Findlay Sends Three to Second Day at Midwest Classic
Indianapolis, Ind. – The University of Findlay wrestling team, ranked 24th in the country, participated on the first of two days of the Midwest Classic held in Indianapolis. The event plays host to 37 teams, 16 of which are currently ranked in the top 25 in the country, and is one of the top Division II wrestling events in the country. After one day of competition, Findlay has scored 24.5 points and currently sits in 21st. The Roughnecks have three wrestlers still alive in consolation brackets. Those matchups will take place tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 15.
Sophomore Derek Sharp dropped his first matchup of the day at 133 pounds to ninth-ranked Airk Furseth of Wisconsin-Parkside, but rallied to win three consecutive matches to remain alive in the consolation bracket. His wins included back-to-back pins, the first in 2:49 over Joey Nerdahl of Minnesota State Moorhead and the second in 2:46 against Noah McQuiqq of Central Oklahoma. His final decision of the day was a 5-2 win over Blake Glogouski of Lake Erie.
Freshman Branson Proudlock began his day at 141 pounds with a pair of wins, the first wasa tech fall victory (18-1) and the second was a convincing 10-4 decision. His quarterfinal bout was against the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 141 pounds, Isaiah Royal of Newberry. Proudlock nearly pulled the upset, dropping a tightly contested 2-1 decision to fall into the consolation bracket.
Ranked ninth in the country at 174 pounds, junior Nate Vandermeer is still alive after a 3-1 record on the first day of action. He began his day with a pin in 2:53 against Christian Carney of Ouachita Baptist and came back with another pin in his second round bout against Austin Eichmann of Mary. Vandermeer then blanked Brandon Matthews of Seton Hill in a 4-0 decision to advance to the quarterfinal. In that bout, Vandermeer was defeated by fall to drop into the consolation bracket.