Cal Poly Wrestling played host to Northern Illinois University and No. 15 Little Rock in a Valentine’s Day doubleheader on Feb. 14, coming up short in both duals at Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs (4-9, 0-2 Pac-12) struggled for position all night long, falling behind early on in both duals and losing to the Huskies (6-3, 5-1 MAC) 25-19 and the Trojans (16-3, 2-0 Pac-12) 25-14.
Strong performances from 184-pounder Daschle Lamer and No. 22 285-pounder Trevor Tinker were too little too late for the Mustangs, who now have just one match between them and the Pac-12 Championships in March.
The Mustangs honored their seven seniors prior to the meets.
This year’s honorees included Josh Harkey, Abe Hinrichsen, Cole Jackson, Kendall La Rosa, Jarad Priest, Wesley Wilson and Tinker.
Tinker has been one of the Mustang’s strongest wrestlers this year, and Wilson at 197 also saw some action in the dual meet lineup.
Mustangs drop first dual to NIU
In a shocker to start the Mustangs’ first meet of the night, No. 30 125-pounder Koda Holeman and No. 2 133-pounder Zeth Romney both lost by decisions.
The Mustangs couldn’t muster enough momentum to rebound from those early defeats, falling to NIU 25-19.
It was Romney’s first action since the Mustangs’ dominant win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville due to injury, and he was electric in the first period but struggled for control after that, eventually losing his lead in a 7-6 decision.
The star looks locked in to make a return to the NCAA tournament in March, making the loss to an unranked opponent even more surprising.
The Mustangs saw some life at the higher weights, including No. 8 149-pounder Chance Lamer, who secured a 19-4 technical fall midway through the second period.
Both Lamer and No. 25 165-pounder Luka Wick bounced back from upset losses in the Mustangs’ previous contest with Oregon State with strong victories.
The match of the night went to Dashle Lamer at 184, who gave a boost to the home crowd with a pin for a fall victory in the first period.
He has emerged as a reliable option at 184 pounds, winning each of his four matches since the Mustangs began their dual meet stretch this February.
Tinker ended the first dual on a high note, winning by a 15-0 technical fall in another big performance.
His consistency and quickness in the heavyweight class will make it tough for opponents to take him on in upcoming tournament matchups.
Cal Poly unable to overcome Pac-12 foe Little Rock
With the Mustangs thirty seconds away from taking a six-point lead over No. 15 Little Rock, Romney was clinging onto a one-point lead over the No. 8 ranked 133-pounder Nasir Bailey.
The two had faced each other at the NWCA National Duals in January, with Romney pinning Bailey – last year’s Pac-12 Champion – for a huge win.
As Bailey secured Romney’s left leg and lifted it off the mats, the bout completely flipped on its head. Bailey got Romney to the floor, securing a six-point swing with a takedown and a three-point near fall.
The 133-pound bout switched the momentum of Friday night’s match in Little Rock’s favor, as Cal Poly would only capture three more wins the rest of the way, falling 25-14.
The Mustangs have lost twice to the Trojans this season. Just over a month ago, Little Rock defeated Cal Poly in the quarterfinals at the NWCA National Duals, 22-19.
Before Romney, Holeman started the match off strong, picking up a 1-0 decision. The No. 29 ranked 125-pounder improved to 18-9 on the season and 10-3 in duals.
Now holding a 12-3 record, Romney will most likely see Bailey at the Pac-12 Championships in Corvallis, Ore., on March 6.
No. 25 Wick also suffered a close loss, falling 10-7 on an overtime takedown to the No. 32-ranked Joseph Bianchi. Wick, down 7-2 after the second period, made a big comeback but couldn’t finish the job in overtime.
Chance, Daschle and Tinker all secured victories, each going 2-0 on the night.
At 149 pounds, Chance defeated No. 12 Jordan Williams by a 7-2 decision, the second time he’s beaten him this season. Now 13-1 overall and 10-1 in duals, Chance has a total of 31 takedowns in dual matches.
With the Mustangs down 20-6, the redshirt freshman 184-pounder Daschle Lamer stepped onto the mats, worried about anything but the overall score.
Behind a huge third period, where he scored a takedown and a 4-point near fall, Daschle secured a major decision over Triston Willis, defeating him 14-6.
The youngest of the Lamer brothers has been electric on the mats this year, improving to 12-7 overall.
Tinker capped off the night with another win at heavyweight, securing three takedowns and over two minutes of riding time to secure an 11-3 major decision. Undefeated in his last 10 matches, his overall record is 20-5, 11-1 in dual play.
The Mustangs will now focus on next Sunday, Feb. 23, for their final Pac-12 and regular-season dual against Cal State Bakersfield at 1 p.m.