Blue Devils fall in first dual match of year

The Blue Devils competed in their first dual match of the season Tuesday night but could not come away with a victory against The Citadel.

Duke (0-1) lost at seven of the 10 weight classes, including a forfeit at 125 pounds, and fell to the Bulldogs by an overall score of 31-9.

The Citadel (4-5) boasted ranked wrestlers at the 165 and 174-pound slots, but only one of them defeated his opponent. No. 9 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj picked up a 12-4 major decision over senior Willy Mello at 165 pounds. Redshirt freshman Bret Klopp, however, scored an upset over No. 25 J.C. Oddo at 174 pounds. Klopp, who owns a team-best 20-6 record, built up a 7-2 lead after the second period and never looked back, pulling off the 10-4 decision over Oddo.

Klopp’s victory snapped a streak of five straight losses for Duke, but the damage was already done—The Citadel led 25-3 with only three bouts remaining.

Any chance of closing the gap in scoring evaporated at 184 pounds, as redshirt sophomore Diego Bencomo could not build off the momentum from Klopp’s win. Bencomo was coming off an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Southern Scuffle tournament and had won six of his last nine matches. Yet, the Bulldogs’ Justin Sparrow pinned him in one minute and 49 seconds, icing the victory for The Citadel.

After Bencomo’s loss, the Blue Devils acquitted themselves well at the heavier weight classes and won their two remaining matches. Freshman Brian Self secured a hard-fought 2-1 decision over Kelby Smith, and redshirt sophomore Andrew Fulk grabbed a 10-4 decision against Luke Johnson. Fulk only led 4-2 after two periods but ran away with the match in the final frame as a result of two takedowns.

Duke will look to get back on track before ACC competition begins when it meets Davidson on the road Thursday.