Wrestling competes at Simonson Open
The University of Indianapolis wrestling team competed at the Simonson Open tournament on Feb. 9. Seven Greyhounds placed at the open, in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth positions. The Hounds also placed two individuals in the fourth position.
Sophomore Taylor Scott, at 197, took the championship by medical forfeit, along with 6-0 and 8-0 wins.
Junior Alex Johns began the open with a 5-0 win but fell to Nick Roberts of Ohio State University 6-3. Johns finished the open with the runner-up position in the 125-pound weight class.
Junior Shelby Mappes lost his first match of the open but came back to win three straight on his way to a third-place finish at 174. Mappes won his last match 3-1, including two pins.
Senior Bryce Givens and junior Evan Wooding also placed fourth in their respective brackets. Givens went 3-2 at the open, falling in the third-place match, while Wooding went 1-2, also falling in the third-place match.
Senior Bryce Givens looks to finish a takedown against an opponent from the McKendree University Bearcats. Givens is the only senior for the Hounds this year. Photo contributed by Jackie Paquette.
Finishing fifth in the 165 bracket for the Greyhounds was junior Weston Davis. Davis went 2-2 at the open and won the fifth-place position due to a forfeit by his teammate, junior Jeff Weiss. Weiss also went 2-2 on the day and finished in sixth place for the Greyhounds in the 165 bracket.
The Simonson Open was the last event on the Greyhounds’ schedule, and as the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Super Region 3 Tournament approaches, Givens said that he is looking forward to going far in the postseason this year.
“[The] NCAA Division II Championship is coming up in March,” Givens said. “I’ve gone the previous two years—trying for a podium this time.”
According to Head Wrestling Coach Jason Warthan, as the date for the regional approaches, team members are working hard to do well in order to qualify for nationals.
“In addition to their own time, the [wrestling] team spends at least two hours each day, five days a week, together in training,” Warthan said.
Warthan said he felt that every school that makes the regional should be considered a tough opponent.
“[We are] looking back through matches—there are schools we’ve had history with—and making sure we have the right type of technique and game plan going into a match and know what to watch out for,” Warthan said.
Warthan said that as far as expectations go, he hopes to have as many men from the team make it to the NCAA Division II Championships as possible and make All-American as well.
“Past that, I think we do a pretty good job as a coaching staff,” Warthan said. “It’s not ‘win at all costs’ for us. Take classes seriously and get academic awards [and] certainly get the degrees.”
The Greyhounds will now prepare for the NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Tournament at Waterloo, Iowa. on Feb. 24. The top four finishers for each weight classes will travel to the NCAA Division II National Championships, which will take place Mar. 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
