La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team, ranked fifth in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Poll, fell 23-9 to second-ranked UW-Whitewater Thursday night in Mitchell Hall.  The Eagles drop to 15-4 overall and 3-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Warhawks improve to 12-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference.  The dual featured 13 ranked wrestlers.

UW-Whitewater took a 3-0 lead at 125-pounds as Zac Denny won by decision (5-3) over Ryan Weinmann.  The Eagles tied the dual at 3-3 after Dustin Weinmann won by decision (11-5) over Ronnie Hauser at 133-pounds.  Weinmann is ranked 10th in the NWCA while Hauser is ranked fifth.

The Warhawks took the next three matches to led 13-3.  Matt Adcock, ranked 10th at 141-pounds, won by decision (8-5) over Cody See.  The 149-pound match featured a pair of top-four ranked wrestlers with UW-Whitewater's fourth-ranked Elroy Perkin earning the win by major decision (10-2) over UW-L's second-ranked Kasey Einerson.  The Warhawks' Tommy Gerszewski, ranked 10th, won by decision (6-1) over Derek Weinmann at 157. 

The Eagles cut the lead to 13-6 as sixth-ranked Tyler Schneider won by decision (5-1) over Tyler Becker at 165-pounds. Tenth-ranked Jordan Newman of UW-Whitewater made it 16-6 with a win by decision (4-2) over UW-L's Sean O'Neil at 174-pounds. 

UW-L's Richard Carlson, ranked fifth in the country, cut the deficit to 16-9 with a win by decision (4-1) over eighth-ranked Ryan Aprahamian at 184-pounds.  UW-Whitewater took the final two matches as top-ranked Shane Siefert won by decision (8-3) over fifth-ranked Eric Twohey at 197-pounds while eighth-ranked Anthony Edgren won by major decision (9-0) over Cody Endres at 285-pounds.

UW-L returns to action Friday, January 30 at the Wheaton College (Ill.) Pete Willson Invitational.