Take a look at MAC Wrestling action from over the weekend.
BUFFALO:
Bulls Competes at Oklahoma Gold Classic
BROCKPORT, NY - The Buffalo wrestling team competed at the Oklahoma Gold Classic Saturday, hosted by SUNY Brockport. Select members of the team wrestled against grapplers from Oklahoma, Maryland, American, Army, and Brockport. The team finished fifth in the overall competition, with a number of individuals placing in the top four.
Andrew Schutt had the team's best finish of the day, placing second at 141 pounds. His only loss came in the finals, to Kendric Maple of Oklahoma - a wrestler many consider to be a contender for the national championship. He won a 3-1 match to Brockport's Eliah Golding in the first round before defeating third-seeded Connor Hanafee of Army 8-5 in the semifinal round. Maple earned the title and also was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Wally Maziarz finished third in the tournament at 157 pounds after racking up four straight wins in the consolation bracket. He won his opening round match before losing the next. In the consolation bracket, he picked up a pair of decisive wins over Maryland wrestlers Brady Massaro and Anthony Guidice, by scores of 10-0 and 17-2, respectively. That and a 5-4 win over Pat Marchetti earned him a bout for third place against teammate Clay Reeb, who had won two straight consolation matches to make the consy final. Maziarz would win third place thanks to a 6-0 shutout of Reeb.
Another third place finish for the team would come from Angelo Malvestuto, who nearly pulled off the upset of the day for UB but ultimately would finish 3-1 at 197 pounds. After earning an second-period tech fall in the first round, Malvestuto duked it out with Christian Boley of Maryland, a top-10 ranked wrestler in the weight class. He would lose 12-8 in the match, but come back to beat fellow Terrapin Matt Snook and then Oklahoma's Brad Johnson in the consolation final by a commanding 18-7 score.
A bright spot for the team would come from Justin Heiserman, who finished third in a deep heavyweight division. He pinned Frank Schaafsma of Maryland in the first period of the first round before losing to eventual champion Blake Herrin of American in the next round. He would rally in the consolation bracket, beating Carl Bucholz of Maryland 2-1 and then Stephen Snyder of Army 4-0 in the consolation final.
The other Bull finishing in the top four besides Reeb was Max Soria, who went 2-2 at 125 pounds.
The team will now train for the New York State Collegiate Championships, to be held next Saturday in Ithaca. Buffalo finished fourth at last season's tournament, earning a pair of individual titles along the way.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN:
Cullinan's Second-Place Finish Paces Chippewas at MSU Open
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior 125-pounder Christian Cullinan finished second at the MSU Open Sunday, leading a group of Central Michigan wrestlers to finish in the top three of their respective weight class.
Junior Joe Roth (125 open), sophomore Tyler Keselring (133 open) and redshirt freshman Lucas Smith (157 open) each finished third in the tournament.
Four more Chippewas claimed fifth-place finishes as redshirt freshman Nick Hodgkins (141 open), senior Donnie Corby (149 open), sophomore Mike Ottinger (165 open) and freshman Nick Becker (165 Fr./So. Unattached) bounced back with wins in the consolation bracket.
Cullinan opened his day with a pin of Myron Bradbury of Lindsey Wilson in 3:45 before earning his second-straight pin by putting Josh Heinzer of Michigan State to the mat 4:44 into the match. After advancing to the finals with a 1-0 decision over Michigan's Connor Youtsey, Cullinan fell to Anthony Zanatta of Pittsburgh in a hard-fought 4-3 decision.
Roth fell to Zanatta in the semifinals at 125 pounds but bounced back with a 6-2 decision over Kent State's Stevie Mitcheff before being awarded an injury victory for the third-place finish.
Keselring advanced to the semifinals at 133 pounds with a major decision over Olivet's Kam Olsen (13-4) and decision over Kent State's McKenzie McGuire (7-2) and a decision over Garrison White of Northwestern (10-7). After falling in his semifinal match, Keselring earned another 13-4 major decision to claim third.
Smith opened the tournament with his first career pin, defeating Charles Holmquest of Manchester in 4:23. He followed with a 5-4 decision over Mallie Shuster before falling to eventual champion Jake O'Hara of Columbia in the semifinal, 6-4. Smith was able to claim a third-place finish with two more pins, taking down James Bennett of Indiana Tech in just 52 seconds and Columbia's Chad Ryan in 2:26.
