Jan. 29, 2009

Wrestling Holds Off VMI For 19-18 Victory

LEXINGTON, Va.—The Duke University wrestling team got back on the winning track with a thrilling 19-18 victory at VMI tonight at the Thunderdome. The Blue Devils held off the charging Keydets for the non-conference win.

Duke improves to 6-3 in dual matches, while VMI falls to 0-7 on the season. Riddled with injuries, the Blue Devils had three wrestlers who bumped up two weight classes to compete.

The match started at 149 pounds, but it came down to the 141-pound match in the end. After the Blue Devils built their lead to 16-7, the Keydets battled back to make it a 16-14 contest with two duals remaining.

With just a two-point advantage heading into the 133-pound match between Jack Anderson and Michael Bowman, the Blue Devils were in search of a win to try and put the match out of the Keydets’ reach. Bowman took a 2-0 lead early in the match and stretched that to 4-0 before Anderson scored to make it 4-2. The rookie 133-pounder continued his comeback and outscored Bowman 5-2 in the final minutes to set up a thrilling final dual at 141 pounds.