Wheeling, W. Va. - The last time Wheeling wrestling took the mat, they got the chance to compete against 19 other teams at the Averett Open and had three wrestlers place at the event. On the heels of their success, the team now looks to challenge themselves as they head to the Findlay Open, where they will compete against some of the top wrestlers in all of Division II.
At the Averett Open, Wheeling had three placers, including two first-time placers this season, as they wrapped up a successful tournament. Freshman Brennan Reid and Austin Mele placed fifth and sixth respectively in the 157-pound weight class, while Julius Hobbs earned his second placement of the year finishing sixth in the 133-pound weight class. For Reid and Mele, it was the first time that either wrestler had placed in their collegiate careers, and each took a very different path.
For Reid, he went 5-1 in his six matches on the day, and made it to the quarterfinal round of the bracket before being eliminated by pinfall. He then turned around with a decision and a Major Decision to make it to the fifth-place match. That is where he defeated Averett's Thomas Baldwin 8-5 to secure his finish. For Mele, he also made it to the quarterfinal round after having a bye and a 5-1 decision. After being eliminated, he secured two Major Decisions in the consolation bracket before making it to the seventh place game. He won that match 10-6 over George Vrachnos to secure the seventh-place spot.
For Hobbs, it was his second place of the season, as he took home sixth in the 133-pound weight class. He was eliminated from the championship bracket in the second round, and would have to fight his way through the consolation bracket. He would do just that, securing two pinfalls and a Major Decision to make it to the 5th place game. He faced Coker's Reuben Calderon, who brought Hobbs run to an end with an 8-6 decision, giving Hobbs sixth pace in the tournament.
As the young Cardinals squad goes through the season, they will continue to try and build off of these successes as they build a foundation for a solid program. They had another wrestler compete in his first match of the 2021 season when Mason Kuneff competed in the 285-pound weight class. Kuneff just missed placing, being defeated in the Blood Round to end his day. As they gain more and more experience on the mat, they will get stronger and stronger as the season moves on.
The Match-up
Wheeling has competed at two separate dual meets at Findlay University in 2016 and 2017, going 1-1 in those matches, and last competed in the Findlay open three years ago during the 2018-2019 academic year. At that invite, Wheeling had eight placers, including three second place finishers and a third place finish on the day. The team is looking for similar success this season with an all-new group of talent heading to Findlay, Ohio.
The Details
The Findlay Tournament will be an all-day event on the campus of the University of Findlay. Follow @WUWrestle on Twitter for match-by-match updates throughout the day.
"open" - Google News
November 20, 2021 at 02:42AM
https://ift.tt/3qWhphc
Placers Lead Wrestling into Findlay Open - Wheeling University Athletics
"open" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bYShMr
https://ift.tt/3d2SYUY
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Placers Lead Wrestling into Findlay Open - Wheeling University Athletics"
Post a Comment