ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University men's wrestling team hosted the remaining Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) duals today, Sunday, Feb. 6, and finished the day with a 1-2 record to come in third in the conference standings.
The Thunder began the day by facing off with a strong squad from Adrian College who would end the day as runner up in the league standings. The Bulldogs played up to their season standards and came away with a 38-6 victory. Senior Owen Conklin (West Lafayette, Ind. / Harrison) picked up the only team points for Trine in the match with a quick pin at the 1:25 mark of the 174 match.
The second dual of the day for the team came against the upstart group from Albion College. In their first year of existence as a program, the team still boasts some strong competitors. After an opening match loss, Trine received three forfeits to build a 18-9 lead through the first half of the contest. The final five matches would favor the Britons, but Conklin picked up another pin in his match at the 4:33 which would end up giving the team their crucial 24th point. Freshman Jacob Jackson (Toledo, Ohio / Toledo Central Catholic) would then clinch the victory by putting forth a strong defensive effort in the final match holding Albion to just three points and making the final 24-23.
The Thunder then saved their strongest match for last as they faced off with nationally-ranked and MIAA leading Olivet College. The team built a 9-0 lead through the first two matches with a forfeit at 125 and a 4-0 victory in the 133 match by sophomore Jett Boots (Angola, Ind. / Angola). The Comets would take the next two matches but the Thunder athletes held them mostly in check making the score 9-7.
In the 157 match Trine added to their lead with a 5-1 victory by freshman Philip Burney (Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) making the dual score 12-7. Olivet took the next two matches by technical fall to take their first lead of the dual at 17-12.
Conklin picked up his third victory of the day by the score of 9-4 while wrestling up a weight in the 184 match, but the team took another loss in the 197 match and the dual score would sit at 20-15 going into the final weight class. Jackson would wrestle another strong match in the 285 match, but would fall again and the Comets ended up with a 23-15 victory.
The day completes the duals portion of the season for the team. Members of the team will compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional which is set to begin on Friday, Feb. 25.