The Missouri Tigers locked up their sixth straight conference title, and their fifth MAC Championship Sunday afternoon.
“We’re not much for moral victories, but at least our guys went after it,” UNI Head Coach Doug Schwab said after the tournament. “Our guys just needed a little more seasoning, being in these spots a little bit more.”
The Panthers put five men in the championship finals, but only came away with one win – Taylor Lujan at 174 pounds. Lujan defeated the second-seeded Trace Engelkes 12-2.
“I think I wrestled alright. Wasn’t as sharp as I could have been,” Lujan said of his performance this weekend. “Hopefully wrestle better in St. Louis in two weeks.”
Lujan left no doubt in his match, securing five total takedowns, the last one with just a few seconds left in the match, when he already had a major decision secured.
“That guy looked good,” Schwab said after Lujan’s match. “I mean he looked really good. I love how he competed. It’s fun to watch when he’s in control like that, but also a little wild.”
Lujan watched four teammates go down in finals matches before he took the mat, and those four men lost by a combined 6 points. The five Panthers that lost in the finals lost by a total of 8 points.
Dylan Peters dropped a 7-4 decision to number one Shakur Laney from Ohio. Peters, the 6th seed, clearly was fighting through some injuries during the tournament but still managed to make the finals.
149 pounds ended a bit controversially. Max Thomsen and Lavion Mayes were tied at five in the third period when Thomsen was hit for an illegal hold. The penalty point awarded to Mayes would eventually decide the match but not after a very close near-takedown on the edge that would have given the match to Thomsen. It appeared that Thomsen got behind Mayes on the edge and took him down, but upon review the takedown was not allowed.
Bryce Steiert’s match against another Tiger, Daniel Lewis, at 165 pounds ended in similar fashion. Steiert didn’t really find his offense until the third period and by then there wasn’t enough time left. The Panther trailed 4-0 to start the third, 5-0 after a Lewis escape, but only lost 7-5.
“I don’t care what happened in that match,” Schwab said after Steiert’s loss. “I would not want to have to draw him. I thought his legs looked a little…he needs to have that pop early. As the match went on he started to get it but you’ve got to have that pop right away. He’ll be ready to wrestle [at the NCAA tournament].”
Drew Foster dropped a tough 5-3 decision to Old Dominion’s Jack Dechow in sudden victory. Foster gave up a second stall warning in the 3rd period to keep Dechow in the match, and was in on a shot in the sudden victory period as Dechow worked to score his own takedown.
Josh Alber at 133 pounds and Jacob Holschlag at 197 pounds were both able to wrestle back and earn third place. Alber won a 9-2 decision over Central Michigan’s Corey Keener in a match that was never really that close, while Holschlag used the top position to his advantage for the second straight time to earn his 3rd place finish.
Overall the Panthers qualified seven wrestlers (Peters, Alber, Thomsen, Steiert, Lujan, Foster, and Holschlag) for the national tournament in St. Louis.
“We’ve got seven bad dudes going to the national tournament that are going to be ready to score points. I’ve know it (how good the UNI team is). We got some gritty, tough SOB’s. I love how our guys competed. I’m excited about where our team’s at and I’m really looking forward to St. Louis.”
MAC Championship Final Results
125 Results
1st Place Match
Shakur Laney (Ohio) 26-6, So. over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) 8-6, RS Sr. (Dec 7-4).
3rd Place Match
Brock Hudkins (Northern Illinois) 18-10, Fr. over Kyle Akins (Buffalo) 20-6, RS So. (M. For.).
5th Place Match
Barlow McGhee (Missouri) 19-11, RS Jr. over Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan) 16-10, RS Fr. (Dec 4-1).
7th Place Match
Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan) 23-9, Jr. over Steven Simpson (Old Dominion) 6-23, RS Fr. (Dec 8-2).
133 Results
1st Place Match
John Erneste (Missouri) 23-6, RS So. over Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) 20-5, RS So. (SV-1 6-2).
3rd Place Match
Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) 23-5, Jr. over Corey Keener (Central Michigan) 19-13, RS Sr. (Dec 9-2).
5th Place Match
Alex Madrigal (Old Dominion) 12-12, RS Fr. over Anthony Tutolo (Kent State) 19-8, Jr. (Dec 7-0).
7th Place Match
Cameron Kelly (Ohio) 21-10, So. over Alijah Jeffery (Northern Illinois) 14-19, RS So. (Dec 7-4).
141 Results
1st Place Match
Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) 24-5, RS Fr. over Noah Forrider (Ohio) 26-5, RS Jr. (MD 10-1).
3rd Place Match
Mason Smith (Central Michigan) 22-12, RS Fr. over Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan) 15-11, RS Jr. (Dec 7-3).
5th Place Match
Kevin Budock (Old Dominion) 21-15, Fr. over Angel Velasquez (Northern Illinois) 11-14, So. (TB-1 2-1).
