INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Northern State is in seventh place after the first day of the 33rd annual Midwest Classic on Sunday.
The tournament features 25 teams from Divisions II, Division III and the NAIA from around the nation. Newberry, who is ranked No. 1 in Division II, is leading the tournament after day one with 87 points. Northern State racked up 45 points after the first day to sit in seventh place.
“Overall, there was a lot more good than bad for sure,” Northern State coach Pat Timm said. “This is a tough tournament. It is definitely the toughest tournament we go to during the year. That is what I'm so proud of is how some of our guys competed. Hopefully that springboards into (today) because (today) is placing and that is where it counts the most.”
Four NSU wrestlers are still in contention after the first day. Anthony Bruno (125), Ian Muirhead (133), Donnie Bowden (174) and Matt Meuleners (285) will wrestle today.
Bruno and Muirhead both picked up pins in their last matches on Sunday to earn a spot in today's placing matches. Bruno pinned No. 1-ranked Connor McDonald of Newberry just one minute and seven seconds into his match. Muirhead then pinned Adonis Wright of North Carolina Pembroke 54 seconds into his match.
“They kind of fed off each other,” Timm said. “They wrestled right after each other on the same mat and Ian went out and got a pin in a short period of time. They probably weren't favored in the matches, but they were the better wrestlers definitely (Sunday).”
Bowden lost his first match of the day against the defending national champion Michael Lybarger of Findlay by a 5-1 decision. However, he then came back to win the next three matches to stay alive in the tournament.
“He came back and wrestled extremely well,” Timm said.
Meuleners, who is the defending national champion, won all his matches in dominating fashion and will wrestle in the semifinals today.
“Again, he put together another solid day as well,” Timm said.
The tournament concludes today.
Team Scores: Newberry 87 , Upper Iowa 74, West Liberty 62 , Lincoln College 47 , Maryville 46, King College 45 , Northern State 45, Ashland University 43 , Fort Hays State 42 , North Carolina Pembroke 42, Findlay 41 , Limestone 41, McKendree 41, University of Indianapolis 36, Wabash 32 , Lindsey Wilson 32, Lake Erie College 31, Indiana Tech 28 , Trine 23, University of Central Missouri 18 , Mt St Joe 15 , Newman 9 , Tiffin 9, Ohio Valley 4, West Virginia Institute of Technology 0.
Northern State Results
125 - Anthony Bruno, def. by Brandon Davis, Ashland, 3-2; def. Andre Sanders, Indiana Tech, 3-2; def. Tyler Orr, McKendree, 4-2; pinned Connor McDonald, Newberry, 1:07.
133 - Ian Muirhead, def. Cullen King, King College, 8-2; def. major decision by Matt Oliver, Newberry, 15-5; pinned Adonis Wright, North Carolina Pembroke, 0:54.
141 - Terrence Fox pinned by B.J. Young, Newberry, 4:29; pinned by Dustin Dooley, Fort Hays State, 2:06.
149 - Beau Voegeli, def. by Devin Patterson, McKendree, 7-4; pinned by Victor Coronado, Upper Iowa, 5:37.
157 - Neil Sell, def. major decision by Charles Pingleton, Lindsey Wilson, 12-4; pinned Tim Scott, Indiana Tech, 1:09; def. by Jeremy McPhearson, Limestone, 8-7.
165 - Blake Lundgren pinned Tim Gilbert, McKendree, 5:30; def. by tech fall to Mason True, Findlay, 16-0; pinned Luis Tonge, Tiffin, 2:19; pinned Daniel McGillivray, Limestone, 2:09; pinned by Dalton Stanley, Wabash, 4:40.
174 - Donnie Bowden, def. by Michael Lybarger, Findlay, 5-1; won by tech fall over Dyvon Passmore, King College, 18-1; def. Bryson Hall, Ashland, 6-4; won by tech fall over James Haywood, Lindsey Wilson, 18-2.
184 - Chad Gibson, def. by Walker Clarke, Fort Hays State, 8-3; def. by Tyler Hasenbrank, Newman, 12-9.
197 - Baker Haar, def. by major decision to Charles Morgan, King College, 16-3; def. by Mike Samijlenko, Lake Erie College, 9-6.
285 - Matt Meuleners won by tech. fall over Dylan McBride, Wabash, 17-1; won by major decision over Morgan Denson, Maryville, 12-1; def. James De La Riva, North Carolina Pembroke, 5-2.
