Dukes Takes Home Most Outstanding Wrestler Honors as Case Takes Third at UAA Wrestling Championships

MANHATTAN, N.Y. – Junior Isaac Dukes (Ravenna, OH/Ravenna) was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 University Athletic Association wrestling championships as the Case Western Reserve University wrestling team fell to the University of Chicago (IL), 40-8, and New York University, 30-14, on the campus of NYU on Saturday, February 5 at the Coles Sport Center.

Case clinched a third-place finish with the 0-2 performance and falls to 0-10 on the season in dual match formats. Despite the third-place team finish, Dukes - pictured - won both of his matchups to earn also grab All-UAA honors at 149 pounds. The defending national champ improved to 28-2 on the season.

In the morning session, Dukes was victorious by technical fall against Chicago's Ryan Hoyt, 21-6. Facing off with NYU's Dan Gorman in his session match, Dukes won by the same score.

Against the Violets, sophomore Ben Kirsch (Cleveland, OH/Benedictine) won by forfeit at 157 pounds to score for Case, while junior heavyweight Cale Harter (Mt. Pleasant, MI/Mt. Pleasant) picked up a decision win against Rudy Delacruz, 4-1, to account for the rest of the Spartans' 14-points.

Senior Clay Criss (Beloit, OH/West Branch) squared off with Chicago's Kyle Kocher at 165 pounds and grabbed Case's only other win with an 8-4 decision.

The Spartans will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 12:00 p.m. against Muskingum University and the Rochester Institute of Technology (NY).

FINAL SCORE: University of Chicago 40, Case Western Reserve 8

125 lbs: Jake Schramm (UC) pin Frank Hu (CWRU), 4:35; 133 lbs: Francisco Acosta (UC) pin Victor Pan (CWRU), 1:36; 141 lbs: Joseph Ruettiger (UC) maj. dec. Brian Snyder (CWRU), 11-2; 149 lbs: Isaac Dukes (CWRU) tech. fall Ryan Hoyt (UC), 21-6; 157 lbs: Jim Layton (UC) pin Evan McDowell (CWRU), 1:13; 165 lbs: Clay Criss (CWRU) dec. Kyle Kocher (UC), 8-4; 174 lbs: Joshua Lowy (UC) dec. Kurtis Jensen (CWRU), 5-3; 184 lbs: Samuel Pennisi (UC) dec. Peter Heggs (CWRU), 4-2; 197 lbs: Jeffrey Tyburski (UC) win by forfeit; 285 lbs: Ryan Hatten (UC) pin Rylan Pyciak (CWRU), 0:50

FINAL SCORE: New York University 30, Case Western Reserve 14

125 lbs: Will Ladnier (NYU) maj. dec. Frank Hu (CWRU), 12-3; 133 lbs: Steve Contino (NYU) pin Victor Pan (CWRU), 1:10; 141 lbs: Clement Bommier (NYU) dec. Brian Snyder (CWRU), 7-4; 149 lbs: Isaac Dukes (CWRU) tech. fall Dan Gorman (NYU), 21-6; 157 lbs: Benjamin Kirsch (CWRU) win by forfeit; 165 lbs: Matt Magill (NYU) dec. Clay Criss (CWRU), 6-0; 174 lbs: David Rice (NYU) tech. fall Kurtis Jensen (CWRU), 26-8; 184 lbs: Sabino Galassi (NYU) dec. Peter Heggs (CWRU), 7-1; 197 lbs: Steve Massey (NYU) win by forfeit; 285 lbs: Cale Harter (CWRU) dec. Rudy Delacruz (NYU), 4-1