Miller wins 285-pound title, wrestling team finishes second at Mid-States Invitational

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – Led by sophomore Owen Miller's title in the 285-pound bracket, the Olivet College wrestling team placed second at the 2020 Mid-States Invitational, hosted by Wabash (Ind.) College and at the Knowling Fieldhouse.

• Teams were allowed unlimited entries at each weight class, and the top score at each weight class counted towards the team total.
• Olivet had 16 wrestlers compete in nine different weight classes and totaled 111 points. Seven of the 16 finished in the top six of their respective weight class.
• The host Little Giants captured the team title with 167 points.

• Miller had a 3-0 record to win the 285-pound title. After getting a bye in the first round, he beat Jacob Garrett from Trine (Ind.) University, and followed that by pinning Matt Melcher from Wabash 25 seconds into the second period. In the championship match, Miller slipped past Isaiah McWilliams from Wabash, 9-8.
• Senior Nicholas Worden was second in the 184-pound bracket. He had a bye in the first round, won 5-2 over Clayton Todd from Alma College in the second round and pinned Devontay Moore from Manchester (Ind.) University in 5:17 in the semifinals. Worden fell 3-2 in the championship match.
• Sophomore Austin Engle had a third-place finish at 197 pounds. He won his first two matches 4-0 and 10-1. In the semifinals, Engle lost 3-2. In the consolation bracket, he earned a 15-6 major decision win and a forfeit victory in the third-place match.
• Freshman Jeff Leach was 2-2 to finish fourth in the 141-pound bracket. His wins were 5-0 and 8-3, and his losses were both 3-1 decisions.
• Freshman Jarrett Thorne placed fourth at 149 pounds. He won 3-1 in overtime, and 14-6 in the quarterfinals. Thorne lost 14-2 in the semifinals but picked-up a forfeit win in his first consolation bracket match. He fell 19-0 in the third-place match.
• Senior Garret Cleveland and freshman Zach Wells finished sixth at 125 and 149 pounds, respectively.

1. Wabash (Ind.), 177.0; 2. OLIVET, 111.0; 3. Alma, 108.0; 4. Heidelberg (Ohio), 93.0; 5. Adrian, 87.5; 6. Ohio Northern, 80.0; 7. Defiance (Ohio), 67.0; 8. MacMurray (Ill), 46.5; 9. Trine (Ind.), 43.5; 10. Manchester (Ind.), 29.0; 11. Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 21.0.

• The Comets compete at the 2020 NCAA Division III Central Regional at Adrian College Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29. The top three wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the 2020 NCAA DIII Championships March 12-13 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.