ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana came close but just missed upsetting eighth ranked Cornell on Wednesday, December 16 in the Carver Center. The Vikings fell to the Rams by a score of 19-14 in non-conference wrestling action.
 
There were five weight classes that were decided by four points or less and Cornell won four of them to provide the margin of victory.
 
In the final match of the night the Rams Eric Tucker scored a takedown with just two seconds left on the clock to edge Augustana senior John Seaman (Munster HS, Munster, Ind.) by a score of 3-1 at 285 pounds. That proved to be decisive as Cornell was leading 16-14 heading the 285 pound weight class and a Seaman victory would have given the Vikings the win. Instead, it was Tucker who finished the takedown near the edge of the mat and sent the visitors home with the win that moved them to 7-3 on the year. Augustana is now 3-3.
 
The Vikings got off to a fast start with victories at 125 and 133. Senior Jimmy Panozzo (Carl Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) beat Scott Smith 7-5 at 125, raising his record to 16-3. Sophomore Brendan Gould (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) beat Brody Lamb 9-0 to give Augustana a 7-0 lead. In the process Gould upped his record to 17-1 on the year.
 
Cornell won the next three weight classes to take a 10-7 advantage after Aaron Engle beat senior David Tessiatore (Downers Grove North HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) 6-4 at 157.
 
Sophomore Trace Timmons (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) tied the match for the Vikings at 10-10 with an 11-5 win over Ben Hewson at 165 pounds. Timmons is now 13-5.
 
At 174 pounds Cornell's Michael Maksimovic won a close 8-5 decision over Viking senior Alex Bowers (Noblesville HS, Noblesville, Ind.). That gave the Rams a 13-10 lead heading into 184 pounds.
 
Senior Thomas Reyhons (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) put Augustana back into the lead when he scored a technical fall over Jarod Cadena at 3:59 of the 184 pound weight class. Reyhons, now 6-5 this year, put the Vikings on top 15-13.
 
Junior Christos Giatras (Lemont HS, Lemont, Ill.) fell 11-7 to Aburough Abegesah at 197. The Vikings were deducted one team point following the 197 pound match and that left it up to the 285 pounders.
 
Augustana's next competition will be on January 8 at the National Collegiate Dual Tournament in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
 
INDIVIDUAL MATCH RESULTS                                                                       AUG     COR
125 – Jimmy Panozzo (A) def.Scott Smith (CO) 7-5                                                3          0
133 – Brendan Gould (A) def.  Brody Lamb (CO) 9-0                                               7          0
141 – Josh Martin (CO) beat Sean McMahon (A) 14-6                                             7          4
149 – Nathan Shank (CO) beat Matt Sears (A) 6-1                                                  7          7
157 – Aaron Engle (CO) beat David Tessiatore (A) 6-4                                            7          10
165 – Trace Timmons (A) beat Ben Hewson (CO) 11-5                                          10         10
174 – Michael Maksimovic (CO) beat Alex Bowers (A) 8-5                                     10         13
184 – Thomas Reyhons (A) tech fall over Jarod Cadena (CO) @ 3:59 (16-0)           15         13
197 –Aburough Abegesah (CO) beat Christos Giatras (A) 11-7                               14         16

• Deduct one team point from Augustana (unsportsmanlike contact)

285 – Eric Tucker (CO) beat Jack Seaman (A) 3-1                                                14         19
 
REFEREE: Marc Miller
 
FINAL SCORE
#8 Cornell 19, Augustana 14
 
RECORDS: Augustana 3-3 & #8 Cornell 7-3