Wrestling team in fourth-place after day one of Pete Willson Invitational
The Olivet College wrestling team sits in fourth-place after day one of the Pete Willson Invitational, which is being hosted by Wheaton (Ill.) College. The Comets, ranked No. 9 in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, have 61.5 points.
WHEATON, Ill. – The Olivet College wrestling team sits in fourth-place after day one of the Pete Willson Invitational, which is being hosted by Wheaton (Ill.) College. The Comets, ranked No. 9 in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, have 61.5 points and are five points ahead of University of Wis.-La Crosse and University of Wis.-Whitewater. University of Wis.-Parkside leads the 30-team field with 81.5 points. Elmhurst (Ill.) College is second with 68 points, followed by Messiah (Pa.) College with 66.5 points.
Three Olivet wrestlers -- senior 141-pounder Kenny Richmond (Brighton), junior 149-pounder Gage Pederson (Hastings) and sophomore 184-pounder Jeff Holm (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) have advanced to the semifinals. The No. 3 seed Richmond has a 3-0 record, with a pin (4:57), major decision (11-2) and minor decision (7-3). He will face No. 2 seed Jake Fredricksen from Wis.-Whitewater in the semis.
The top seed, Pederson has three minor decision victories (7-5, 4-2 and 6-2). He will wrestle No. 5 seed Elroy Perkin from Wis.-Whitewater in the semis. The No. 6 seed, Holm has a pin (1:36) and two minor decision wins, including a 4-2 win over No. 3 seed Daniel Olsen from Wheaton in the quarterfinals. Holm will face No. 2 seed Josh Thomson in the semis.
Four other Comets –junior 125-pounder Henry McKeown (Bellevue/Olivet), junior 165-pounder Rocky Cantu (Rives Junction/Jackson Northwest), junior 197-pounder Andrew Simpson (Tecumseh) and senior 285-pounder Jake Ceslick (Alpena) – are still alive in the consolation brackets.
McKeown lost a 3-2 decision in the first round, but has bounced back to win two matches. Cantu suffered a 5-2 loss in his first match before winning three straight matches, including a pin. The No. 8 seed, Simpson won his first match, 7-3, but fell 4-2 to the top seed in the quarterfinals. He rebounded to win his first match in the drawback, 4-2. Ceslick wrestled three matches and all three were decided by one point. He won 2-1, lost 8-7 and ended the day with a 3-2 win.
Senior 133-pounder Kam Olsen (Kentwood/East Kentwood), sophomore 157-pounder Kyle Witgen (Romeo) and senior 174-pounder Josh Crawford (Birch Run) each bowed out of the tournament with two losses.
Action resumes tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CT.