Rougnecks Wrap Up Midwest Classic in Fourth
Indianapolis, Ind. – The University of Findlay wrestling team wrapped up the 39th Annual Midwest Classic on Sunday, Dec. 17 in Indianapolis, Ind. The Rougnecks, ranked no. 18 in the country in the latest poll, ended the event in fourth place out of 35 teams. Findlay scored 88 points. Wisconsin-Parkside took the top spot with 137 points while Ashland (117.4) and McKendree (112.0) rounded out the top three.
Senior Bradley Metz was Findlay's top finisher as he ended up as the runner-up in the 184-pound bracket. After going 2-0 yesterday, Metz, ranked no. 7 in the nation, began his Sunday with a semifinal win over no. 8 Tyler Hughes (Lake Erie) by a 5-2 decision. In the championship bout, Metz squared off with Ashland's Jordan Murphy who won by major decision, 12-4, over the Roughnecks' senior.
At 165 pounds, junior Alonzo Turner, ranked fourth in the country, wrapped up the weekend with a third place finish. Turner fell in his first bout of the day to the nation's no. 6, Nick Vandermeer (Lake Erie) by a close 3-2 decision, dropping Turner to the consolation bracket. Turner then closed out his day with back-to-back wins over McKendree's Qiante Wagner (Dec 5-3) and Western State's Ryan Pellow (MD 12-4) to claim third place.
Ranked ninth in the nation, Findlay's Mimmo Lytle closed out the Midwest Classic in fourth place at 285 pounds. Lytle fell 3-2 in the semifinal to drop into the consolation bracket. He was then advanced in the consolation semifinal, winning by medical forfeit over Jacob Borgmeyer (Lindenwood) before being defeated in the third place match, 11-9 by Caleb Cotter of Central Oklahoma, ranked fourth in the nation.
Senior Armani Robinson took fifth place in the 197-pound division, losing in the semifinal match to no. 11 Konnor Schmidt (Western State) by a 3-1 decision. Robinson lost in the consolation semifinals by medical forfeit but later won the fifth place match by medical forfeit against no. 7 Wes Phipps (Mercyhurst).
Sophomore Nate Vandermeer, competing at 174 pounds, entered the day with a 3-0 record but closed out the tournament with an 0-3 mark on Sunday to take sixth place. Vandermeer dropped his semifinal bout to Nick Becker (Wisconsin-Parkside) by tech fall and then lost to no. 6 Brandon Supernaw (Western State) by major decision. In the fifth place match, Vandermeer fell 6-4 to no. 10 Christian Price of Ashland.
Findlay is off the mats until January 6 when they travel to Gunnison, Colorado for the Tracy Borah Duals.