GREENWOOD – The Lander wrestling team battled out of an early deficit to defeat Truett McConnell and earn the first dual win in program history, 41-13, in front of 209 fans in Finis Horne Arena on Wednesday night.
"I'm excited for the guys," said head coach R.C. LaHaye. "Any time you get a chance to be the first to do something, that's pretty exciting. There was more effort there than there was last week, so I'm excited for the group."
The difference in the dual came in a 17-0 run for the Bearcats (1-1) as Elijah Gray and Tyler Dahlgren tallied back-to-back falls at 141 and 149, followed by a 17-1 tech fall from Bryson Ethington at 157 to help Lander turn a 9-0 deficit into a 17-9 lead.
After the Bears (2-5) notched a major decision to make the score 17-13, Lander added to its cushion with a forfeit win at 174. The Bearcats put an exclamation mark on the victory with three consecutive falls to end the night. Myles Starke tallied six points at 184, Darius Parker notched a pin 58 seconds into the match at 197, and Cameron Coffman topped that mark with a fall after just 34 seconds at 285.
Lander will hit the road for its first road dual ever as the Bearcats take on Belmont Abbey on Dec. 19.
#cLawsUp | @LanderWrestling
