Army repeats as All-Academy champions

Army put together 103.5 points to win its second-straight title. Photo courtesy of Army West Point Athletics

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Army West Point wrestling team defended its title at the All-Academy Championships, posting a first-place finish with 103.5 points and three individual champions on Sunday from Navy’s Alumni Hall.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
• This was Army’s fourth All-Academies title.

• Army won back-to-back All-Academy Championships for the first time in program history.

• Eight Black Knights advanced to championship matches, the most of any team.

• Freshman Trey Chalifoux (125 lbs.) and seniors Russ Parsons (157 lbs.) and Trevor Smith (285 lbs.) won individual titles.

• Chalifoux and Smith won their first-career tournament titles.

• Senior co-captain Logan Everett earned his 10th-career pin 25 seconds into his quarterfinal bout.

• Junior Matt Kelly documented the first technical fall of his career with a 15-0 victory in the quarterfinals.

• The win was the 30th of Kelly’s career.

• Parsons notched an 18-0 tech. fall in his opening match, setting a new single-season best in the category.

• The tech. fall in the quarterfinals gave Parsons 10 bonus point victories on the season.

• Parsons documented his 75th-career victory in the semifinals, advancing to his third-straight All-Academies finals.

• Junior Andrew Mendel earned his first-career pin at the 4:05 mark of his quarterfinal bout.

• Mendel earned his fifth bonus point win of the season in the semifinals with a 12-4 major decision.

• Freshman Ben Harvey achieved the first pin of his career 1:35 into his first match for his fifth bonus point win of the season.

• Smith advanced to the finals with his 40th-career victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED
125: Trey Chalifoux (1st): 2-0

Quaterfinals: Bye

Semifinals: W, 6-3 vs. Drew Romero (Air Force)

Finals: W, 10-6 vs. Dalton Henderson (VMI)

133: Austin Harry (2nd): 2-1, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, 6-3 vs. Tyler Craig (Merchant Marine)
Semifinals: W, Major Decision, 12-4 vs. Michael Hulcher (VMI)
Finals: L, 5-2 vs. Dylan Hyder (Air Force)

141: #16 Logan Everett (2nd): 2-1, Fall, Tech. Fall
Quarterfinals: W, Fall at 0:25 vs. Dan May (Merchant Marine)
Semifinals: W, Tech. Fall, 16-1 vs. Douglas Gudenburr (The Citadel)
Finals: L, Major Decision, 15-2 vs. #18 Jared Prince (Navy)

149: Matt Kelly (4th): 2-2, Tech. Fall, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, Tech. Fall, 15-0 vs. Alex Rinehurst (VMI)
Semifinals: L, 9-5 vs. Gerald McGinty (Air Force)
Cons. Semifinals: W, Major Decision, 8-0 vs. Matt Vieira (Coast Guard)
3rd Place: L, 7-3 vs. Corey Wilding (Navy)

157: #16 Russ Parsons (1st): 3-0, Tech. Fall, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, Tech. Fall, 18-0 vs. Chris Sullivan (Coast Guard)
Semifinals: W, 9-4 vs. Alex Mossing (Air Force)
Finals: W, Major Decision, 12-0 vs. Neal Richards (VMI)

165: Andrew Mendel (2nd): 2-1, Fall, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, Fall at 4:05 vs. Christian Willoughby (Merchant Marine)
Semifinals: W, Major Decision, 12-4 vs. Cade Kiely (VMI)
Finals: L, 3-2 vs. Drew Daniels (Navy)

174: Ben Harvey (2nd): 2-1, Fall, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, Fall at 1:35 vs. Martin Duane (The Citadel)
Semifinals: W, MD, 8-0 vs. Michael Billingsley (Air Force)
Finals: L, 7-5 vs. #16 Jadaen Bernstein (Navy)

184: Samson Imonode (2nd): 2-1, Tech. Fall, Major Decision
Quarterfinals: W, Tech. Fall, 21-4 vs. Dan Fiorvanti (Coast Guard)
Semifinals: W, Major Decision, 17-4 vs. Joseph Hennessey (Norwich)
Finals: L, Major Decision, 16-4 vs. Michael Coleman (Navy)

197: C.J. Morgan: 1-2
Quarterfinals: W, 8-6 vs. Taylor Thomas (VMI)
Semifinals: L, 6-1 vs. Steban Cervantes (Navy)
Cons. Semis: L, 3-1 vs. Blake Bunce (Merchant Marine)

285: Trevor Smith (1st): 2-0
Quarterfinals: Bye
Semifinals: W, 1-0 vs. Thomas Ott (Navy)
Finals: W, 4-0 vs. Kerry Powers (Air Force)
COACHES CORNER
• Head Coach Kevin Ward – “My message to the team is that you’ve done something that this program has never done before. That’s something to take pride in and feel good about. But putting eight in the finals and leaving with three champions shows that there is work to be done. It will only get tougher from here, so we better get tougher. We got exposed in some areas and we need to address them. They are things that are fixable. I’m not worried, but I’m not satisfied either. We have to continue to make progress if we want to achieve our goals.”
UP NEXT
• The Black Knights will have a week off before traveling to Lehigh on Feb. 10 for an EIWA matchup at 7 p.m.