Triumphant Return of Wrestling at West Chester University

On Saturday, March 14, a spot on the top step of the award podium marked the culmination of the triumphant return of wrestling to West Chester University after a 20 year absence. That top spot was occupied by freshman standout Dillon Evans, proudly wearing his Golden Ram warm up, as he received his championship medal. Evans captured the NCWA national championship at 149lbs by going a perfect 5-0 through the three day tournament in Hampton, VA. Junior Brandon Banks also competed at nationals at 197lbs, after placing fourth at the Northeast Conference Tournament. Banks won a couple of bouts at nationals, but fell just short of earning All-American status.

Once a well respected D1 program, wrestling at WCU was dropped by the university back in the late 80’s. “What a way to come back, with a national champion in the first year back,” WCU head coach Joe Miller said. There has been a lot of excitement among the many Golden Ram wrestling alumni around the country. Many of them were checking in often as the tournament progressed, including some big names from West Chester’s wrestling past, including John Purnell, now with Brute Wrestling and former All-American Roger Sanders, who went on to a Hall of Fame coaching career at Bloomsburg, along with recent Hall of Fame inductee, former WCU coach and highly respected clinician Dale Bonsall. Coach Miller, also a former WCU wrestler and coach, said “My cell phone was ringing off the hook all weekend!” Several WCU alumni even made the trip down to support the team in person, including National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director Mike Moyer and one of the Golden Rams’ most successful wrestlers in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Alray Johnson. Many of the alumni have been out to see the team compete throughout the season. Johnson has spent a bit of time with the current WCU wrestlers, helping out in the practice room at times, as well. The team has made a huge impression on Alray this season. So much, in fact, he gave Evans a pair of “storied” wrestling shoes to wear in the finals. When asked about the alumni support, Evans said “I knew I wasn’t just wrestling for myself, but I was also wrestling for all the West Chester wrestling alumni that have been waiting to get wrestling back at West Chester. That definitely weighed on me as the tournament progressed.”

After an opening round loss, Brandon Banks stormed back in consolations with a 15-7 major decision over Pat Vamosy of Rensslaer Poly Tech and a 14-8 victory over Shane Inman of Middle Tennessee St. He was eliminated in the next round by Tim Smell from Air Force Academy Prep. Brandon had a great season, particularly for a guy who hadn’t been on a wrestling mat in a couple of years prior to this year.

Evans, who was seeded second to defending national champion Alex Broadwater of Maryland-Baltimore County, began his run with a 17-1 technical fall over Southern Virginia’s Ahmed Dorghoud. He then dispatched returning All-American Mark Feeley from the University of Georgia, by a score of 9-2. Next up was another returning All-American in Matt Perry, from the Apprentice School, where Dillon earned a hard fought 7-3 victory. In the semifinals, it would take a trip to overtime, as Navy Prep’s Chris Piccolella gave him all he could handle for seven plus minutes. A takedown and a fall 42 seconds into the extra period put Evans into the finals. Meanwhile, the defending national champion Broadwater found it to be tough going in the other side of the bracket, getting stunned by Northampton’s Cody Struening, who pinned him in the quarterfinals. Struening was then beaten 9-4 in the semis by Thomas Pipes of Kansas State. Pipes was simply no match in the final, as Evans dominated from the outset, eventually rolling up a 20-3 technical fall that ended a few ticks into the third period.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been more ready for a match in my entire life,” Evans said of his final round match up.

WCU wrestling alumni weren’t the only ones who made the trip to show their support. “Students from WCU got up at 2am to make the five hour drive to Virginia to root for their buddy Dillon. They were chanting DIL-LON EV-ANS the whole match”, Miller said, adding, “The wrestling world now knows that WCU wrestling is back and WCU fans were there to remind everybody of just that.” Those students certainly made their presence felt. “Being in the National Finals is a great feeling alone, but knowing and hearing your best friends right there, chanting your name, makes it so surreal,” Evans said, as he hopes that his accomplishment and presence will be felt back on campus, as well. “I can only hope that this accomplishment makes West Chester and all of its students and faculty look at West Chester wrestling as an elite program that will continue to produce All-Americans and National Champions for this school in years to come”.

Coach Miller is quick to praise not only Evans’ accomplishments on the mat, but also the leadership efforts of him, Banks and teammates Ryan Colley and Sean Fitzgerald for their efforts in helping to get the team started in the first place early last fall, saying “Ryan, Sean, Dillon and Brandon all did a tremendous job in bringing together the necessary elements to make this team come into existence. There were many obstacles along the way to establishing the new wrestling club on campus.” Miller continued “They managed to overcome those obstacles and made the improbable return of wrestling to West Chester University a reality. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”

The future also looks bright for the fledgling WCU wrestling team, with Evans and Banks coming back for more, as well as several others who competed during the year, but were unable to make it to the post season tournaments, also returning. Additionally, there are several accomplished high school wrestlers and at least one transfer coming in for next year.

WRESTLING IS BACK AT WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY!!!!