BEREA, Ohio –The 13th-ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team won its first-ever team title at the 29th Annual John Summa Memorial Tournament in the Lou Higgins Center Fieldhouse.
BW scored 159.5 points and placed first of 10 teams. Brockport (N.Y.) University was the runner-up with 131 points. Lycoming (Pa.) College was third with 96 points, defending champion Waynesburg (Pa.) University finished fourth with 94 points, Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) College was fifth with 77 points, Thiel (Pa.) College placed sixth with 67.5 points, Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology was seventh with 58.5 points, Ohio Northern University was eighth with 46.5 points, Muskingum University was ninth with 15 points and The College of Mount St. Joseph was 10th with 11 points.
Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets were junior Division III All-American 125-pounder Jesse Gunter (Akron/ Coventry) and junior 174-pounder Garrett Chase (Erie, Pa./ Cathedral Prep), who each won an individual title.
Gunter, who is currently ranked third in Division III at 125 pounds, was named as the tournament's John Summa Most Valuable Wrestler. It also marked the second time in his career that he was tabbed as a tournament MVP. He received a bye in the first two rounds. In the third round, he pinned Kyle Drick of Lycoming in 4:47, won by major decision in the semifinals against Gordan Bieber of Waynesburg, 14-5, and won the title with a 3-2 decision in the second period of a tie-breaker against Asher Kramer of Brockport.
Chase received a bye in the first round. He then pinned Austin Davidson of Waynesburg in 6:43 and Caleb Cox of Muskingum in 3:44. Chase won the semifinal by defeating Marco Crivelli of Thiel, 2-0, and won the title by defeating Sonnieboy Blanco of W&J, 6-0.
Sophomore 141-pounder Josh Decatur (Akron/ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) and freshman 197-pounder Tyler Maclellan (Medina/ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy ) each finished second. Decatur had a first round bye then posted a 7-5 decision against Rocco Rosso of Brockport, won a 4-2 won tie breaker against Tim Ambacher of Lycoming and a 6-3 decision against Sean O`Hagan of Brockport. He lost a 6-3 decision to Nick Sutton of Thiel in the title match.
Sophomore 157-pounder Graham Montague (Independence) and junior 165-pounder David Shapiro (Beachwood) each finished third.
Montague received a first round bye then pinned Cody Lutz of RIT in 2:17 and pinned Jordan Smith of Thiel in 5:26, won a 6-0 decision against. After suffering a loss, he pinned Derek Hull of Waynesburg in 1:37 and won a 2-1 decision against James Devine of Brockport.
Shapiro received a bye in the first round,won an 11-6 decision against Joe Cutugno of RIT and pinned won Seth Meyer of Ohio Northern in 4:15. After suffering a lost, he pinned Michael Falcon of Brockport in 2:08 and won a 2-1 decision against Nicholas Greenquist of RIT. After suffering a lost, he pinned Michael Falcon of Brockport in 2:08 and won a 2-1 decision against Nicholas Greenquist of RIT.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, February 10 when they travel to Ada for an Ohio Athletic Conference match against Ohio Northern University in the ONU Sports Center at 7:30 p.m.
