Ohio took on Buffalo Saturday night in the finale of the regular season, prior to next week's MAC championship.
The result did not favor Ohio, as it fell 22-17. Despite the loss, Ohio had one of its more thrilling matches of the season and it came down to the final weight class to decide the winner.
Here is how Ohio fared in its final dual of the season.
125-Pounds
In the first match of the night, Ohio dominated and got out to a strong start. Oscar Sanchez, the No. 6 wrestler in the MAC, took down Buffalo's Mason Bush for a 6-0 victory. Sanchez dominated the whole match and finished with a massive riding time advantage.
141-Pounds
Aidan Waszak wrestled for Ohio at 141-Pounds and was the first of several unfamiliar faces that went for Ohio. Waszak has yet to wrestle in a MAC dual this season. Waszak, a sophomore, wrestled strongly against Buffalo’s Jack Marlow. After a very even match that was 2-1 in the final minute, it was Waszak who got a late takedown for two points, elevating him to a 3-2 decision victory in favor of the Bobcats.
149-Pounds
Ohio faced a major blow at 149-pounds as it was forced to forfeit the match with no wrestlers prepared for the road trip. With the forfeit, Ohio surrendered six points to the Bulls, making the team score 10-6 in favor of Buffalo despite a strong start from the Bobcats.
157-Pounds
Dan Segura took the mats for Ohio at 157-Pounds, yet another unfamiliar face as it was also Segura's first MAC dual of the season. What better way to start your MAC wrestling career than taking on number one wrestler Michael Petite? Well that’s what Segura did, and he did nearly every single thing he could to win. It was a late takedown by Petite that willed him to a narrow 4-3 decision in favor of the Bulls.
165- and 174-Pounds
Ohio gained some momentum in back-to-back matches at 165 and 174, with both Jordan Slivka and Sal Perrine picking up major decision victories. These two have been some of Ohio’s best all season long and have always been reliable to take care of business in their respective duals.
184-Pounds
Zayne Lehman has been unstoppable this season for Ohio and that would not stop here. Despite suffering an apparent head injury in the first period, Lehman returned to the mats and picked up his ninth straight victory by an 8-5 margin over the No. 2 wrestler in the MAC, Giuseppe Hoose. Lehman finishes the year with an undefeated 8-0 record in MAC duals.
Heavyweight
After Austin Starr was taken down at 197-pounds, the Bobcats and Bulls entered the final class of the night with a tight score of 17-16, making the heavyweights decide who won this one. However, for anyone who has followed the Bobcats all year, the heavyweight class has been an issue. Jacob Padilla once again fell, this time in dramatic fashion. The match was almost over before it started as Padilla was defeated by fall in the first period by Buffalo's Greg Hodulick. With the fall, Ohio was defeated by a final score of 22-17.
