Titans Drop Season Opener to UW-Whitewater

OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh Titans wrestling team dropped their first dual of the season to WIAC opponent, UW-Whitewater, by a final score of 11-32 Thursday night in Kolf Sports Center. The Titans fall to 0-1 on the season in both overall and conference play, while the Warhawks improve to 1-0.

The Titans took an early 3-0 lead when Luc Valdez won the 125-pound match over Tyler Klein by sudden victory-2 (5-4). It was the only lead the Titans would hold over the Warhawks all night.

Denis Murphy fell to Dominik Mallinder in the 133-pound match in a 10-14 decision. The Warhawks tied the dual at 3-3 with the win. They built on that lead over the next two weight classes with a Ethan Pogorzelski 141-pound technical fall (3-19) over Justin Mitchell and a Jake Buford 149-pound technical fall (17-1) over Luke Moczynski. With three wins in a row for Whitewater, Oshkosh fell behind 3-13.

Oshkosh would win their second match in the 157-pound bout between Cody Welker and Whitewater's Hunter Rudinski. Welker won the match by decision (7-2), to pull the Titans to a 6-13 deficit.

The Warhawks won three matches in a row again, this time with Luke Schmerbach defeating Nate Stokhaug by decision (6-3) in the 165-pound match, Ryan Riser winning over Michael Loger by major decision (12-3) in the 174-pound match and Kade Desormeau winning by forfeit in the 184-pound match. After the conclusion of the 184-pound match, Oshkosh trail Whitewater by a score of 6-26.

The Titans won their last match of the night in the 197-pound match when Beau Yineman took Whitewater's Jakub Maciorow down by technical fall (21-1). The Titans would forfeit the 285-pound match to Shelby Jones, ended the dual with an 11-32 loss.

Looking Forward

The Titans go on the road this weekend to compete in the Pointer Open in Stevens Point starting at 9 a.m.