Wabash wrestlers Greg Rhoads and Jake Strausburgh each finished with perfect 4-0 records for the day at the Chuck Porter Duals hosted by Knox College Saturday. The Little Giants finished 2-2 as a team, including a victory over 27th-ranked University of Chicago.
The Little Giants lost a close 25-21 contest to Loras in the opening round of competition. Rhoads (left) scored a 16-2 victory over Matt Dickman at 174 pounds after Strausbaugh had scored a 5-2 win against Matt Holmes at 141 pounds. Oscar Trujillo pinned Brendan Murphy 4:52 into their 133-pound bout to score the first team points for Wabash in the match. Gabe Watson added a 10-8 victory at 165 pounds against Kile Beaver.
Wabash pound the host Prairie Fire team in the next round by a score of 52-3. Josh Boyer opened the round with an 8-3 win at 125 pounds against Ryan Olson. Strausbaugh earned the first of four pins in the round, scoring six team points at the 2:15 mark of his 141-pound bout versus Tim Yee. Johnny Dillon defeated Dugan O'Connor 18-5 at 149 pounds. Jordan Dulaney (1:51), Watson (3:58), and Rhoads (2:49) each scored pins at 157, 165, and 174 pounds respectively. Wabash received forfeits at 184 and 197 pounds before Rob Arnett completed the round with a 12-3 victory over Knox's James Wagner.
The key match of the day for Wabash came in round three with a hard-fought 22-16 win over the 26th-ranked Maroons. Boyer started with a 12-9 win over Jimmy Schoettle at 125 pounds. Strausbaugh picked up a major victory in his third bout of the day with a 15-5 win over Joseph Reuttiger, followed by a 5-3 win by Dillon against Matt Hart. The Little Giants score three consecutive victories at 165, 174, and 184 pounds. Watson pinned Seth Adams in the 165-pound bout at the 1:27 mark. Rhoads added his second pin of the day, needing just 57 seconds to defeat Spencer Burns at 174 pounds. Bryan Hugo held on to a 2-0 shutout against 184-pounder David Kneisel to boost Wabash to the team victory.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville edged the Little Giants 25-21 in the final dual. Strausbaugh cruised to a 23-9 victory against Andy Casper. Dillon pinned Spencer Peterson at 4:55 of the 149-pound bout. Rhoads final victory of the day came in a 13-6 decision against Cory Zuberbier. Rob Arnett closed out the day with a 3-1 win against Tyler Manning at heavyweight.