The Chippewas are off until traveling to Troy, N.Y., for the Northeast Duals Nov. 24 where they will take on Cornell, Oklahoma and Hofstra.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eagles Place Seven at Michigan State Open
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team competed in its final tournament before the beginning of the dual-meet season Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Michigan State Open. Seven Eagles placed at the event with four earning top-three finishes.
Freshman Alexander Calandrino won his first four matches of the day and took second place after falling in the final round of the 125 lbs. freshman and sophomore division. Calandrino recorded a pair of pins along with a decision.
Placing second at 197 lbs. of the freshman and sophomore division was redshirt freshman Anthony Abro, who went 3-1 on the day with two decisions and a major decision. Abro put up a good fight in the championship bout, but lost by decision, 8-4.
Freshman Nicholas Barber (141 lbs.) and redshirt freshman Justin Melick (149 lbs.) each claimed third place in their respective weight classes in the freshman and sophomore division. Barber won his first two matches by decision before dropping his semifinal match. He went on to win his last two matches including the third-place bout against Ohio University's Kagan Squire, 9-5.
Melick took the long route to his third-place finish, losing in the first round and winning six consecutive consolation-bracket matches including the final four by way of pin. The Fenton, Mich. native took down Sidney Logan of Indiana Tech at the 1:54 mark of the third-place bout to cap off his 6-1 showing.
Also placing at Sunday's event were freshmen James Klosz (fourth; 157 lbs. freshman and sophomore division) and Jacob Davis (fourth; 174 lbs. open division) as well as redshirt freshman Michael Shaw (fifth; 141 lbs. freshman and sophomore division). Davis reached the podium for a second straight week after taking first at the EMU Open, Nov. 3.
Eastern Michigan opens the 2012-13 dual-meet season Friday, Nov. 16, when it hosts Michigan State University at 7 p.m. inside Bowen Field House.
KENT STATE
Kilgore, Newburg and Carr Lead the Way for Flashes at Michigan State Open
East Lansing, Mich. – Kent State seniors Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) and Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) captured tournament titles for the second consecutive weekend, Sunday at the Michigan State Open. After pushing each other throughout the week in the practice room, the veterans each went 4-0 in the open division.
Also placing in the top six in the open division were seniors Keith Witt (Oak Harbor, Ohio) and Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio).
Kilgore, the nation's top-ranked 197-pounder, had a pair of first period pins and two major decisions. He needed only 1:02 to put away Michigan State's Luke Jones in the semifinals, before a comfortable 17-8 victory in the finals against Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano.
Newburg (184) allowed just two points in four matches, beginning his day with a 15-0 technical fall over Duke's Dylan Ryan. He edged Notre Dame's Brandonn Johnson 2-1 in the finals.
Witt's fifth place finish and 4-2 day included a pin in 43 seconds of Manchester's Gabe Zimmerly at heavyweight. Mitcheff finished 3-3 with a sixth place at 125.
The Golden Flashes also had success in the Freshman/Sophomore Division led by redshirt freshmen Nick Carr (South Fayette, Pa./South Fayette), who won the 149-pound bracket in dominant fashion. Carr went 5-0 with a pin, a tech fall and two major decisions, including a 13-4 victory in the finals over Findlay's Joey White.
Two Golden Flashes placed in the Freshman/Sophomore 174-pound bracket. Redshirt freshmen Sam Wheeler (Copley, Ohio) earned a second place that included a wild 14-13 win in the quarterfinals over Indiana tech's Tanner Martin. Classmate Mike Vollant (Erie, Pa.) made his way into the semifinals, before settling for sixth.
A pair of lightweights also placed in the Freshman/Sophomore division. Redshirt freshman Kyle Bauer (Wheeling, W. Va.) went 5-2 with two pins on the way to a fifth place at 133. Classmate Alfredo Gray (Wadsworth, Ohio) had three victories in a sixth place showing.
Wrestling unattached in the 141-pound open division, Tyler Small (Littlestown, Pa.) won five matches on his way to a third place.
Wrestling unattached in the Freshman/Sophomore division, true freshman Mimmo Lytle (Swanton, Ohio) claimed a second place, going 3-1 with a pin.
Ranked No. 18 in the nation by InterMat, Kent State returns to action Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Navy Classic.
MISSOURI
No. 7-Wrestling Makes History on Opening Weekend
The Tigers are 2-0 to start off the year after a 23-9 victory over Purdue and a historic 35 to negative-1 season opening win against Old Dominion.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After finishing off the 2011-12 campaign with the University's first Big 12 Championship, the Tigers (2-0) have once again made history. In the team's first competition since last year's NCAA Championships, the Mizzou Wrestling squad opened up the year by not only shutting out the Old Dominion Monarchs, but by defeating them 35 to negative-1. In Mizzou Wrestling's 89-year history, they have never won a match where the opponent was in negative numbers. They followed that season opening performance with a 23-9 victory over host school Purdue.
