By: Jake Krier, UWEC Sports Information

WHEATON, Ill. (blugolds.com) - Following their success in Friday's session at the Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Zackary Sirny (Sr.-Wild Rose, WI) and Justin Karkula (Sr.-Oshkosh, WI/West) competed in the placing rounds on Saturday. The two seniors combined for a 5-1 record on the day with Karkula taking third and Sirny getting fifth place.

Brackets

Sirny started the morning with a 5-0 victory over 6-seeded Bailey Cooper (Ferrum). Karkula followed that up with his second of an eventual four upset wins in the tournament, topping the No. 2-seed, Heidelberg's Nino Majoy, on way to both the Blugolds advancing to the consolation semi-finals.

In the consolation semis, Elmhurst's Anthony Munoz edged Sirny by a close 4-3 decision. Karkula's opponent defaulted out of the tournament, so the Oshkosh-native received the free pass to the third place match.

The bookends to the Blugolds lineup both reigned victorious in the placing rounds, and they each did so via pinfall. First, Sirny won his fifth place match with the slight upset over No. 4-seed Jackson Lasko of Otterbein. Then, in thrilling fashion, Karkula overcame a 6-2 deficit late in the third period, only to hit an inside trip right to his opponent Jesse Judge's (Olivet) back for the pin.

Out of 34 teams, the Blugolds finished the tournament tied for 15th place. Next week, UW-Eau Claire will host two contests, both from the McPhee Center; first, they take on UW-Platteville on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., and then the Don Parker Open takes place on Saturday, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Follow the action all season long on Blugold Game Day.

---

Day 2 Results

125 lbs.

Sirny def. Bailey Cooper (Ferrum), 5-0 decision.

Anthony Munoz (Elmhurst) def. Sirny, 4-3 decision.

Sirny def. Jackson Lasko (Otterbein), Fall 6:04

285 lbs.

Karkula def. Nino Majoy (Heidelberg), 3-2 decision.

Karkula def. Gabe Mahaney (Baldwin Wallace), via default.