On an evening that spelled the last hurrah for John Carroll's most tenured wrestlers, the Blue Streaks scored a resounding 34-6 OAC victory over Muskingum University at the DeCarlo Varsity Center on Senior Night.

Seniors Kevin Nycz, Mauricio Gonzalez, Sean Gill, Jim Nemunaitis, Drew Place, and Alec Barker were honored prior to the dual match, and the group responded with three victories, including two by major decision.

John Carroll head coach Kerry Volkmann was all smiles after his Blue Streaks dominated the Fighting Muskies from wire to wire.

“It was great for our seniors to be recognized and have the opportunity to compete in front of the home crowd tonight,” said Volkmann.  “These six guys have offered a lot of leadership, especially this season, and they've all had a special year in six different ways.”

After the Blue Streaks picked up a forfeit at 125, senior Kevin Nycz used three takedowns to school Muskingum freshman Patrick McKernan by an 8-1 final.

With a  9-0 JCU lead, Phil Kail kept the momentum going with a slim 4-2 win at 133 pounds.  Greg Ryan made it four straight for the Blue & Gold when he pinned the Muskies' Kenney Poland in 53 seconds.

Muskingum earned one of its two victories on the night in the 157-pound bout.  Senior Michael Frasure picked up his 10th win of the season with a come-from-behind overtime triumph against Mauricio Gonzalez.  The 6-4 decision put Muskingum on the board, running the score to 18-3.

The Blue Streaks promptly squashed any hopes of a rally by the visitors with four consecutive major decisions.

At 165, Sean Gill imposed his will on Muskingum junior Ronnie Hepner with five takedowns and a near fall on his way to a 14-3 major decision.

Connor Suba scored an early takedown at 174, then cruised to the winner's circle by an 11-2 score, followed by a 14-4 performance turned in by Bryan Steinmetz.

Senior Jim Nemunaitis made his presence felt against Luke Weber in the 197 class, wearing out his opponent on his way to a 12-4 win.

“Most of my opponents are bigger than me, so I have to work twice as hard during the week,” said Nemunaitis.  “I've been getting in better shape throughout the season, and I was able to wear him [Weber] down tonight.”

He reflected on Senior Night and its impact.

“It felt great to come out here and get a win on Senior Night,” Nemunaitis said.  “It's kind of hard to explain, but it's an awesome feeling.”

At 285, senior Alec Barker fell, 4-2, to Brian Barnhart as Muskingum picked up the night's final points.

With the regular season now in the rear-view mirror, John Carroll will shift its focus directly towards the looming OAC Tournament, which will take place on Saturday, February 25 at Heidelberg University.

“Most important for us right now is to make sure we are healthy, and we are getting there,” said Volkmann.  “The conference is extremely balanced this year, and I expect some tight matches, but I like where we are right now.”

Added Nemunaitis, “We have to work even harder this week.  When the OAC Tournament comes, we have be relentless.”



125 - John Cobos (JCU) won by forfeit; 133 -  Kevin Nycz (JCU) dec. Patrick McKernan, (MUSK), 8-1 141 -  Phil Kail (JCU) dec. Brock Yackey (MUSK), 4-2; 149 - Greg Ryan (JCU) pinned Kenneth Poland (MUSK), 0:53; 157 - Michael Frasure (MUSK), dec. Mauricio Gonzalez (JCU), 6-4 OT; 165 -  Sean Gill (JCU) maj. dec. Ronald Hepner (MUSK), 15-3; 174 - Connor Suba (JCU) maj. dec. Mitchell King (MUSK), 10-2; 184 - Bryan Steinmetz (JCU) maj. dec. Tre Martin (MUSK), 14-4; 197 - Jim Nemunaitis (JCU) maj. dec. Lucas Weber (MUSK), 13-4; 285 - Brian Barnhart (MUSK) dec. Alec Barker (JCU), 4-2