Wrestling competes on the road
The University of Indianapolis wrestling team traveled to Campbellsville, Ky., to compete in the Campbellsville Duals meet on Nov. 19.
The Greyhounds lost to Shorter University 24-14. Freshman Austin Chamberlain lost in the 157 weight class. Sophomore Paul Beck defeated his opponent in the 125 bracket with a 5-1 decision.
Senior redshirt Ethan Harris wrestled in the 133 weight class and overcame his opponent with a technical fall and a score of 15-0.
Senior David Lopez also won 8-5 in his weight class against his opponent. Sophomore Marcus Watkins took the last victory for the Greyhounds against SU in the 184 bracket.
In the dual against Tiffin University, the Greyhounds defeated the Dragons 34-12. Freshman Josh Kieffer won in the 125 weight class with a score of 11-3 while Harris won due to a forfeit. Lopez also defeated his TU opponent 7-3.
Freshman Clayton Monebrake defeated his opponent 10-5 in the 157 weight bracket. Sophomore Kevin Gaughan also won his dual by forfeit, as did freshman Michael Cheh. Junior redshirt Bryce Givens pinned his opponent in 4:57 in the 174 bracket.
UIndy also defeated the University of Cumberlands 31-11. The team took wins in weight classes 157 through 285. Harris finished the match with a win in the 133 bracket as well.
The Greyhounds final dual came against the host school, Campbellsville University. UIndy lost by a tight margin of 21-19.UIndy had five individual wins despite the overall loss. Kieffer won in his weight class, as did Harris, junior Bryce Givens, freshman Dustin Parrish and sophomore Evan Wooding.
The team also competed in duals at Purdue University on Nov. 18. The Boilermakers took a 37-6 win over the Greyhounds.
Harris scored a win for UIndy in the 133 weight class. Sophomore Taylor Scott also placed and won in the 197 weight division.
The team traveled to Lansing, Mich., for the season opener match at the Michigan State University Open on Nov. 12. Five Greyhound wrestlers placed in their freshman/sophomore weight classes.
“They did pretty well. We had 20 guys compete, and 17 were freshmen/sophomores,” Warthan said.
According to Warthan, the Greyhounds competed against more Division I schools than in previous years.
“Anytime you get the chance to wrestle a Division I guy, it’s a challenge,” Warthan said.
Freshman Aaron Stevenson led the finishers for UIndy by 5-0, taking the freshman/sophomore 184 title for the day. Stevenson defeated Bryson Hall of Ashland University in the final bout 5-2.
Stevenson said that his mentality going into each dual is not necessarily to win, but to wrestle the best that he can.
A second freshman placed in the 125 weight class, going 4-1 all day. Kieffer won three of his matches before dropping a 7-4 match to Alfredo Gray of Kent State University.
“I knew we were good,” Stevenson said. “I didn’t expect to win, but I’m proud of our team.”
Chamberlain took third place in the freshmen/sophomores bracket with five pins and a finish of 5-1. Scott took fifth with an overall score of 6-1, and sophomore Steven Sandefer captured sixth place with a 5-1 score.
With a large majority of the team being freshmen and sophomores, Warthan said he hopes that, as seniors, Lopez and Harris step up this year and lead the team.
“Those two guys have done a good job and have filled leadership roles in the past,” Warthan said. “But this year they are the main guys.”
The team will travel to Crawfordsville, Ind. on Dec. 2-3, where they will compete in the Little State match at Wabash College.