The Tigers took on their new MAC rival Old Dominion early Saturday morning. Junior Alan Waters set the tone in the 125 pound class, winning by major decision over Rob Deutsch, 10-2. Possibly the biggest matchup came at 141 pounds, when No. 14-ranked Nicholas Hucke rematched against No. 11 Justin LaValle, who had defeated Hucke in last year's NCAAs. Hucke had a huge third period against LaValle, handing him a reversal and a 3-point near fall along with an escape to take the match, 8-4.
Sophomore Drake Houdashelt added another four team points at 149 pounds, winning his match in decisive fashion after finishing with 5:22 of riding time. Next up was Junior Kyle Bradley, who took a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period and held on over Old Dominion's No. 11 John Nicholson. Nicholson rejected Bradley's handshake following the 4-1 decision, which led to a misconduct penalty. By rule, a misconduct penalty in wrestling is also a forfeit of one team point. Tyler Prazma, Mike Larson, Todd Porter, Brent Haynes, and Dom Bradley each added 3 points of their own as well, and Mizzou was well on their way to a quick 1-0 start with a 35 to negative-1 win. This is the third time since January 29, 2012 that the Tigers have won all 10 matchups in a dual meet.
The Tigers didn't slow down for their afternoon meeting with Purdue. Again, Waters set the tone yet again, with an 11-2 major decision over No. 21 Camden Eppert. Waters solidified the major decision after a great takedown with four seconds remaining. Senior Captain Nathan McCormick followed up at 133 pounds with a 10-5 decision over true freshman Danny Sabatello, and at 141, Hucke came out on top once again. In another highly contested battle, Mizzou's 141-pound grappler took down his counterpart Brandon Nelson with one second left in the first, which proved to be a huge two points in a match that ended up as an 8-5 decision.
After three bouts, the Tigers had a comfortable 10-0 lead on the hosting Boilermakers from Purdue. But two overtime losses and a 7-3 win by decision for Pat Robinson against Mizzou's Prazma, and Purdue was within a point of the Tigers, 10-9.
Senior Todd Porter responded to Mizzou's three-match losing streak with a dominating 11-5 win, and the Tigers never looked back. After Mike Larson followed at 184 pounds with a 3-1 decision, Haynes outperformed Purdue's 197-pounder Braden Atwood to put the dual away. Atwood is ranked 16th in the nation among the 197-pounders, and the No. 6-Haynes accumulated two takedowns, a reversal, an escape, and an extra tally for riding time to go on and win 8-2.
Senior heavyweight Dom Bradley added his second win of the day over Purdue's Alex White, this time by major decision, 11-3. Bradley, who hadn't wrestled for Mizzou since 2010-11 due to an Olympic redshirt last year, controlled every minute of this grapple, with White's three points coming off of three escapes only.
The Tigers will follow up their 23-9 victory over Purdue with the team's home opener this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. versus Baker University. For interviews, videos, news and notes on the Tigers, stay tuned on Twitter @MizzouWrestling and like us on Facebook, facebook.com/mizzouwrestling.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois Earns 500th Win, Sweeps Competition at Huskie Duals
Huskies win 500th dual in program history and notch win over Big Ten foe
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois wrestling team hit two big milestones Saturday at the NIU Convocation Center, as they went 3-0 at the Huskie Duals.
With a win over South Dakota State in the second match of the day, the team recorded their 500th win in program history. In addition, the Huskies' victory over Indiana was their first over a Big Ten program since 2009.
Round One: Huskies Slay Dragons, 36-3
Northern Illinois opened the day with a bang, demolishing the Tiffin Dragons in a 36-3 victory.
The Huskies won the first nine matches of the dual, including one each by pin, major decision and technical fall.
"What we wanted to do is get a good start," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. "We know Tiffin's scrappy and if we were going to hold back and think people were going to fall down for us, that sure wasn't going to happen. I was proud of the guys who came out of the gate hard. They stayed within their style of match and controlled the action for seven minutes."
Derek Elmore got things started on the right foot for NIU when he pinned TU’s Jordan Shoemaker midway through the first period, giving the Huskies an early 6-0 advantage.
