BEREA, Ohio – A pair of wrestlers would finish runner up and eight others would place for the Trine University men's wrestling team which finished third overall at the 2022 Baldwin Wallace Invitational.
All told the team finished with 119.5 points to finish third. The hosts from Baldwin Wallace finished in first with 150.5 points and the delegation from Delaware Valley finished with 148.5 in second.
Junior Jett Boots was one of a pair to finish in second in his bracket. He began the 141 weight class with a victory by major decision (9-1) then picked up a 4-2 decision in the quarterfinal match. He took his semifinal by the score of 17-3, another major decision, before falling in the championship match to finish second.
The other second-place finish came in the 184 bracket by junior Andrew Williamson. After an opening round bye, Williamson defeated his first opponent with a pin at the 2:03 mark. He then advanced to the championship match with a 9-2 decision before falling to finish in second.
Also posting a podium finish was junior Isaac Hawkins in the 149 weight class. He opened his day with a 10-2 major decision before falling in the quarterfinal match in a 5-2 decision. He then wrestled his way back through the consolation bracket with a pin and two decisions to make the third-place match. There he won again with a 12-5 decision to earn third.
Junior Mason Custer was one of two to finish in fourth for the Thunder. He began competition in the 197 bracket with a bye before dropping to the consolation side with an 8-0 loss. He then put together two straight pins and then advanced to the third-place match on a medical forfeit. He came up short there but still took home a fourth-place finish.
Sophomore Kyler Bills became the second fourth-place finisher for the team in the 285 bracket. He began the day with two pins to advance to the semifinal match before dropping to the consolation semifinal with a loss. Their he pinned his opponent again to head to the third-place match, where he recorded his second loss.
Junior Joseph Langeman competed in the 133 weight class and ended up with a fifth place finish. He would win his first two matches one by pin and the other in a 6-3 decision to move into the semifinal match. He lost both that match and the consolation bracket semifinal to land in the fifth-place match. There he secured the win by medical forfeit.
Freshman Shaun Pratt finished sixth in the 125 weight class for Trine. He won his opening match with a pin before taking his second by a 4-3 decision. He then dropped his next three matches to finish in sixth.
A pair of Thunder finished the day in seventh in their respective brackets. Freshman Tommy Miller won two matches on the day to secure his spot. He won his first with a technical fall before taking the 133 seventh-place match with a pin.
Junior Ethan Nash finished the day 4-2 on the way to his finish. After winning his first two matches, the second by pin, he moved to the quarterfinal round where he came up short of a major decision. He then one his first match in the consolation bracket with a major decision of his own before falling again in his second to end up in the seventh-place match. He would take a hard fought 4-3 decision to finish the day with a win and the seventh-place finish in the 165 weight class.
The final placer for the team was junior Andrew Captain in the 285 weight class. After an opening round loss, Captain won his first consolation bracket match with a technical fall before dropping his final two to end up in eighth.
Trine will continue their season when they travel to Indiana Little State hosted by Manchester University on Saturday, December 3. The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
