Sports
Four Bobcat Wrestlers Champs at Michigan State Open
< < Back to four-bobcat-wrestlers-champs-at-michigan-state-openThe Bobcats sent 24 wrestlers to East Lansing, Michigan, to compete in Sunday’s Michigan State Open, and Ohio finished the day with nine wrestlers on the podium and four on the top spot
In the 197-pound bracket, redshirt senior Phil Wellington became the open’s champion for the third time. After an opening-round bye, he won an 18-2 tech fall in round two. An injury default got him to the semifinals, where he won a 7-4 decision. He downed Shawn Scott of Northern Illinois in the championship round with 7-6 win. In his five-year college career he also has a second and fourth place finish on his resume. He also extended his undefeated record to 7-0.
Joining Wellington as a multiple-time champ was 165-pounder Austin Reese. For the second consecutive season the redshirt freshman took first in the freshman/sophomore division. He went 5-0 with two decisions, a major and a pin before the winning by tiebreaker over Navy’s Michael Coleman in the championship match.
Sophomore Jesse Webb also made his return to East Lansing, and after going 3-2 a season ago, he was the freshman/sophomore champion at heavyweight. He dominated his way through the bracket with a 5-0 record. He recorded two pins and won a 6-1 championship match against Purdue’s James Ford.
True freshman Cam Kelley went 4-0 en route to the 133-pound freshman/sophomore crown. On his way to the top he got wins against wrestlers from Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State. He won a 5-3 decision over Ohio States’ Jose Rodriguez in the championship match to maintain an undefeated record at 7-0.
Next best for Ohio was 125-pounder Shakur Laney’s second place finish in the freshman/sophomore division. The true freshman opened the competition with three major decision wins (17-5, 14-4, and 17-8). After an 8-4 win in the semis, he nearly became the Bobcats’ fifth champ in a tight 8-7 loss.
Hayden Lee took seventh in the same bracket with a 4-2 showing. He recorded two tech falls and two major decisions in his wins.
Two Bobcats claimed third place in 157-pounder Sparty Chino and 184-pounder Gabe Dzuro. Both grapplers went 3-1 and lost in the semis before they won their third-place matches. Chino placed in the open for the fifth time.
At 141-pounds Noah Forrider claimed fifth place in the open bracket with a 6-1 record. His only loss came in round two. The redshirt sophomore won his fifth-place match by sudden victory.
In the same bracket, senior KeVon Powell went 2-2. He recorded a pin and tech fall.
Joining Powell with 2-2 records were freshmen Luke Nace, Nick Kowalski, Arsen Arshughyan, and Grayson Davis.
Zak Hassan, Cullen Cummings, Zach Wilson, Kyle Kaminski, Dontae McGee, Trae Jackson, Nate Hall and Devin King all recorded one win on the day. Tom Williams and Nick Steed were the only winless Bobcats.
Absent from competition were redshirt seniors Cody Walters, 174 pounds, and Andrew Romanchik, 184. Walters went 3-0 at the Eastern Michigan Duals, but Romanchik has yet to compete this season.
They will look to get back on the mat with the rest of the Bobcats on Saturday at the Navy Classic. The competition in Annapolis, Maryland, starts at 10 a.m.