However, Northern took complete control of the match in the next three bouts. At 133, Thorian Twyner scratched out a hard-fought 6-4 decision over Mike Screptock by stifling a late comeback attempt. Tyler Argue added to that with a 9-1 major decision over Lawrence Blackful III.
Rob Jillard pieced together an impressive match at 149, dominating D.J. Beauch en route to a 16-0 techincal fall. Following a forfeit by Tiffin at 157, NIU led 24-0 only midway through the dual.
From there, the Huskies coasted to victory with a handful of decisions. Dan Burk defeated Trevor Nickolai in a 7-4, come-from-behind victory at 165, while Matt Mougin fought his way to an 8-3 win over 2012 NCAA Division II Championships qualifier Jake Cramer at 174.
A pair of freshman pushed the Huskie tally to 36 points with decisions in their collegiate dual debuts. Bryan Loughlin overcame an early takedown to outscore Walid Boggio, 6-3, and Shawn Scott kept his record on the year untarnished with a 4-0 win over Alek Hughes.
Arthur Bunce took Jared Torrence’s place at heavyweight, but lost in a 9-3 decision in his dual debut to Kevin Christman.
Northern Illinois 36, Tiffin 3
125: Derek Elmore (NIU) pins Jordan Shoemaker (TU), 1:17
133: Thorian Twyner (NIU) dec. Mike Screptock (TU), 6-4
141: Tyler Argue (NIU) maj. dec. Lawrence Blackful III (TU), 9-1
149: Rob Jillard (NIU) tech. fall D.J. Beauch (TU), 16-0
157: Matt Smith (NIU) wins by forfeit
165: Dan Burk (NIU) dec. Trevor Nickolai (TU), 7-4
174: Matt Mougin (NIU) dec. Jake Cramer (TU), 8-3
184: Bryan Loughlin (NIU) dec. Walid Boggio (TU), 6-3
197: Shawn Scott (NIU) dec. Alek Hughes (TU), 4-0
285: Kevin Christman (TU) dec. Arthur Bunce (NIU), 9-3
Round Two: Early Pins Help Huskies Nab Jackrabbits
Northern Illinois came out firing against South Dakota State with two big pins in the first three bouts en route to a 26-12 win.
Not only did the win give NIU their second of the day, but it also gave the program 500 dual wins in program history.
"Winning breeds confidence," Ludwig said. "We went back and forth in those early weights. They have some competitors in those weights. Obviously, the pins at 125 and 141 were huge. Bonus points in duals make huge differences. For some of those upper weights to close it out like we wanted them to was big."
For the second consecutive dual, Derek Elmore got the Huskies out to a great start with a first period pin against Aaron Pickrel. Following an early takedown, the sophomore executed a near perfect spladel to put the Jackrabbits’ 125-pounder on his back with no hope of recovering.
SDSU cut that six-point deficit in half in the 133 pound match. Huskie Thorian Twyner fought valiantly with Brance “Bubba” Simms, but Simms was too much in a 4-1 win for the Jacks.
Ethan Davis stemmed that momentum, though, with a first period pin at 141 pounds against Ben Gillette. Davis came out aggressive early and, after getting a pair of nearfall points, flipped Gillette before the official slapped the mat to give Northern a 12-3 edge.
The Jackrabbits battled back in the next three bouts to tie the match at 12. Dustin Walraven earned a 9-3 decision over Rob Jillard at 149, while Andrew Morse and Dan Burk dropped tough 5-2 and 6-1 decisions at 157 and 165, respectively.
Northern regained the lead at 174 pounds in an exciting match between Matt Mougin and Troy Morisette. Though leading 4-1 after one, Mougin could not hold off his SDSU counterpart and the match went to overtime knotted up at four. However, the Columbus Junction, Iowa, native ended things in the extra session with a swift double leg takedown for a 6-4 win.
With the momentum in their favor, the Huskies effectively ended the Jackrabbits’ hopes with a pair of major decisions at 184 and 197. Bryan Loughlin made quick work of Hunter Weddington with a 10-1 victory, while Shawn Scott’s takedown/nearfall combo as time expired gave him a 11-3 win over Brandon Ballard.
Jared Torrence sealed the deal at heavyweight with an 8-3 win over J.J. Everard.
