Ohio began its road trip with the intentions of claiming its first win in the Mid-American Conference. After a loss to Missouri to begin the road trip, the Bobcats looked to bounce back with two victories this weekend.
Ohio did just that, defeating both Kent State and Cleveland State 26-17 and 19-13, respectively. Almost everyone on the Bobcats contributed to the victories, and it was one of their best duals of the season.
Ohio (4-5, 2-2 MAC) had great contributions from Alec Hagan, Zac Carson, and Hunter Yeargan. All three wrestlers brought some of their best performances of the season.
Hagan continued his dominant season and won 6-0 versus Kody Komara of Kent State. He also defeated Gus Sutton by major decision. Hagan sets the tone for the Bobcats early on, and he let his presence be known this weekend.
Carson was another Bobcat who dominated his opponent. In his bout against Conan Becker of Kent State, he won 10-1 by major decision. That win also gave Ohio the 11-0 lead early on, putting them in the drivers seat for the rest of the dual. Against Cleveland State the story was the same, as Carson defeated Nico O’Dor 5-2. That win gave the Bobcats the early 7-0 lead, and they never looked back.
Yeargan had an impressive weekend and defeated Lane Hickle 3-1 on Friday to give the Bobcats a 20-3 lead. Against Cleveland State, Yeargan defeated DeAndre Nassar 5-4 to give the Bobcats the 13-3 lead. The senior provided a boost to the Bobcats, and helped secure the victories for them.
Overall, it was a true team effort that gave Ohio its first two MAC victories. Ohio will hope to build off this momentum as it gets into the thick of conference play.
Ohio will end its road trip against Southern Illinois on Jan. 31. It will be Ohio’s fourth consecutive MAC dual. The match starts at 2 p.m.
