestling team erased a 14-0 deficit to 26th-ranked Augustana College 29-17 in a CCIW dual meet.

Elmhurst (2-10, 1-1 CCIW) started poorly as Augustana (10-5) won the first three matches to jump out to a 14-0 lead, but the Bluejays won six of the final seven contests en route to the 12-point victory.

Augustana jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the dual as Jimmy Panozzo scored an 11-3 major decision over Elmhurst's Eric English at 125 pounds. Augustana made it 10-0 after Sean McMahon pinned Elmhurst's MIguel Venecia in 3:55. Venecia scored three straight takedowns to open the first period and build a 6-3 advantage. McMahon scored an escape to open the second period and then countered a Venecia takedown attempt by flipping the Elmhurst wrestler and to his back and scoring a quick pin. Augustana's Isaiah Schaub scored a 10-2 major decision over Matt Quigley at 141 pounds to put Augustana up 14-0.

Elmhurst scored its first win of the dual at 149 pounds when Jim Spangler blanked Hector Ruiz 6-0. Spangler scored a pair of takedowns and built over two minutes of riding time in the victory. The Bluejays sliced Augustana's lead in half after Nick DiNardo scored an 8-0 major decision over Kevin Sundberg at 157 pounds. DiNardo countered an attack from Sundberg to earn a reversal and near fall points in the second period. DiNardo nearly pinned Sundberg as the horn sounded in the third period, earning three near fall points and a major decision in the process.

Mike Ryan pulled Elmhurst to within a point in the dual after a first round pin of  David Tessiatore at 165 pounds. Ryan powered Tessiatore down to the mat in the closing minute of the first period and scored a quick pin in 2:18.

The match at 174 proved to be the closest competition of the dual. Elmhurst's MItch Morris fought off several takedown attempts of Jordan Richardson, but Morris was called for stalling with just nine seconds remaining, resulting in a tying point for Richardson. In the sudden victory, Morris nearly had control of a takedown at the start of overtime, but Richardson rolled over the top to gain a takedown and near fall points and win the match 8-4. The Augustana victory gave the Vikings a 17-13 lead in the dual.

The momentum swung towards the Bluejays at 184 pounds. Elmhurst's Bobby Schillinger trailed 5-0 and after the opening period to the Vikings' Thomas Reyhons. Reyhons was in control in the second period until Schiilinger reversed the Augustana grappler and pinned him in 3:55. The win by Schillinger gave Elmhurst its first lead of the dual at 19-17.  Danny Balderas gave Elmhurst a 23-17 lead in the dual after he scored a late takedown in the closing seconds of the match to earn an 8-0 major decision over Hunter Feraco at 197 pounds.

Danny Vargas closed out the dual with a pin at 285 for the Bluejays. Vargas scored a takedown and two near falls against John Schraidt in the opening period, before putting the match away with a pin early in the third period (5:24). The pin by Vargas made the final score 29-17 in favor of the Bluejays.

Elmhurst hosts North Central College in a CCIW dual next Thursday (February 13) at 7:00 p.m.


Elmhurst 29, Augustana 17
125 - Jimmy Panozzo (AC) def. Eric English 11-3 major
133 - Sean McMahon (AC) pinned Miguel Venecia in 3:55
141 - Isaiah Schaub (AC) def. Matt Quigley 10-2 major.
149 - Jim Spangler (EC) def. Hector Ruiz 6-0
157 - Nick DiNardo (EC) def. Kevin Sndberg 8-0 major
165 - Mike Ryan (EC) pinned David Tessiatore in 2:18
174 - Jordan Richardson (AC) def. Mitch Morris 8-4 in SV
184 - Bobby Schillinger (EC) pinned Thomas Reyhons in 3:55
197 - Danny Balderas (EC) def. Hunter Feraco 8-0 major
285 - Danny Vargas (EC) pinned John Schraidt in 5:24