WAVERLY, Iowa - The Trine University wrestling team had a solid showing at the Dick Walker Invitational hosted by Wartburg College as the Thunder finished fourth with 71.5 points.
Wartburg, ranked #1 by d3wrestle.com, won the nine team invitational with a team score of 159.5. Trine finished 17 points behind third place University of Dubuque.
Junior Elias Larson (Chicago, Ill./Marion Catholic), the top ranked wrestler by d3wrestle.com in the 157 pound weight class, took home the top spot in his class with a tournament high 21 points before deductions. Larson won his class with a 6-0 win over eighth ranked Cole Welter in the finals. Larson finished the day with three pins, including one in just 55 seconds.
Senior George Markou (Peru, Ind./Peru) at 165 and junior Ryan Pieper (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) at 184 each finished runner-up in their classes. Markou, ranked 11th, scored more points on the day in his class, but fell to second ranked Landon Williams of Wartburg 3-1 in the finals. Markou had three pins on the day, including the fastest of the tournament at just 30 seconds.
In a match-up of top-10 wrestlers, Pieper, ranked seventh, fell to fourth ranked Dylan Azinger from Wartburg 5-3 in the championship.
Junior Nick Odom (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) finished fourth for the Thunder at 141 after scoring a class-high 17 points on the day. Despite falling in his first round match, Odom fought all the way through the consolation bracket before falling in the third place match 12-5. Odom finished the afternoon with three pins.
Trine will return to action when they travel to the University of Indianapolis for the two-day Midwest Classic beginning December 18 at 9:00 a.m.