Cedar Falls, Ia. – The Campbellsville Tigers competed at the NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships this weekend. The Tigers secured wins over Central Methodist, Doane University, Cumberlands (Ky.), and Southern Oregon to earn a top-five finish overall.
The Tigers took on Central Methodist in round one, winning 32-9. Izeeah Beavers earned a forfeit at the 125 lbs. weigh class to put Campbellsville up by six points from the start of the dual. Caleb Thomas extended the Tigers' lead by earning a pin at 133 lbs. At 141 lbs., Nicholas Yancey picked up a 17-1 technical fall, making the team score 17-0. Lody Cheatham pulled out a 12-8 decision win at 149 lbs. At 157 lbs., the Tigers took their first loss of the dual as Donald Griffin defeated Jake Hurst, 4-1. Shadrick Slone answered back, competing at 165 lbs., earning an uncontested 15-0 technical fall. At 174 lbs., Brice Parks earned a 20-8 major decision. In the 184 lbs. weight class, Kiernan Sherwood picked up a 3-0 minor decision. A mere one-point deficit lost the final two matches of the dual. Grayson Stevens lost 5-4, and Jaden Sonner lost in sudden victory 6-5.
The Tigers took on Menlo College in the quarterfinals, falling 20-15. Beavers started strong, earning an 8-2 minor decision to put the team up by three points. In the following match, Thomas fell 6-1 to Jeremiah Steele to tie the dual. Yancey answered back, earning a minor decision over Michael Torres 7-3. At 149 lbs., Nick Moore earned a pin over Ezekiel Lara in just 28 seconds, extending the Tigers' lead 12-3. Antwuan Burns, competing at 157 lbs., picked up an 8-5 minor decision over Kanaipono Tapia, making the team score 15-3. The Tigers lost the remainder of the matches in the dual. Slone lost by a minor decision, 8-2; Brice Parks lost by a major decision, 11-2; Chandler Woenker lost by a minor decision, 10-4; Stevens lost by a minor decision, 6-1; and Gabe Craig lost by a major decision, 16-6.
In round three, Campbellsville University took on Doane University and emerged victorious. At 125 lbs., Beavers won a close victory over Nathan Rizek, 16-14. Doane's Devin Avedissian earned a technical fall over Thomas, but Yancey answered back with a technical fall of his own. At 149 lbs., Moore lost a close match to Tristen Brown, 4-1, before Burns earned a 13-3 major decision over Ben Miller in the 157 lbs. weight class. Slone picked up a first-period pin over Benjamin Dobler, increasing the team score to 18-8. In the following three matches, the Tigers fell short, losing by a minor decision at 174 lbs. and by a major decision at 184 lbs. and 197 lbs. Going into the final match, the team score was 19-18 in favor of Doane. With the dual on the line, Craig earned a 13-2 major decision over Kasten Grape, bringing the final team score to 22-19.
On day two, the Tigers took on Mid-South Conference rival, the University of the Cumberlands. To begin, Beavers earned a 19-3 technical fall. At 133 lbs., Cumberlands answered with a technical fall of their own. Shane Watson, competing in the 141 lbs. weight class, was illegally mat returned by his opponent and picked up an injury default win. At 149 lbs., Moore lost another close match 4-1 to Jace Luchau. Weston Milnes pinned Hurst at 157 lbs. At 165 lbs., Slone pulled out a close 7-6 victory over Turner Black. At 174 lbs., Gabe Martinez emerged victorious over ranked wrestler Sherman Dixon, earning a 6-5 minor decision. At 184 lbs., Kiernan Sherwood lost 4-1, and at 197 lbs. Chandler Woenker lost 7-5. With the team score being 20-17 in favor of Cumberlands, Craig picked up a 14-2 major decision win over Wylie Dunn. The Tigers ended the dual with a final team score of 21-20.
In the final dual of the tournament, the Tigers took on Southern Oregon. Beavers started the Tigers off strong, earning an 11-9 decision win. At 133 lbs., Thomas gave up a technical fall to his opponent, making the team score 5-3 in favor of Southern Oregon. At 141 lbs., Yancey won a close victory over Anthony Perez 8-5, putting the Tigers back in the lead. Moore lost 3-2 to returning All-American Evan Potter at 149 lbs. At 157 lbs., Hurst won a close 4-3 match over Travis Thorpe. Slone extended the Tigers' lead after earning his second uncontested technical fall of the tournament, 15-0, at 165 lbs. Martinez beat ranked wrestler Alex Hernandez 13-4 in the 174 lbs. weight class. At 184 lbs., Woenker fell short of a major decision by just one point, earning a decision win for the Tigers. The Tigers were defeated by minor decision in the final two matches, but it wasn't enough for Southern Oregon. The Tigers won their final dual, 21-13, earning a fifth-place finish.
Tune in as the Tigers take on Cumberland University and Kentucky Wesleyan on January 17th in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Following these duals, the team will compete against various Mid-South Conference opponents, including the University of the Cumberlands, Lindsey Wilson College, Midway University, and the University of Rio Grande.