Northern Illinois 26, South Dakota State 12
125: Derek Elmore (NIU) pins Aaron Pickrel (SDSU), 1:38
133: Brance Simms (SDSU) dec. Thorian Twyner (NIU), 4-1
141: Ethan Davis (NIU) pins Ben Gillette (SDSU), 2:00
149: Dustin Walraven (SDSU) dec. Rob Jillard (NIU), 9-3
157: Cody Pack (SDSU) dec. Andrew Morse (NIU), 5-2
165: Joe Brewster (SDSU) dec. Dan Burk (NIU), 6-1
174: Matt Mougin (NIU) dec. Troy Morisette (SDSU), 6-4 (SV1)
184: Bryan Loughlin (NIU) maj. dec. Hunter Weddington (SDSU), 10-1
197: Shawn Scott (NIU) maj. dec. Brandon Ballard (SDSU), 11-3
285: Jared Torrence (NIU) dec. J.J. Everard (SDSU), 8-3
Round Three: Huskies Upset Hoosiers, 19-13
Northern Illinois closed out the day with a huge win, knocking off Big Ten foe Indiana, 19-13.
The victory over the Hoosiers marked the first win by the Huskies over a Big Ten team since Dec. 3, 2009, when they defeated Northwestern, 24-13, in DeKalb. It was also the team's first win over Indiana since Jan. 5, 2002, when they knocked off IU 19-15 in Columbus, Ohio.
"Pressure is perceived and if you believe there's pressure, there is," Ludwig said. "There's no pressure involved in that. It's just about going out there and believing in your shots, believing in your wrestling ability. When you compete to the highest of your ability, you are going to beat your opponent."
Derek Elmore got NIU on the upset trail early with a big 15-3 major decision against Joe Duca at 125 pounds. Following an Indiana win at 133 pounds that trimmed the Huskie lead to one, Ethan Davis pushed Northern's advantage back to four when he earned a 6-3 decision over Eric Roach at 141.
NIU's lead grew to seven when Rob Jillard knocked off Alex Gregory, 6-3, at 149. However, the Hoosiers staged a comeback with two straight wins by 2012 NCAA qualifiers. Taylor Walsh defeated Andrew Morse, 7-1, and Ryan LeBlanc took a 21-8 major decision over Dan Burk at 165.
The Huskies would take the lead for good, though, when Matt Mougin grabbed a close 3-2 win over Cheney Dale. With time running out in the final period, Dale was able to get one last takedown on Mougin. Yet, the Huskie redshirt junior held Dale from getting the critical two takedown points to preserve the win.
Bryan Loughlin was caught in another high-tension match at 184 with a bout against Luke Sheridan. With one stalling warning against him, Loughlin was able to get time to expire by stuffing Sheridan's multiple shots.
Shawn Scott clinched the win when he outfought Tarek Alaruri at 197 pounds, getting his hand raised with a 6-1 decision.
Jared Torrence finished the dual by nearly knocking off Adam Chalfant, the No. 12-ranked heavyweight in the nation. However, Chalfant emerged with a 5-2 win for Indiana's final points.
Northern Illinois 19, Indiana 13
125: Derek Elmore (NIU) maj. dec. Joe Duca (IU), 15-3
133: Quin Murphy (IU) dec. Thorian Twyner (NIU), 11-6
141: Ethan Davis (NIU) dec. Eric Roach (IU), 6-3
149: Rob Jillard (NIU) dec. Alex Gregory (IU), 6-3
157: Taylor Walsh (IU) dec. Andrew Morse (NIU), 7-1
165: #19 Ryan LeBlanc (IU) maj. dec. Dan Burk (NIU), 21-8
174: Matt Mougin (NIU) dec. Cheney Dale (IU), 3-2
184: Bryan Loughlin (NIU) dec. Luke Sheridan (IU), 3-2
197: Shawn Scott (NIU) dec. Tarek Alaruri (IU), 6-1
285: #12 Adam Chalfant (IU) dec. Jared Torrence (NIU), 5-2
NORTHERN IOWA
Six UNI Wrestlers Place at Harold Nichols Cyclone Open
AMES, Iowa --- Six University of Northern Iowa wrestlers competing unattached placed in the top six at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open.
Dylan Peters, a freshman from Denver, Iowa, won the 125-pound weight class. He started the day by pinning Chad McCannon of Iowa Central in 2:45. He finished out the tournament with a major decision and three more wins by decision. Peters was 5-0 for the day. He was a three-time state champion for Denver-Tripoli High School.
"For his first tournament, he did a lot of good things in the finals," said head coach Doug Schwab. "He competed well. It was a good win for him. I was impressed on how he competed."
Joe Colon, a returning NCAA national qualifier, recorded 3 pins, a technical fall and a decision to claim first in the 133-pound weight class. Colon was 5-0 for the day.
