Yes, the wrestling team literally took center stage in the Mill Mountain Theater match! On January 18th, the Maroons travelled to downtown Roanoke to face the Marymount wrestling team in a non-conference match-up. The night started off incredibly when Mac Cafurello beat his opponent by 16 points, resulting in a Technical Fall gaining five team points for the Maroons. Six of 10 starters, including Cafurello, were able to beat their opponents this way, resulting in 30 team points.
In the 157-pound weight class, Casey Smith was able to pin his opponent, resulting in six team points. Pinning an opponent is a relatively uncommon event in college wrestling, since the competition is much fiercer. Roanoke College ultimately came out with a hefty victory against Marymount with the final team match score being 42-3.
Another event where the Maroons took center stage was at the NWCA National Duals competition over winter break. Although it was during this break, I was watching the stats update in real time and wanted to see how the team would do in such a high-level competition.
This competition is reserved for some of the nation’s top teams in the country for Division III wrestling, and since Roanoke has been in the top six all season, they were invited to Cedar Falls, Iowa to compete. The first match was against the #13 team, but ultimately, the match went in the Maroons favor with a final score of 31-3.
Later that night would be the quarterfinal match against the #3 team in the entire nation. The first five matches were won by RC athletes, but the next three were won by opponents. Lorenzo Pellot-Vázquez in the 197-pound weight class defeated his opponent, which secured the match for a Maroons victory. The winning streak was to be challenged the following day.
The Maroons and Augsburg University were set to fight for a spot in the championship Saturday, January 10th. Seven of 10 Maroons won, including Mac Cafurello with the early scoring start via technical fall. Mark Samuel (141 lbs.) and Mac Cafurello were able to help with momentum, resulting in an RC victory. However, this night would be the biggest challenge yet. ‘Noke would be an underdog facing the top team in the country. The match was back and forth between RC and Wartburg, but important wins by some crucial players helped propel the Maroons to victory. Senior Mark Samuel has said his role as a leader and past national champion has allowed him to lead by actions rather than words, which is helpful to the team dynamics. After his match, the team was able to get enough momentum to beat Wartburg and win the National Duals!
Samuel stated, “We are a team who had already believed in ourselves before those big wins. I think getting these big wins and staying undefeated has just reaffirmed the fact that we are a strong contender … and what we are doing is working even at the highest level.” He also believes that by the National Championship, the team will grow stronger with high enough potential to procure a full lineup to the National Championship. The next home match for the Maroons will be February 6th at 7:00PM, the same as Senior Night. Come out and support our undefeated Maroons!
Lauren Price
Staff Reporter
