January 6, 2007 - Rider 23 Bloomsburg 20

January 6, 2007     
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Wrestling
Rider University 23, Bloomsburg University 20

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs won five bouts, including two pins and two major decisions, in a come-from-behind win over Bloomsburg Friday night. “That was a good win for us, one that we needed,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. “We wrestled hard to get what we needed to get.”

Sophomore Mike Kessler (Randallstown, MD/Owings Mills) won by fall to give the Broncs a 10-8 lead. “That was huge,” Taylor said.  “Mike is a dangerous wrestler. He has the ability to stay in the match with anyone, and his explosive hips allow him to put a wrestler on his back in a second. The match looks even and all of a sudden, bam!”

“I felt kind of slow in the first period,” Kessler said. “I’ve been suffering from a bit of a virus, but once that first snap I felt back to normal.”

Rider trailed 8-4 before Kessler took the mat. “Actually, I think that makes me wrestle better,” Kessler said.  “When I feel my team needs me, under pressure I usually do well.  I welcome that.”

Kessler is one of four wrestling brothers who combined to win nine Maryland State Titles, including Gregg, who wrestled at Rider in the 1990s and was a two-time conference champion (1996, ’98). “Gregg is 12 years older than I am, but I’ve seen a lot of videos of him and I saw how fast he was, how good he was.  The fact that Gregg came here helped influence me coming here.”

Junior T. J. Morrison (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cedar Cliff), ranked 15th in the nation, won by fall in just 1:51 to seal the victory. “That put it out of reach, so that was just as big as Kessler’s,” Taylor said.

Sophomore Doug Umbehauer (Shamong/Lenape), ranked 14th in the nation, and junior 141 Don Fisch (Williamstown/Delsea) won major decisions for Rider. “Donnie is heading back in the right direction,” Taylor said.

Freshman 157 Rob Morrison (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cedar Cliff) won to give Rider a 13-11 lead.

Mike Sees, ranked 10th in the nation, gave Bloomsburg a 5-0 lead with a tech fall, and Mike Spaid, ranked 19th in the nation, won by fall for the final score.

The victory gives Rider a 2-2 record. “We needed to get back on track, to get on a bit of a roll,” Taylor said.

The Broncs compete in a CAA dual meet at Drexel Tuesday.

125 Mike Sees-B tech fall  Thomas Lorenzo-R  18-2  0-5
133 Ricky Donald-B dec. Matt Bradley-R   10-5  0-8
141 Don Fisch-R major dec. Darren Kern-B  11-3  4-8
149 Mike Kessler-R wbf Matt Moley   3:55  10-8
157 Dennis Bermudez-B dec. Dave Miller-R   8-6  10-11
165 Robbie Morrison-R dec. Rickey Schmelyun  9-5  13-11
174 Doug Umbehauer-R major dec. Andrew Jordan-B 10-2  17-11
184 Nate Shirk-B dec. Mike Miller-R   7-2  17-14
197 TJ Morrison-R wbf PJ Distefano-B    1:51  23-14
Hwt Mike Spaid-B wbf Nick Ciufo-R    :50  23-20