"Joe had some quick matches and then survived a battle in the final. He kept a good pace, and it was good for him to get back out and compete for a win."
Zach Witte was third at 157 pounds. He won two of his matches with technical falls and two of them by major decisions. He beat teammate Curt Maas in a sudden victory, 3-1. He was 7-1 for the day. Witte, a freshman, was a two-time state champion for Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"I was impressed by how he came back," said Schwab. "He had a tight match that ended in overtime and then had to win a lot of matches to take third. He really battled. The kid opened up my eyes."
In the 197-pound weight class, Blaize Cabell secured a fifth-place victory for the second year in a row. He recorded a tech fall over teammate Kyle Beale and one pin in 4:13. He was 5-1 for the day. Cabell is a redshirt freshman from Independence, Iowa. Last year, he posted a 17-11 record competing at open tournaments. He won the Loras Open last season.
Gunnar Wolfensperger and Tyler Willers placed sixth in the 141-pound and 133-pound weight classes, respectively. Willers pinned two opponents in 5:56 and 6:01. He also won in sudden victory before closing out his tournament debut. He was 3-3 for the day. Willers is a freshman from LeClaire, Iowa. He was a two-time state champion for Pleasant Valley High School.
"Tyler Willers really gutted out some matches out that he wasn't expected to win," said Schwab. "For Gunnar Wolfensperger and Tyler Willers to place in their first tournament was a good start, but they aren't satisfied."
Wolfensperger, a freshman, won all of his matches by decisions. He was 3-3 for the day. Wolfensperger was a state champion for Denver High School.
Also competing were Tyler Patten (1-2 for the day), Curt Maas (1-2), Kyle Beale (0-2), Aaron McMurphy (1-2), Jared DeGeeter (0-2). Patten's win came from pinning James Kent of Ellsworth in 2:50.
The Panthers will be in action next week in Moorhead, Minn., at the Cobber Open.
OHIO:
Bobcats Wrap-Up Competition at MSU Open; Walters and Wellington earn winning performances
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Redshirt freshmen Cody Walters and Phil Wellington both posted victories in their respective weight classes to pace the Ohio University wrestling team Sunday afternoon at the Michigan State Open.
Walters (Macedonia, Ohio) posted a pair of wins against opponents from Kent State and wins over foes from Edinboro and Purdue in the 174 bracket. Walters earned a spot in the championship match after he pinned Kent State's Mike Vollant. In the championship match, Walters defeated Kent State's Sam Wheeler.
Wellington (Euclid, Ohio) was a perfect 4-0 on the afternoon, posting a pin and a major decision to advance to the championship bout where he defeated Eastern Michigan's Anthony Abro 8-4 to win the bracket.
Returning All-American Jeremy Johnson (Broadview Heights, Ohio) posted a strong showing in the Open Division of the 285-pound weight class as he posted a pair of pins and a major decision to advance to the championship match. In the final match, Johnson suffered his first loss of the season as he fell to Michigan State's Mike McClure 3-1 in overtime.
Redshirt freshman Tyler Heminger (Mount Gilead, Ohio) placed fifth at 125 after he posted a 4-2 mark, defeating opponents from Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and Kent State.
Junior Kagan Squire (Wadsworth, Ohio) jumped out to a great start as he posted back-to-back wins to open competition at 141, defeating foes from West Virginia and Michigan State before dropping a close 3-1 decision to Notre Dame Ohio's Mo Miller, who would later go on to win the bracket. Following the loss to Miller, Squire fought back to defeat Michigan's Nick Trimble to earn a spot in the third-place bout, but fell to Eastern Michigan's Nick Barber and finished fourth.
At 149, sophomore Andrew Romanchik (Independence, Ohio) advanced to the fifth-place match, but was unable to complete the bout.
In the 157 pound weight class, Ohio placed a of individuals in the top five as Spartak Chino (Wheaton, Ill.) took runner-up honor, while Zach Rohr (Hastings, Minn.) placed fifth.
Chino's run to the finals at 157 included four straight wins before falling to Zachary Brunson from Illinois in the finals. Rohr nearly faced Chino in the finals as he posted a pair of pins, but dropped a 9-7 decision to Brunson. In the consolation bracket, Rohr dropped his first bout, but would go on to take fifth following a win over Notre Dame Ohio's Louden Gordon.
At 184, redshirt freshman Cody Rodgers (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) posted a pair of pins as he advanced to the third-place match, but dropped a 7-4 to Edinboro's Vince Pickett.
Ohio returns to action Saturday as it heads to the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Md. Competition begins at 10 a.m.