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#5 Wrestling Wins Record Fourth OAC Championship with Defeat of Ohio Northern

The Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team after defeating Ohio Northern and claiming their fourth-straight Ohio Athletic Conference Championship
The Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team after defeating Ohio Northern and claiming their fourth-straight Ohio Athletic Conference Championship

BEREA, Ohio – The fifth-nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team won a school-record fourth straight Ohio Athletic Conference Championship with a 46-6 victory over Ohio Northern University in its regular season finale in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center

BW (14-2, 5-1 OAC), who had previously won three straight OAC titles on two occasions from 1971-73 and 2015-18) claimed its fourth straight title by winning 9 of 10 contests. Ohio Northern (6-9, 1-5 OAC) has lost its last three matches and now has lost six straight to the Yellow Jackets.

After forfeits in the 125lb and 133lb weight class from ONU, sophomore 141-pounder Dalton Leightner (Ravenna/Rootstown) got the action rolling with a 3:00 pin. Sophomore All-OAC 149-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic), who is currently ranked fifth nationally in his weight class, followed with a 12-5 decision. At 157, senior two-time All-OAC Richie Burke (Ithaca, N.Y.) pinned his opponent in 42 seconds. Senior two-time All-American 165-pounder Anthony Arroyo (Maumee), who is currently ranked fifth nationally in his weight class, seized a 15-0 technical fall, to bring the score to 32-0. Arroyo ends his illustrious OAC career undefeated with a mark of 22-0 and improves to 115-18 for his career. Senior All-OAC 184-pounder Justin Ransom (Madison) grabbed a 12-3 major decision. At 197lb, senior two-time All-OAC Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere) seized a 10-2 major decision, and senior Academic All-OAC 285-pounder James Ritchie (Carlisle) ended the match with a 2:32 fall.

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Friday and Saturday, February 22-23 when they travel to Crawfordsville, Indiana to defend their NCAA Division III Central Regional Championship on the campus of Wabash College.  Action is slated to begin on both days at 10 a.m.