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BALTIMORE, Md. (December 8, 2024) — Morgan State experienced a tough outing against the University of Pennsylvania in a lopsided 34-6 defeat inside historic Hurt Gymnasium.
The Penn Quakers demonstrated their prowess on the wrestling mat with a resounding team victory, solidifying their first win of the season and elevating their overall record to 1-2. In contrast, Morgan's loss lowered their overall record to 1-6. Despite their struggles, they continue to exhibit determination and resilience.
Hurt Gymnasium
Kingsley Menifee and Xavier Doolin recorded wins in their respective bouts to put Morgan on the scoreboard with 6 points.
The Bears dropped the first three matches of the afternoon as a result of technical falls at 125, 133 and 141-pounds, followed by a 14-3 decision when Yannis Charles faced #13 ranked Cross Wasilewski in the 149-pound weight class.
The electricity in Hurt Gymnasium was turned up when Eric Tecson hit the mat against Jackson Dean in the 157-pound bout. Tecson struck first with an impressive early takedown and led 3-1 after the first period, leaving the crowd buzzing. the tide of the match shifted dramatically when Dean found his rhythm in the second period, capitalizing on a pivotal opportunity to secure a takedown and subsequently scoring a 2-point near fall and took a 4-3 lead. Ultimately, Dean clinched the match; with another 2-point near fall, bringing the final score to 6-3 in his favor.
Kingsley Menifee delivered a pivotal performance as he stepped onto the mat in the 184-pound bout against Nate Taylor. Menifee made his mark early in the first period, executing a decisive 3-point takedown with just 1:20 left on the clock. This initial surge set the tone for the match, allowing him to establish a commanding presence on the mat. As the contest progressed into the second period, Menifee maintained his edge, finishing the round with a narrow but crucial 5-3 lead. The tension heightened in the final period when Taylor managed a quick escape, narrowing the gap to 5-4. However, Menifee's resilience shone through as he navigated the final moments of the bout to capture the decision.
"I feel good about the match overall," said Menifee. "I've wrestled Nate (Taylor) before, so I was familiar with his tendencies. There are some techniques I still need to work on, especially when it comes to chain wrestling after a few moves."
"I'm also focusing on building more confidence in my shots," he added.
With the victory, Menifee improved his collegiate duals record to 2-5 and 5-6 overall.
In the final matchup of the day, Morgan standout Xavier Doolin took to the mat against Penn's John Pardo. The energy escalated immediately when Doolin, showcasing his aggressiveness, executed a swift 3-point takedown within the opening moments of the match. Doolin continued to dominate, building a solid 6-2 lead by the end of the first period, extending to a 7-2 lead in the second period.However, the resilient Pardo was determined not to go down quietly. In a critical moment in the final period, Pardo managed to score a takedown, narrowing Doolin's lead to 7-5. Doolin remained poised and held on tight to secure the victory.
Redshirt junior Xavier Doolin
"I've been a bit banged up and off the mat for a while, so that's been a challenge," said Doolin. "I also didn't finish the way I wanted to—there was a late takedown in the second period that I shouldn't have given up. It wasn't the position I should have been in, so I need to work on avoiding situations like that moving forward."
Despite the challenges that come with being a relatively inexperienced team, Doolin emphasizes that the learning process is a collective endeavor.
"As a team, I think we're making progress and growing, but we still have a lot to learn. We're a young squad overall. Right now, it's just me and Darrien Roberts with more experience on the mat, and we're all learning and figuring it out together," says Xavier Doolin.
The match concluded with Doolin's hand raised, adding another impressive win to his ledger.
Xavier Doolin's impressive performance this season his overall record of 7-3. with a standout record of 4-1 in collegiate duals.
Full Results
Quotables
"I felt that overall, we didn't fight as hard in some positions as we should have. But we had a couple of strong performances, especially from Xavier Doolin," stated head coach Kenny Monday.
"We're still a young team, and we're working on gaining experience and getting these guys match-ready. We need to improve our overall performance, but we'll keep working and building."
"Daririen Roberts had a solid wrestling performance, especially against the number six kid in the country. That match was really close, and he had a great shot at winning. I think it gives us a lot of momentum heading into the New Year."
Up Next
- The Bears will have a quick turnaround, Morgan will return home to Hurt Gymnasium for a EIWA matchup with Army on Friday (Dec. 13), with the dual starting at 6 p.m.. Tickets can be found here.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