7th Place Match
Chance Driscoll (Kent State) 21-17, RS Jr. over Jason Estevez (Buffalo) 11-10, RS Jr. (Dec 3-2).
149 Results
1st Place Match
Lavion Mayes (Missouri) 19-2, RS Sr. over Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) 27-5, So. (Dec 6-5).
3rd Place Match
Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) 29-7, RS So. over Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) 26-7, RS So. (MD 8-0).
5th Place Match
Michael Hayes (Old Dominion) 18-13, RS Sr. over Nick Barber (Eastern Michigan) 16-12, RS Sr. (Dec 9-5).
7th Place Match
Colt Cotten (Buffalo) 14-13, RS Jr. over Tim Rooney (Kent State) 17-25, So. (Fall 2:04).
157 Results
1st Place Match
Joey Lavallee (Missouri) 25-1, RS Jr. over Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) 28-7, RS Jr. (TB-2 4-3).
3rd Place Match
Casey Sparkman (Kent State) 25-11, RS So. over Zachary Carson (Eastern Michigan) 12-11, RS Fr. (SV-1 9-7).
5th Place Match
Larry Early (Old Dominion) 11-5, RS Fr. over Cullen Cummings (Ohio) 12-18, RS Jr. (Dec 8-3).
7th Place Match
Caden McWhirter (Northern Illinois) 18-14, So. over Paden Moore (Northern Iowa) 15-17, So. (M. For.).
165 Results
1st Place Match
Daniel Lewis (Missouri) 24-3, RS So. over Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) 19-4, So. (Dec 7-5).
3rd Place Match
Shaun`Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois) 10-10, RS Sr. over Seldon Wright (Old Dominion) 20-10, So. (MD 14-3).
5th Place Match
Isaac Bast (Kent State) 12-16, RS So. over Logan Parks (Central Michigan) 12-21, RS Fr. (Dec 3-2).
7th Place Match
Tyler Rill (Buffalo) 11-10, RS Sr. over Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan) 11-11, RS Sr. (MD 17-6).
174 Results
1st Place Match
Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) 27-4, So. over Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois) 19-4, RS Sr. (MD 12-2).
3rd Place Match
Christian Brucki (Central Michigan) 29-8, RS Jr. over Muhamed McBryde (Buffalo) 23-17, Sr. (Dec 6-4).
5th Place Match
Jacob Davis (Eastern Michigan) 11-11, RS Sr. over Dylan Wisman (Missouri) 14-11, RS Fr. (Dec 9-3).
7th Place Match
Jerald Spohn (Kent State) 15-17, Sr. over Arsen Arshughyan (Ohio) 16-16, So. (Fall 0:58).
184 Results
1st Place Match
Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) 28-3, RS Sr. over Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) 22-4, Jr. (SV-1 5-3).
3rd Place Match
Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) 27-8, RS Jr. over Matthew Lemanowicz (Missouri) 10-14, RS Sr. (Dec 4-3).
5th Place Match
Bryce Gorman (Northern Illinois) 17-15, RS So. over Brett Perry (Buffalo) 17-16, RS So. (Dec 7-5).
7th Place Match
Shane Mast (Kent State) 15-14, So. over Dontae McGee (Ohio) 9-12, RS Fr. (MD 21-11).
197 Results
1st Place Match
J`den Cox (Missouri) 23-0, RS Sr. over Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) 22-5, RS Jr. (Dec 8-2).
3rd Place Match
Jacob Holschlag (Northern Iowa) 20-8, So. over Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois) 24-7, RS Sr. (Dec 6-4).
5th Place Match
Austin Severn (Central Michigan) 23-10, RS Sr. over Stephen Suglio (Kent State) 20-19, Sr. (Dec 3-2).
7th Place Match
Nathaniel Rose (Buffalo) 19-8, RS Fr. over Derek Hillman (Eastern Michigan) 10-16, RS So. (Dec 5-4).
285 Results
1st Place Match
Jake Gunning (Buffalo) 21-5, RS So. over Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan) 25-13, RS Jr. (Dec 3-2).
3rd Place Match
Austin Myers (Missouri) 15-13, RS Fr. over Zack Parker (Ohio) 22-12, RS So. (Dec 3-1).
5th Place Match
Newton Smerchek (Central Michigan) 23-11, RS Jr. over Will Hilliard (Old Dominion) 8-20, Fr. (Fall 1:14).
7th Place Match
Caleb Gossett (Northern Illinois) 12-19, So. over JJ Everard (Northern Iowa) 9-10, Sr. (M. For.).
141-True 2nd Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place – Mason Smith of Central Michigan
2nd Place – Noah Forrider of Ohio
1st Place Match
Mason Smith (Central Michigan) 21-12, RS Fr. over Noah Forrider (Ohio) 26-5, RS Jr. (Dec 3-2).
157-True 2nd Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place – Colin Heffernan of Central Michigan
2nd Place – Casey Sparkman of Kent State
1st Place Match
Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) 1-0, . over Casey Sparkman (Kent State) 0-1, . (Fall 0:58).