JMU defeats Franklin & Marshall

Evin Shoap / senior photographer Franklin & Marshall's MIchael Parzialo and JMU's Derick Schoenly grapple during the Dukes' match against the Diplomats Tuesday. Parziale won the match 23-9. JMU won the overall match 22-20.

The JMU wrestling team came into Tuesday’s match winless at 0-6. Coming out of Tuesday’s match, the Dukes were one better, picking up their first victory of the season on the strength of late rally, with a 22-20 win over Franklin & Marshall College in Sinclair Gymnasium.

"It was a great comeback for those guys," JMU coach Josh Hutchens said. "We made some mistakes early, but came back with some pins. It shows a lot of character."

JMU was down 20-3 coming into the seventh matchof the evening, senior Brian Lambert, wrestling in the 174-lb. weight class, kicked off the Dukes’ comeback.

"I knew I needed 6 points, I knew I needed the win, I knew I needed the pin," Lambert said. "I just had to concentrate on my style and not worry about the other guy. I could tell I was in better shape than he was."

And what Lambert needed, Lambert got. The Chesapeake native pinned his opponent, Chris Richey, in 1:33, getting those 6 points to bring JMU within 11 points of the lead with three matches to go.

With the win, Lambert improved his team-leading overall record to 10-5.

"He knew what he had to do before the match," Hutchens said. "If he didn’t get the pin, we were out of it."

In the following match, JMU continued its pinning ways as sophomore Jason Chalfont pushed his opponent’s shoulders to the mat in 5:11, giving the Dukes another 6 points.

"We were down and needed a big win," Chalfont said. "I needed to work hard and not hold anything back. I had some disappointing matches earlier, so I wanted to do well in this match."

It seemed to be the Dukes’ night. They got a major decision — and the 4 points that goes with it — in the very next bout, when sophomore Zach Winfrey defeated F&M’s Glenn Martin 9-1 to pull JMU within one at 20-19.

"We were losing, and I knew we were going to have to win the rest of our matches and work hard to get the win," Winfrey said. "And we wanted to win even more because winning feels better than losing."

Needing a win in the final match, it came down to junior heavyweight Chris Cvitan.

"I’m used to that, being in the upper weights because a lot of matches come down to us," Cvitan said. "

Cvitan obliged, despite battling the remnants of bronchitis, picking up the win 5-2, giving JMU 3 points and the overall victory.

"Lambert started us off and that fired us up," Cvitan said. "I knew I didn’t need the pin, so I wrestled a little more tentatively than I usually do."

JMU’s first points were scored by junior Jason Kibler, who picked up a 10-6 victory in the 141-lb. weight class over Steve Gregory in the third bout of the night.

"I got a good scouting report and one our guys went there last year," Kibler said. "At the time, we needed to get the ball rolling because this was a winnable match and I knew I could win mine."

JMU will look to keep that ball rolling, as it enters Colonial Athletic Association play against George Mason University Saturday in Sinclair Gymnasium at 2 p.m.

It will be JMU’s second home meet of the season.