UW-La Crosse 40, UW-Whitewater 4

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team opened its 2010-11 home schedule with a 40-4 victory over UW-Whitewater Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles improve to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Warhawks drop to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

UW-L, ranked third in NCAA Division III, had four wrestlers win by fall Wednesday.

UW-Whitewater, ranked 21st, took a 4-0 lead in the dual as seventh-ranked Adam Latella won by major decision (16-5) over UW-L's John Poppie at 197-pounds. The Eagles then won the next nine matches. Billy Mayer started it with a win by decision (9-4) at 285 over the Warhawks' James Zarate, who is ranked ninth in the country.

Albie McKinney then started the wins by fall (2:11) for UW-L as he defeated Jed Wilson at 125-pounds to give the Eagles a 9-4 lead. Adam Sheley won by fall (2:40) over Matt Oliva at 133 and Bebeto Yewah defeated Brian Lewis by fall (4:19) at 141-pounds to make it 21-4. Yewah, the defending national champion at 133-pounds, is currently ranked second at 141. McKinney is ranked seventh.

UW-L's Matt Mauseth, ranked third at 149-pounds, earned a win by decision (8-2) over Kegan Arthur to give the Eagles a 24-4 advantage. Ryan Farwell made it 28-4 for the Eagles with a win by major decision (10-2) over Cam Loomis at 157-pounds.

Ranked fifth in NCAA Division III at 165-pounds, UW-L's Cory Ferguson won by fall (:12) over UW-Whitewater's Adam Zeh and a 34-4 Eagles' lead.

UW-L's Scott Gifford (174-pounds) and Mitch Artist (184) won by decision to finish the dual. Gifford defeated Chesten Kesselhon (9-7) while Artist, who is ranked 10th in the nation, defeated Reid Dickerson (6-3).

UW-L returns to action Saturday, Nov. 20 at the Auggie Open in Minneapolis starting at 9 a.m.