The Wabash College wrestling team opened the 2022-23 season by winning the 15-team Adrian College Invitational Saturday afternoon. The Little Giants earned 15 top-eight finishes with four individual championships.
All-Americans
Chase Baczek and
Jack Heldt won individual titles for the Little Giants. Baczek went 3-0 in the 184-pound weight class, closing the tournament with a pin at 2:57 in the bout against Khalil Mitchell from Averett to secure the bracket title.
Caden Friedt finished 4-2 overall for the day. His pin at the 1:29 mark of the finals bout against Kowan Lee from Averett gave Friedt a fourth-place finish at 184 pounds.
Heldt recorded three wins in the 285-pound bracket to score the first-place finish for the tournament. He completed the unbeaten run with an 8-0 major decision in the finals over Jamar Christian from Averett.
Grant Johnson went 4-2 in the tournament to finish in fourth place at heavyweight.
Freshman
James Day claimed his first collegiate title by winning the 125-pound weight class. He completed his 3-0 record for the tournament with a 14-12 sudden victory in the finals over Trevor Marsman from Cornerstone.
Ray Arebalo captured the 174-pound weight class title with a perfect 4-0 record for the day. He won the tournament's final match 7-1 against Adrian's Dereck Duvall. Teammate
Eli Johnson placed fourth at 174 pounds. Johnson finished 5-2 for the day, losing a close 6-4 decision against Mustafa Salimi from Jamestown Community College in the placing match.
Spencer Phillips won three matches in the 174-pound bracket to finish eighth overall.
Tim Smith and
Tyson Nisley finished second and third in the 157-pound weight class. Smith finished 3-1 for the day to take second place overall. Nisley closed out the day with a 9-1 major decision versus Jake Hurst from Campbellsville to capture third place at 157 pounds.
Daniel Uribe finished third in the 149-pound bracket. Uribe received a medical forfeit in his final match to finish with a 5-1 record for the tournament.
Gavinn Alstott won two matches at 149 pounds to finish in sixth place.
Freshman
Arlie Benson captured fourth place in the 133-pound weight class with four victories in his first collegiate action.
Austin Johnson finished fourth in the 165-pound bracket by picking up four victories. Matt Lepper added a fifth-place finish at 197 pounds with four wins in the weight class.
The Little Giants scored 188 points to capture the team title. Averett finished in second place with 163.5 points, followed by Campbellsville in third place with a score of 158.5.
Wabash added 12 top-eight finishes in the freshmen/sophomore brackets of the tournament. Four Little Giants captured top-eight finishes at 149 pounds.
Dominic Litchfield won the weight class with a perfect 5-0 record.
Andrew Ross went 3-1 for the day to finish second overall.
Isaac Reilly won four matches to earn a fifth-place finish.
Al Perez took seventh place with four victories on the day.
Justin Hood secured a first-place finish at 157 pounds with a 4-0 record in the bracket.
Daniel Alves placed fifth in the weight class with a 4-2 record.
Jesse Herrera won the 165-pound freshman/sophomore bracket by going 5-0 overall.
Austin Morris posted a 5-1 record for the tournament to finish in third place.
David Gelman turned in an overall record of 5-1 to capture third place in the 133-pound weight class of the freshman/sophomore bracket.
Hunter Otto placed fourth in the 285-pound freshman/sophomore bracket after earning two wins in the tournament.
Sammy Saunders finished with three wins at 184 pounds to place fifth overall.
Ethan Bednarczyk finished in seventh place at 125 pounds with a pair of victories.
Wabash returns to action on November 19 at the Concordia University (WI) Open.
