PALM COAST, Fla.—After several Knights grapplers posted place finishes at the Brute/Adidas Sunshine Open earlier in the week, the St. Andrews Presbyterian College wrestling team concluded a four-day trip in Florida with a 30-20 dual match victory over Darton College on Dec.30.



Junior Casey Gashaw highlighted the Knights results over the break with a fourth place result in the 133-pound competition at the Sunshine Open before staying perfect in dual matches this season with a victory by pin in his bout against Darton.

The Sunshine Open was hosted by Augsburg College (a national power at the Division III ranks) at Flagler Palm Coast High School on Monday & Tuesday, December 28-29. St. Andrews enjoyed an extra day in Florida before hitting the mat against Darton College on Wednesday morning.

DUAL MATCH: St. Andrews 30, Darton 20

St. Andrews won six of 10 matches including a pair of pins en route to the 30-20 victory over Darton. The Knights improve to 1-1 overall and will host No. 2 nationally ranked Newberry College next Friday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. in SAPC’s home opener.

“It was great to get a win against Darton College who beat us last year,” said St. Andrews head coach Joe Baranik. “Plus we had three starters out of the lineup. I give a lot of credit to freshmen Luke Olsen and Davin Morris who pulled out wins for us and upper classmen Casey Gashaw and Greg Todd for earning valuable pin points. Gashaw is 2-0 in duals with two pins.”

The Knights, who had to forfeit three weight classes in a 27-12 loss to Darton last year, showed off its much deeper lineup this year by avenging the loss with a 10-point victory over the Cavaliers to cap the 2009 portion of the schedule.

SAPC spotted Darton a four-point lead to start the match with a major decision loss at the lightweight ranks but the Knights then won the next four matches to take control of the contest, 21-6. The run was highlighted by a pair of first-round pins by Gashaw and junior Greg Todd. Gashaw took care of his foe in two minutes and 27 seconds while Todd earned six points downing his 157-pound opponent in just 1:46.

Sophomore Matt Fletcher was credited with forfeit win at 141-lbs before freshman Luke Olsen posted his first collegiate dual match victory with a hard fought 11-6 decision in the 149-pound tilt.

The Cavaliers won three of the final five bouts but wins by Knights’ freshman Davin Morris and junior Andre Ellerbe held off the comeback. Morris edged his 174-pound foe in a close 8-6 decision while Ellerbe stays perfect in dual matches with a win by forfeit.

SUNSHINE OPEN

Gashaw won four matches and finished fourth in the 133-pound competition to lead St. Andrews at the Sunshine Open while Olsen and sophomore Josh Tegard each earned seventh place honors at their respective weight classes.

“I was pleased with our team’s effort in the Sunshine Open. Casey [Gashaw] wrestled tough to earn a fourth place medal and redshirt freshman Josh Tegard is getting better all the time as he placed seventh. Also, Luke Olsen, a true freshman, placed seventh in a tournament that included talent from Minnesota, Ohio to New Jersey to Florida,” commented Baranik.

Gashaw disposed his first opponent in an even two minutes (his fastest fall of the season) before tallying other wins by a 15-3 major decision, 11-5 decision, and by forfeit to take the fourth place medal.

Olsen (149-lbs) has a trio of victories including his first two pins of his collegiate career. Olsen had the referee slap the mat at the 2:08 and 4:39 marks of his two falls. Olsen, who leads SAPC with nine total wins in the fall of 2009, added a 15-9 decision in his last match.

Tegard took seventh place in the lightweight class with a pair of wins by a 9-3 decision and a forfeit win.

After being eliminated from the championship bracket at 165-pounds, freshman Richard Manwarren strung together three consecutive wins to take the runner-up honors secondary competition that featured a 1:57 pin.

Fletcher and freshman Sterling Perry each recorded a pair of wins at the Sunshine Open. Perry’s wins came by 7-5 and 6-2 decisions while Fletcher’s victories were by 5-4 decision and by forfeit.

Five Knights had one win in the open competition including pins by Ellerbe (6:30) and Morris (6:58).

Freshman Will James netted his first collegiate win with a 3-0 decision; classmate Greg Polhemus had a 13-5 major decision victory; and freshman Patrick Wells was credited with a win by forfeit.