December 10, 1998

LEXINGTON, Va. - Virginia's Jim Harshaw (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) notched his 18th career pin and helped the Cavalier wrestling team hold off the VMI Keydets in the season-opening dual match for the Cavaliers in Lexington. Harshaw's pin gave the Cavaliers six team points in the final bout of the evening, giving Virginia the 24-14 win.

The Cavaliers jumped out to a quick lead as John Qualter (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) won at 174 and Craig Fenstermaker (Hilton Head, S.C./Northampton (Pa.)) won at 184 to give Virginia a 6-0 lead. But the Keydets stormed back with two major decision victories at 197 and Heavyweight to take the lead 8-6 after four bouts.

Virginia's Matt Roth (Wescosville, Pa./Parkland) put the Cavaliers back on top for good with a 10-3 decision over Oliver Ruiz at 125. Mike Pacillo's (Kenmore, N.Y./Kenmore West)victory at 133 gave the Cavaliers a four-point lead, and victories at 141 by P.J. Bory (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) and 149 by John Pozniak (State College, Pa./State College) put the Cavaliers up by 10 with two bouts to go.

But Cavalier Greg Francesca (Union, N.J./Blair Academy) was pinned in the 157 bout, bringing the Keydets to within four with just Harshaw's match remaining at 165. Harshaw's pin, giving him 18 for his career and bringing him into a tie for second all-time in that category, clinched the match for the Cavaliers. Virginia opens the season 1-0.

The match began with the 174 bout, following a change in the 1998-99 season in which matches will begin with different weight classes determined at random for each match.

Wgt  Result                                       Team Score  (UVA-VMI)
174  Qualter (UVA) dec. Austen Palmer                 5-3        3-0
184  Fenstermaker (UVA) dec. David Budlong            8-3        6-0
197  Isaac Moore (VMI) maj dec. Robbie Moutoux       12-4        6-4
HWT  Leslie Apedoe (VMI) maj. dec. Ryan Painter      14-6        6-8
125  Roth (UVA) dec. Ruiz                            10-3        9-8
133  Pacillo (UVA) dec. Tremayne Austin              10-8       12-8
141  Bory (UVA) dec. Frank Lucero                     3-0       15-8
149  Pozniak (UVA) dec. Dan Wilson                    2-0       18-8
157  Matt Erwin (VMI) WBF Francesca                  5:10      18-14
165  Harshaw (UVA) WBF Gil Decher                    4:55      24-14