Results

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin wrestling team kicked off the 2015-16 season with a bang, Thursday, at the UW Field House, as the Badgers defeated in-state foe UW-Whitewater by a score of 43-0.
 
En route to a lopsided victory, the Badgers picked up bonus points in six of the 10 matches.
 
Johnny Jimenez set the tone early, pinning Logan Hanselman 4:41 into the 125-pound match. At the time of the fall Jimenez led 6-0 thanks to two takedowns and a two-point nearfall.
 
Jens Lentz rivaled Jimenez's performance with a 16-5 major decision in the 133-pound match. He scored the first five points before surrendering one point to Brandon Peshek by escape. Lentz went on to outscore Peshek, 11-4, to finish out the match.
 
"It feels good getting out there for the first dual of the year—getting my takedowns and riding tough on top," Jimenez said.
 
"I had a lot of fun out there."
 
The 141-pound matchup proved to be the most competitive, as Luke Rowh needed a sudden victory period to defeat NCAA Division III All-American and national runner-up Matthew Adcock.
 
Rowh got out to a two-point lead before Adcock responded with two escapes to knot the score at two after the second period. There was no scoring in the third period.
 
Coming out aggressive in overtime, Rowh needed just 11 seconds to finish off Adcock with a takedown.
 
"It was a close match," Rowh said. "I knew it was going to be within a couple of points. I wrestled him (Adcock) last year and it was a close match. I ended up scoring early and didn't score until late but I'm just happy I won."
 
Andrew Crone extended the Badgers' lead to 19-0 with a pin in the second period of the 149-pound match against Isaiah Vela. The Delafield, Wisconsin, native was up, 5-0, at the time of the fall.
 
The 157-pound tussle featured TJ Ruschell and Brandon Arteaga. Ruschell registered two takedowns and a two-point nearfall, while giving up an escape to lead, 6-1, after three minutes on the mat.
 
The junior escaped the hold of Arteaga in the third period to win, 7-1.
 
Seth Liegel faced off against Thomas Gerszewski at 165 pounds. Gerszewski had the most wins for UWW last season, posting a 33-9 record and taking the WIAC championship at 157 pounds.
 
Liegel had no problem with the conference champion, though, as he went up, 2-0, early on and never looked back. The Spring Green, Wisconsin, product won by a score of 10-3.
 
With Isaac Jordan and Ryan Taylor not participating, Ricky Robertson was the Badgers' only ranked wrestler competing. He comes in at No. 10 on both FloWrestling and InterMat's top-20 rankings.
 
In the 174-pound matchup, Robertson allowed Connor Price to score just three points, as the sophomore won, 8-3.
 
Jake Stilling picked up Wisconsin's third pin of the night, defeating Christian Dischler at 184 pounds. The fall occurred in the second round with Stilling leading, 14-0.
 
Eric Peissig held Bowen Wileman scoreless until the third period in the 197-pound match, winning by major decision, 9-1.
 
Wrapping up the meet, Broth Horwath won, 16-0, by technical fall over Jordan Festege in the heavyweight scrap. In all, Horwath gathered two takedowns, two two-point nearfalls, two four-point nearfalls and two stalling points.
 
The Badgers are now 6-0 all-time against Whitewater, dating back to the schools' first meeting in 1968-69.
 
Wisconsin will take a break from team competition until Nov. 21 when it takes part in the Navy Classic, but select wrestlers will compete in the Michigan State Open on Sunday at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan. The event will include up to 250 participants.
 
"I'm ready for some more competition and the opportunity to keep battling out there with my brothers," Jimenez said. "We have a lot of good competition coming up this weekend (at the MSU Open) so this (tonight's meet) was just a little preview of what we're all about."