WILMINGTON — Saint Mark’s wrestling team has participated in several big multi-school events this season, but they may have had Jan. 17 circled on the calendar. The Spartans kicked off their dual-meet campaign at defending Division I state champion and archrival Salesianum, and they won the final three matches by falls to capture a 42-30 victory in front of a spirited crowd at Father Birkenheuer Gymnasium.
It was the first head-to-head meeting between the two programs since Jan. 31, 2018, and the first Spartans win since Jan. 31, 2012.
Eight of the 12 weight classes — there were two forfeits — were decided by pinfall, four for each team. The match was tied, 12-12, after Clif Bakhsh scored a one-point victory over the Sals’ Carter Davis with an escape in the second period and a scoreless third. After Leo Marini put the Sals back on top by six with a fall, the Spartans won three straight matches, the final one a narrow 2-0 decision for Chris Foster, to go up, 24-18.
But Matthew Copeland rolled Alec Baxley into a pin, and Gardner Hall took care of Braden Carroll in the first period to lift the Sals back into the lead, 30-24, with three weight classes remaining.
But those were the final points the Sals would earn on the evening. Bradyen Ranauto tied it up with a pin, and Vincent Hurst did the same to give Saint Mark’s a 36-30 lead. The Sals needed a pin at 175 to force a tie, but Jacob Ebaugh scored a fall midway through his match to clinch the win.
Scoring Summary:
190 Finn Hanna (Saint Mark`s ) wins by forfeit
215 Scott McKelvey (Saint Mark`s ) over James Delvescovo (Salesianum) (Dec 8-3)
285 James Miller (Salesianum) over Aidan Zellman (Saint Mark`s ) (Fall 3:45)
106 Mason Catania (Salesianum) wins by forfeit
113 Clif Bakhsh (Saint Mark`s ) over Carter Davis (Salesianum) (Dec 4-3)
120 Leo Marini (Salesianum) over James Holmes (Saint Mark`s ) (Fall 1:50)
126 Aaron Menickella (Saint Mark`s ) over Dominic Lucian (Salesianum) (SV-1 4-2)
132 Jack MacDonald (Saint Mark`s ) over Michael Turner (Salesianum) (Fall 4:10)
138 Christopher Foster (Saint Mark`s ) over Jacob Girard (Salesianum) (Dec 2-0)
144 Matthew Copeland (Salesianum) over Alec Baxley (Saint Mark`s ) (Fall 3:02)
150 Gardner Hall (Salesianum) over Braden Carroll (Saint Mark`s ) (Fall 1:05)
157 Brayden Ranauto (Saint Mark`s ) over Luca Scopio (Salesianum) (Fall 5:00)
165 Vincent Hurst (Saint Mark`s ) over Chris Miller (Salesianum) (Fall 1:32)
175 Jacob Ebaugh (Saint Mark`s ) over Liam Gillespie (Salesianum) (Fall 2:56)
Photos by Mike Lang.
