Wrestling team in fifth-place after first day of NCAA DIII Central Regional

Program record nine wrestlers guaranteed a top-eight finish

ADRIAN, Mich. – Nine of 10 Olivet College wrestlers have advanced to day two of competition, as the Comets are in fifth-place at the 2020 NCAA Division III Central Regional, hosted by Adrian College and taking place inside the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center. The nine wrestlers have secured a top eight finish, the most in school history at the NCAA Regional.

• Of the nine Comets still alive in the competition, three have advanced to tomorrow's semifinals and with a win would advance to the 2020 NCAA Division III Championships. Those three are senior Cole Hersch at 157 pounds, freshman Owen Guilford at 174 pounds and junior Trevor Piggott at 197 pounds.
• The other six are battling for a third-place finish and the final spot to the championships. They are junior Cameron Mahlich at 125 pounds, sophomore Reese Wallis at 133 pounds, senior Andrew Castaneda at 141 pounds, senior Drew Mandell at 149 pounds, senior Haydn Kinjorski at 165 pounds and sophomore Dominick Wilson at 285 pounds. All six wrestlers had 2-1 records.
• Olivet has 67.5 points, which is two less than fourth-place John Carroll (Ohio) University. University of Mount Union (Ohio) leads the 18-team field with 90.0 points. Baldwin Wallace (Ohio) University sits second with 86.5 points, followed by Wabash (Ind.) College with 75.5 points.
• The 10 Comets have combined to post a 19-8 record. Of the 19 wins, nine have scored bonus points.
• Seeded second, Hersch won by technical fall 16-0 in a rat-tail match before posting back-to-back decisions (4-1 and 6-2) to reach the semifinals. He will face No. 3 seed Ryan Whitten from Otterbein (Ohio) University.
• Unseeded in his weight class, Guilford won a 16-3 major decision and 7-1 minor decision. He will wrestle top-seed Cornell Beachem from Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) University in the semifinals.
• The No. 4 seed, Piggott won two close decisions, 4-2 and 5-4. In the semifinals, he will face Zeckary Lemon from Baldwin Wallace.

• 125: Cameron Mahlich – 2-1 record – won by forfeit over Jacob Dehart (Ohio Wesleyan), lost 5-0 to Andrew Perelka (John Carroll, Ohio), won 7-4 over Dajun Jones (Adrian).
• 133: Reese Wallis – 2-1 record – won by technical fall (17-0) over Dominic Pecoraro (Trine, Ind.), pinned by Seth Transue (Ohio) in 6:10, pinned Elijah Phillips (Manchester, Ind.) in 3:54.
• 141: Andrew Castaneda – 2-1 record – lost by technical fall (18-2) to Jarrod Brezovec (John Carroll, Ohio), pinned Adrian Salomone (Wilmington, Ohio) in 3:13, won 10-7 over Hayden Bates (Heidelberg, Ohio).
• 149: Drew Mandell – 2-1 record – pinned Jacob Williams (Otterbein, Ohio) in 1:13, lost 14-7 to Luke Hernandez (Mount Union, Ohio), pinned Andrew Hoover (Case Western, Ohio) in 2:17.
• 157: Cole Hersch – 3-0 record – won by technical fall (17-0) over Nevan Freestone (Trine, Ind.), won 4-1 over Bryce Wittman (Ohio Wesleyan), won 6-2 over Schuyler Caprella (Ohio Northern).
• 165: Haydn Kinjorski – 2-1 record – won 6-0 over Alejandro Castro (Defiance, Ohio), lost 4-1 to Luke Reicosky (John Carroll, Ohio), won 13-7 over Jayce Kuehnlein (Alma).
• 174: Owen Guilford – 2-0 record – won 16-3 over Conner Homan (Mount Union, Ohio), won 7-1 over Connor Kwiat (Ohio Northern).
• 184: Kamyab Kamali – 0-2 record – lost by technical fall (17-1) to Daylan Schurg (Wabash, Ind.), lost 17-6 to Hunter McNutt (Defiance, Ohio).
• 197: Trevor Piggott – 2-0 record – won 4-2 over Donny Didion (Otterbein, Ohio), won 5-4 over Brian Kent (Case Western, Ohio).
• 285: Dominick Wilson 2-1 record – pinned Nathan Scott (Ohio) Wesleyan in 2:17, lost 3-1 to Isaiah Espinoza (Adrian), won 2-0 over Noah DeHainaut (Muskingum, Ohio).

1. Mount Union, Ohio, 90.0; 2. Baldwin Wallace, Ohio, 86.5; 3. Wabash, Ind., 75.5; 4. John Carroll, Ohio, 69.5; 5. OLIVET, 67.5; 6. Ohio Northern, 63.0; 7. Adrian, 59.5; 8. Mount St. Joseph, Ohio, 47.0; 9. Otterbein, Ohio, 43.5; 10. Alma, 40.5; 11. Heidelberg, Ohio, 33.0; 12. Manchester, Ind., 23.0; 13. Case Western, Ohio, 21.5; 14. Trine, Ind., 17.5; 15. Defiance, Ohio, 12.5.

• Action resumes tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. The top three finishers in each weight class will earn a trip to the 2020 NCAA Division III Championships March 13-14, at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.