SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Millersville Marauders wrestled on multiple fronts on Saturday, competing in both the Shippensburg Duals and the Messiah Open. The Ville earned its first conference dual meet victory of the season over Shippensburg, 25-16. Six Marauders earned victories against the Raiders, including Devin Flannery (125 pounds), Ryan McGuire (141), Brandon Connor (157), Jarrett Feeney (165), Evan Morrill (184), and Josh Walls (285).
 
Millersville wrestled a second dual meet against Belmont Abbey College just minutes after the Shippensburg dual. The Marauders trailed but closed the gap in the team score to five points (18-13) after a Malik Jackson fall at 174 pounds. Despite that effort and a Josh Walls victory in the 285-pound weight class, Belmont Abbey won the dual 27-15.

The Marauders have been a tough out in dual meets since late December of 2019. The team has won seven of the last 10 dual meets they have competed in.

Millersville also sent a contingent of wrestlers to compete in the 2020 Messiah Open, where Anthony Wiggins won three matches at 133 pounds and finished in sixth place.
 
DUAL MEET HIGHLIGHTS: SHIPPENSBURG
• Jacob Lehman wrestled extremely tough at 133 pounds against Shippensburg's Jake Downing. He shot and completed a takedown late in the first period, then locked up a cradle but time expired to deny him what would have been additional points. The clock was Lehman's enemy again in the second period when he went in on a double-leg shot and looked certain to score again but was interrupted by the buzzer. Lehman defended a late Downing shot by using his own momentum against him, ending up on top and scoring the takedown for an 8-7 lead. Downing scored a late reversal to claim the 9-8 victory.
 • At 141 pounds, Ryan McGuire kept the pace up and was dominant from the top position. He scored the first takedown of the bout near the edge of the circle just 40 seconds in and turned Matt Milbrand to earn four near fall points. McGuire did not let Milbrand to his feet and shut him out on the scoreboard, 11-0, to take a 10-3 lead in the team score.
• 157-pounder Brandon Connor and 165-pounder Jarrett Feeney both earned decisions to increase the Millersville lead. Connor and his opponent Pat Duggan went scoreless after the first period, but Connor rode Duggan in the second for 1:16. The pressure of the possible riding time point forced a locked hands call on Duggan in the third period, and Connor escaped to take a 2-1 lead. A late shot and a takedown for Connor as the period expired sealed the 4-1 victory. Feeney wrestled a methodical match at 165 pounds. He scored an early takedown in the first period and added an escape for a 3-0 lead in the second. Drake Brenize did score two on a reversal in the third period but Feeney escaped again and fended off Brenize the rest of the way for the 4-2 decision.
• Evan Morrill earned a pin in 4:39 at 184 pounds, but the dual meet was not decided until Josh Walls stepped on the mat at 285 pounds. Walls and Shippensburg's Derek Berberick wrestled a quality heavyweight bout, tied 1-1 after the third period. Walls had shown life late in the third and continued his aggression in overtime, shooting and earning the takedown for the 3-1 decision in sudden victory.
 
DUAL MEET HIGHLIGHTS: BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE
• After collecting a forfeit against Shippensburg, Devin Flannery came out of the gates with a ton of energy at 125 pounds. Belmont Abbey's Joshua Vega has no answer for him and Devin earned the 11-2 major decision for his 13th win of the season.
• At 133 pounds, Jacob Lehman was once again involved in a bout with a dramatic finish. Trailing 9-8 in the third period, with time running out, Lehman latched a body lock onto his opponent and did just enough to earn the two points (and the 10-9 decision) after the referees conferred and confirmed his match-winning move.
• 174-pounder Malik Jackson has been the team's ironman this season, wrestling in a team-high 24 matches. Jackson defended shots from his opponent Andrew Pegram and earned an escape point late in the second period. In the third period, Jackson was in the top position and turned Pegram right to his back. The shoulders went down and Malik earned his second fall of the season.
 
POST-DUAL REACTION FROM HEAD COACH KERRY REGNER
• On the team's first conference win against Shippensburg: "Today was a good day for the program, the athletic department, and our fans. Winning conference matches is where we need to be. The spread could have been a little more than it was. There were some close matches that could have gone either way, but we wrestled hard for seven minutes. We had fun and saw big improvements from our last PSAC match."
• On Jacob Lehman's two dramatic matches: "Jacob had a good day, he wrestled hard against tough kids, including a regional placer. He's a lot of fun to coach. He works hard in the practice room, lets it rip, and is a "Yes, sir," kind of guy."
• On moving forward towards the last stretch of the season: "We still have a ways to go and need to focus on ourselves; not in a selfish way but in one that benefits the team. We improved on some things today but still have to work on the little things that will make us complete and make us better. It all comes down to discipline."
 
NOTES
• Today's victory improve Millersville's overall dual meet record to 7-9 in 2019-2020. The seven victories equals the total the team earned 2017-18, Kerry Regner's first year as head coach. Prior to that, the program had not achieved that number since 2008.
• Josh Walls, Devin Flannery, and Ryan McGuire are now tied for the team lead in victories with 14. Brandon Connor is just behind with 12 and Jackson Erb has 11.

UP NEXT
The Marauders finish out the dual meet season on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. with a battle for the Rupp Cup at Franklin & Marshall. The Marauders claimed possession of the cup after a 22-21 victory in 2018-2019.
 
COMPLETE SHIPPENSBURG DUALS RESULTS
Millersville 25, Shippensburg 16
125: Devin Flannery (VILLE) wins by forfeit (0-6)
133: Jake Downing (SHIP) dec. Jacob Lehman (VILLE), 9-8 (3-6)
141: Ryan McGuire (VILLE) maj dec. Matt Milbrand (SHIP), 11-0 (3-10)
149: Cole Rush (SHIP) pins Alex Jablonski (VILLE), 3:33 (9-10)
157: Brandon Connor (VILLE) dec Pat Duggan (SHIP), 4-1 (9-13)
165: Jarrett Feeney (VILLE) dec. Drake Brenize (SHIP), 4-2 (9-16)
174: Colton Babcock (SHIP) dec Malik Jackson (VILLE) 9-5 (12-16)
184: Evan Morrill (VILLE) pins Austin Klucker (SHIP), 4:39 (12-22)
197: Alexi Castro (SHIP) maj dec. Jack Files (VILLE) 18-6 (16-22)
285: Josh Walls (VILLE) dec. Derek Berberick (SHIP), 3-1, SV1 (16-25)
 
Belmont Abbey 27, Millersville 15
125: Devin Flannery (VILLE) maj dec. Joshua Vega (BAC), 11-2 (0-4)
133: Jacob Lehman (VILLE) dec. Issac Toe (BAC), 10-9 (0-7)
141: Justin Payne (BAC) dec. Ryan McGuire (VILLE), 4-2 (3-7)
149: Joshua Blatt (BAC) pins Alex Jablonski (VILLE), 0:41 (9-7)
157: Mitchell Dean (BAC) dec. Brandon Connor (VILLE), 8-3 (12-7)
165: Greg Hilliard (BAC) pins Jarrett Feeney (VILLE), 2:25 (18-7)
174: Malik Jackson (VILLE) pins Andrew Pegram (BAC), 5:39 (18-13)
184: Logan Branham (BAC) pins Evan Morrill (VILLE), 4:44 (24-12)
(Millersville deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct)
197: Brian Girard (BAC) dec. Jack Files (VILLE), 3-0 (27-12)
285: Josh Walls (VILLE) dec. Michael Siwiec (BAC), 5-1 (27-15)