They say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. As the regular season draws to a close, channeling this adage may be the best path forward for the Blue Devils heading into the postseason.
Duke (4-14, 0-6 in the ACC) dropped its final dual of the season at home against Stanford (10-4, 2-3) by a score of 37-12. Redshirt sophomore Gaetano Console earned his first career ACC win, a bright spot for head coach Glen Lanham on a difficult night for his squad.
“These guys have to be excited about wrestling, excited about competing with each other. We have to find that,” Lanham said.
Weighing in at 174 pounds, Console registered a fall against Stanford’s Lars Michaelson with just 27 seconds remaining in the match.
“He wrestled in his zone. He didn't do too much, didn't get overextended, he had a good hand fighting position and frustrated the kid,” Lanham said of Console’s performance. “The kid made a bad shot and Gaetano capitalized.”
"It was much needed. I am finally feeling like everything is getting back on track. I just have to keep everything rolling heading into the ACC Tournament,” Console told GoDuke.
Console’s first conference win could not have come at a better time. The Barrington Hills, Ill., native will hope to build on this performance in the ACC Tournament, which will be played at home for Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“It's a clean slate. The only thing you're going to get from your regular season is your seed,” Lanham said.
Elsewhere, No. 20 Connor Barket fell 12-5 to No. 13 Peter Ming of Stanford, and the Cardinal’s Hunter Garvin defeated 26th-ranked Blue Devil Aidan Wallace in a 10-2 major decision.
The ACC Tournament will commence March 9, and it will serve as a great opportunity for the struggling Blue Devils to prove why they deserve to send several wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament, which is set to begin the following week.
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