February 20, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Matt Roth (Wescosville, Pa./Parkland) notched a pin 5:29 into his match, giving him his 42nd career win and his 26th career pin and getting Virginia off to a great start en route to its 22-18 win over Clarion. His 42nd career dual match win ties him for the all-time record with Mike Krafchick (1991-92, 1994-95) and he continues to make Virginia history by adding to his career-leading total with his fall Saturday.

The Cavaliers took a 9-0 lead after 133 as Bob Seidel (Wall, N.J./Wall) defeated his opponent 9-6. The Golden Eagles won three consecutive bouts, however, to take a 10-9 lead halfway through the match. Joey Legg (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) battled the nation's top-ranked wrestler Mark Angle at 141 and lost 23-7, but did not give up any near fall points, thus giving Clarion only four team points.

Jim Harshaw (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) recorded his tenth pin of the season in the first period to tie the Cavalier record for pins in a season, and in the process gave Virginia a 15-10 lead. After Clarion recorded a technical fall just before time expired at 174 to tie the match, Ryan McGrath (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) won 2-0 at 184 to push the Cavaliers back in front 18-15.

In the 197-pound bout, Craig Fenstermaker (Hilton Head, S.C./Northampton (Pa.)) notched a reversal and got three near fall points as time expired to notch an 11-3 victory and giving the Cavaliers four crucial team points with the major decision. With Fenstermaker's win, the Cavaliers led 22-15. In the evening's final bout, Ryan Painter (Rainelle, W.V./Rainelle) lost 5-3 to Clarion's Jesse Shirey, but the Cavaliers prevailed in the team score by a final of 22-18.

Tonight's match was the final dual match of the season for the Cavaliers, who end the season with a 9-5-1 dual match record. Next up for Virginia is the 1999 ACC Wrestling Championships, which will be held in University Hall on Saturday, March 6. The Cavaliers have finished second the last two years in the ACC tournament to North Carolina.

Wgt  Result                                              Team Score 
125  Roth (UVA)WBF John Weible                 5:29          6-0
133  Seidel (UVA) dec. Brad Collins             9-6          9-0
141  Angle (C) tech fall Legg                  23-7          9-4
149  Stan Spoor (C) dec. John Pozniak           5-3          9-7
157  Shane McChesney (C) dec. John Christopher  1-0         9-10
165  Harshaw (UVA) WBF Pete Kroshefskie        1:31        15-10
174  Jason Moaney (C) tech fall John Qualter   6:55 17-2   15-15
184  McGrath (UVA) dec. Bob Topper              2-0        18-15
197  Fenstermaker (UVA) maj. dec. Eric Mausser 11-3        22-15
HWT  Shirey (C) dec. Painter                    5-3        22-18