ANGOLA, IND. – The two-time defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team finished second at the Trine University Invitational inside the Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Athletic and Recreation Center.
BW, who finished second of 11 teams, was led by sophomore 133-pounder Dante Ginnetti (Poland/Seminary) and senior 174-pounder Grant Rathburn (New Albany/Bishop Hartley) as each captured the individual titles. Ginnetti won his first three matches all by pinfall. He claimed the first pin in 2:04, the second pin in 6:26 and his semifinal win he won in 5:29. He claimed the title by beating fellow Yellow Jacket teammate and freshman Chase Craft (Dayton/Northmont) by a 7-6 decision. Chase Craft won all of his previous three matches by major decisions. He won by scores of 10-1, 10-0 and 13-5. Rathburn took the title as he won his first two matches by technical fall by scores of 23-6 and 15-0. He won his semifinal match by a 9-8 decision and claimed the title with an 11-2 major decision.
In addition to Chase Craft, BW had three other wrestlers place in second place. Freshman 125-pounder Chad Craft (Dayton/Northmont) was the runner-up as he received a first-round bye then won his next match by pinfall in 6:03. He then earned a technical fall in his third match by a score of 17-0. Chad Craft closed out the invitational with a major decision victory in the semifinals by a score of 13-2 before falling in the championship match. Freshman 149-pounder Michael Carpenter (Middleburg Heights/St. Edward) took the second as he received a first-round bye then won by major decision by a score of 10-0. He then posted back-to-back decision victories by scores of 6-4 and 4-3 before dropping the championship match. Junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference 165-pounder Benjamin Hooff (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) was the runner-up as he received an opening round bye then won a 3-1 decision. Hooff then picked up a win by pinfall in 2:06, a 6-3 decision and an injury victory in the semifinals before coming up short in the championship match
The Yellow Jackets also got top four places from sophomore 125-pounder Christian Wellman (Applecreek/Waynedale), freshman 141-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) and freshman 149-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) finished fourth and third. Wellman won his first two matches by decisions of 9-3 and 401 before picking up his third win by pinfall in 2:56. After suffering a loss, he won by pinfall in 7:00 before coming up short in third place match. McHugh earned a bye in the first round then won by a 9-4 decision before falling. He then won by a 16-8 major decision and 7-2 decision before falling in the third-place match. Bleich opened up with a bye then won by pinfall in 4:50 and a 13-7 decision before dropping his first match. He won his final two matches to claim third place by decisions of 14-7 and 12-5.
BW is back in action on Saturday, November 18 when it travels to Alliance to compete in the University of Mount Union Duals inside the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex. The Yellow Jackets will face Messiah (Pa.) College, Alma (Mich.) College, Greensboro (N.C.) College and Wilkes (Pa.) College.
