ANGOLA, Indiana – The three-time defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team placed fifth at the Trine Invitational inside the Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Athletic and Recreation Center.
BW, who finished fifth of fourteen teams, was led by sophomore 141-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) and 141-pounder Dalton Leightner (Ravenna/Rootstown) who placed 1st and 3rd respectively. McHugh received a first round bye and then won by an injury default. His next two matches were won by decision with scores of 5-4 and 4-3, and the 1st place match was also won by a 5-4 decision. Leightner won his first two rounds by pin fall in 6:24 and a 14-9 tie-breaker. He won his 3rd place match with a tech fall of 15-0.
Two other BW wrestlers earned top five finishes as freshman 285-pounder Parker Meaney (Ashtabula/Lakeside) placed fourth and sophomore 157-pounder Trevor Scherf (Graytown/Oak Harbor) placed fifth. Meaney won his quarterfinal match with a pinfall of 5:53 and lost his 3rd place match by a 4-0 decision. Scherf won his first match with a 5-1 decision and lost his second to a 5-2 decision. He then won his next two by major decision and scores of 12-2 and 8-0, and was victorious in his 5th place match with a pinfall of 7:53.
Freshman 174-pounder Ryan Haas (Toledo/Maumee) earned a sixth place finish after winning his first two matches by pinfall at 1:32 and 1:34. He then lost in the quarterfinal to a major decision of 18-5. He then won his next match by a 17-5 major decision and then lost the 5th place match to an 8-3 decision.
Placing sixth as well was senior two-time Academic All-OAC, 285-pounder James Ritchie (Carlisle) and sophomore 285-pounder Zachary Baker (Marengo/Highland). Ritchie received a bye in the first round and lost the next match by a 5-4 decision. He then went on to win his next three with an 18-0 tech fall, a 10-0 major decision, and a 2:57 pinfall. Baker received a first round bye before falling to a 24-9 tech fall in the next match. He then won his next three matches with a pinfall of 2:34, a decision fo 6-0, and another 2-1 decision.
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action on Tuesday 13 when they travel to Alliance, Ohio for a dual match with the University of Mount Union, with a 7 p.m start.
