Wrestling team captures 2020 MIAA championship with 24-13 win over Alma

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College wrestling team captured the 2020 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship with a 24-13 win over Alma College tonight at the Upton Center Gymnasium. The Comets have now won three straight MIAA titles (1984, 2019, 2020) and 12 overall in school history.

Final Score: #16 Olivet 24, Alma 13
Location: Upton Center Gymnasium; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Olivet 11-5 overall, 3-0 MIAA; Alma 5-14 overall, 1-2 MIAA

• The Comets, ranked No. 16 in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll, earned wins in 6-of-10 bouts.
• Of the six bout wins, Olivet scored bonus points in three.
• Alma's four wins were three minor decisions and one major decision.

• At 125 pounds, junior Cameron Mahlich brought the Olivet fans to their feet with a thrilling 7-1 overtime win. The only points in the first three periods were an escape point for each wrestler. With the clock winding down in the extra period, Mahlich took Austin Wieczorek down to the mat for a quick takedown and turn for a four-point near-fall at the edge of the mat. Wieczorek got his leg out-of-bounds to avoid the pin.
• Sophomore Reese Wallis used the riding time point at the end of the bout to post a 16-1 technical fall victory. In the bout, he scored three takedowns to go along six total near-fall points.
• At 141 pounds, senior Andrew Castaneda lost a close 6-2 decision to returning NCAA All-American Brendan Ladd.
• In a wild 149-pound match, senior Drew Mandell dropped a 22-17 decision to returning NCAA All-American Zachary Cooper. There were only three takedowns in the bout, as the two wrestlers combined for five reversals and 18 near-fall points – eight for Mandell and 10 for Cooper. With the win, the Scots cut their deficit in the team score down to 8-6.
• At 157 pounds, junior Cole Hersch pushed Olivet's lead to 12-6 with a 9-2 decision at 157 pounds.
• Freshman Owen Guilford suffered an 8-6 loss at 165 pounds. In the final seconds of the third period, he scored an escape and the riding time point tied the bout at 6-all. A takedown in overtime handed the bout to Alma's wrestler.
• At 174 pounds, senior Nicholas Worden lost 13-1. With that win, the Scots took the lead in the team score race, 13-11.
• Senior Haydn Kinjorski hung on for a 9-5 win at 184 pounds and put the Comets back on top, 14-13. The difference in the match was Kinjorski scored four total penalty points when his opponent was called for stalling four times.
• At 197 pounds, junior Trevor Piggott sealed Olivet's win with a 12-3 major decision. He had five takedowns to go along with an escape and riding time point.
• Sophomore Dominick Wilson picked-up a forfeit win at 285 pounds.

• With their wins, Mahlich and Hersch finished with 3-0 records against MIAA opponents and are automatic selections to the 2020 All-MIAA team.
• The MIAA stopped sponsoring wrestling after the 1983-84 season.
• The Comets' other MIAA championships were in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984 and 2019. 

• "There is nothing better than winning a championship in front of your fans! I am so happy for our team and our seniors. They earned this win by being tough and staying in fire of furious competition all year. I am very proud of the fight."

• Olivet is off until next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 when it wrestles at the Wheaton (Ill.) College/Pete Willson Invitational. Action takes place at King Arena and gets started Friday at 11 a.m. CT and Saturday at 10 a.m. CT.