MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The No. 22 Lander wrestling team opened Conference Carolinas competition with a pair of victories Wednesday evening, defeating host Mount Olive 25-17 before taking down Ferrum 28-15.

The two victories extended Lander's conference dual winning streak to 41 matches, a streak dating back to 2022. The win over Mount Olive also marked the Bearcats' seventh consecutive victory against the Trojans, while the matchup with Ferrum was the first meeting between the two programs.

The Bearcats used a strong start against Mount Olive, winning five of the first six bouts, before claiming six of the 10 bouts against Ferrum to secure their second conference win of the evening.

McAllister Ramage (133), Reid Noble (157) and Gianni Maldonado (165) led the way for Lander, each going 2-0 on the night, with Ramage recording a pair of pins.

No. 22 Lander 25, Mount Olive 17
The Bearcats wasted little time establishing control against the Trojans, winning the first two bouts by fall to take a 12-0 lead.

Preston White opened the dual with a first-period pin of Jayvion Johnson at 125 pounds before Ramage followed with another first-period fall, pinning Zach Bellissimo at 133 pounds.
After Mount Olive got on the board with a decision at 141 pounds, Tommy Dalton responded with a 13-1 major decision over Gable Pauole at 149 pounds to extend Lander's lead to 16-3.

Noble continued the Bearcats' momentum with a 19-4 technical fall over Abriel Padilla at 157 pounds before Maldonado earned a 17-3 major decision over Will Varner at 165 pounds, giving Lander a commanding 25-3 advantage with four bouts remaining.

The Trojans claimed the final four bouts, beginning with a 5-2 decision at 174 pounds and a 9-6 sudden-victory decision at 184 pounds. Mount Olive added a technical fall at 197 pounds and a decision at heavyweight, but Lander's early advantage proved too much to overcome.

Lander also picked up an exhibition victory at 141 pounds, as Collin Oden pinned Elijah Watts in the second period.

No. 22 Lander 28, Ferrum 15
Lander fell behind early against Ferrum after White dropped an 8-2 decision at 125 pounds, but Ramage quickly put the Bearcats in front with a third-period pin of Conner Walck at 133 pounds. Kevin O'Brien followed with a 21-6 technical fall over Bryan Gomez at 141 pounds to extend the lead to 11-3.

Ferrum responded with a 22-14 major decision at 149 pounds, but Lander answered with consecutive victories from Noble and Maldonado. Noble earned a 10-4 decision over Dustin Elliott before Maldonado recorded a 17-1 technical fall against Hayden Thompson to give the Bearcats a 19-7 advantage.

The Panthers cut into the deficit with a technical fall at 174 pounds, but JT Spence helped Lander regain momentum with a 13-5 major decision over Liam DeBaugh at 184 pounds.
Isaac Sheeren followed with an 18-2 technical fall over William Melton at 197 pounds, bouncing back from a loss against Mount Olive earlier in the evening. The victory pushed Lander's lead to 28-12 and put the match out of reach. Ferrum closed the dual with a 4-2 decision at heavyweight to bring the final score to 28-15.

The Bearcats finished the evening with 11 individual victories across the two duals, including three falls, four technical falls, three major decisions and one decision.

Lander returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 18, traveling to Columbia, S.C., for three Conference Carolinas duals against UNC Pembroke, Bluefield State and host Allen, beginning at 5 p.m. The dual against Allen was moved up from its originally scheduled date of Jan. 1, 2027.