HAMPTON, Va. – The Washington & Jefferson College men's wrestling team (2-6) drops the opening two duals during day one of the Virginia Duals. The Presidents fell in their opening dual 32-14 to the Division II Frostburg State Bobcats (5-2) and dropped a hard-fought 30-21 dual against the Liberty Flames, which competes as a Division I Club team.
 
W&J 14, Frostburg State 32
The Bobcats opened the contest up 11 points after taking wins in the opening two weight classes.
 
Sophomore captain Josh Smith (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) got the Presidents on the board in the 141-pound weight class with a 13-1 major decision at the 44-second mark of the final period. Senior Bryce Rodriguez-Uram (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton) made the dual score 11-10 with a major decision of his own. In the 149-pound bout, Rodriguez-Uram wrestled his way to an 11-3 win.
 
The Bobcats increased their lead with wins in the next two bouts, but W&J would not go away easily. Junior captain Jiovanni DeChicchis (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) tried to shift the momentum back in the Presidents' favor in the 174-pound weight class. DeChicchis wrestled a hard-fought 4-2 decision with a takedown with just over 90 seconds left in the bout to take the victory.
 
Sophomore Vitali Daniels (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bentworth) helped the Presidents remain in striking distance with a 7-0 decision at the 184-pound weight class. The Bobcats pulled away in the closing two bouts to secure the overall win 32-14.
 
W&J 21, Liberty 30
Junior Brandon Dami (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) set the tone for the Presidents' second dual of the event with a pin in the opening minute of the 125-pound bout.

The Flames took the 133-pound bout to even the score. In the next two bouts, Josh Smith (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) and Bryce Rodriguez-Uram (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton) built off their performances in the first round with wins. Smith got an opening period pin in the opening minute of the 141-pound match. Rodriguez-Uram flipped the script in the 149-pound match by pinning his opponent while down 10-1 to give the Presidents an 18-6 lead.
 
Liberty took control of the next three weight classes to go up 20-18 in the overall score. W&J continued to battle as Vitali Daniels (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bentworth) won a tight 184-pound contest with a takedown in the closing minute of the final period to win 6-3 and give the overall lead back to the Presidents 21-20.
 
The Flames went on to take the last two weight classes and the overall dual by a 30-21 scoreline.
 
W&J returns to the mats tomorrow (1/10) for Day Two of the Virginia Duals. The Presidents will have two duals, taking on Johns Hopkins at 3:30 p.m. and either Marymount or Greensboro College at 5:00 p.m.