FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Philip Burney led the way for the Trine University men's wrestling team as they competed at Indiana Little State hosted by Indiana Tech. All told four members of the team placed at the event.
Burney finished third at 157, the lone member of the Thunder to reach the podium. After winning his first match of the day with a pin, Burney dropped to the consolation bracket with a close loss in the quarterfinals. He then reeled off two pins and a decision to reach the third place match where he won by default with his opponent out of matches for the day.
Joseph Langeman had the second best performance for the team, finishing sixth at 133. He also opened the day with a pin before dropping to the consolation bracket in a decisive loss. He won his next two matches, one by tech fall and the other by pin, to reach the consolation bracket semifinals. There he lost a nailbiter by just one point, 2-1. In the fifth place match he fell 10-3 to finish in sixth.
At 149, Isaac Hawkins won his first match in a 15-4 major decision, before getting pinned in his second competition of the day. In the consolation bracket he won three matches in a row, including a pin, a tech fall and a decision against a member of the University of Indianapolis. He ended the day with a pair of losses, the first by decision and the second due to running out of matches for the day, to finish in eighth.
The final placer of the day for the team was Mason Custer who finished eighth at 197. He started the day with a pin before dropping to the consolation bracket after a tech fall. He won his next match with another pin. He lost his last two matches to finish eighth.
The Thunder have next weekend off, with their next competition scheduled for Saturday, December 16. On that day they will travel to Luther College in Nashville, Tenn. to take on the Gator Boot Duals.