DECORAH, Iowa. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team was back on the road on Saturday as they traveled to Luther College for the 2021 Luther Open. With two divisions for each weight class, Eau Claire had nine place winners as a team.
Placements for the Blugolds:
4th place 174, Elite Division – Jared Stricker (Fr. – Ashland, WI)
Stricker started the day with a tough 6-8 decision loss to B. Swafford (Unat. Iowa) sending him to the third-place bracket. After a 11-4 decision win over N. Dado (UWP), Stricker fell in a close battle to N. Paar in the third-place match.
5th place 125, Elite Division – Jack Marley (Jr. – Trempealeau, WI/Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau)
Marley fell in his first two matches by a tech fall and a pinfall. He would earn a placement spot in the 5th place match by major forfeit.
5th place 133, Elite Division – Tyler Fleetwood (So. – Fulton, IL/Wartburg)
Fleetwood started his day strong with a 7-3 decsion victory over C. Radtke (UWP) but fell by a 3-2 decision to D. Schmit (Up. Iowa) in his second match. Fleetwood would earn 5th place after a major forfeit by D. Schmit (Up. Iowa).
5th place 184, Elite Division – Chase Melton (So. – Spooner, WI)
Melton stared the morning with a tech fall loss to C. Whiting (Ind.) but bounced back with a pinfall over I. Gust (UWL). A 13-4 major decision loss put him in the fifth-place match which he eventually won by major forfeit.
5th place 133, Silver Division – Javon Taschuk (Fr. – Afton, MN/Stillwater)
Taschuk began his day with a 18-2 tech fall over W. Fox (Ozarks). The next match ended with Taschuk falling by 9-6 decision. Taschuk found success in the fifth-place match with a 15-7 major decision over S. Smith (RCTC).
4th place 141, Silver Division – Bo Niewiadomski (Fr. – Rosholt, WI)
Niewiadomski strung together wins over B Moore (AUG), G. Harbour (Cornell), and L Krier (UWEC) to start his day. HE lost the next matchup to the eventual champion, W. Henson (Ind.), and fell by pinfall in the third-place match to earn fourth.
1st place 149, Silver Division – Zach Sato (Fr. – Oswego, IL)
Sato earned his first championship podium appearance as a Blugold as he won two matches by major decision and the others by decision. A 16-5 major decision victory over J. Ebaugh (Up. Iowa) earned the newcomer a 1st place finish.
5th place 184, Silver Division – Hank Gierke (Fr. – Hudson, WI)
Gierke started strong with a pinfall in his first match. The pin at 4:14 was followed up owith a 11-10 decsion victory over A. Simaz (Iowa). Gierke then tallied another pinfall in the 5th place match over A. Davis (RCTC).
The Blugolds will return home next weekend when the host the 8 Man Battles against Saint John's, Augustana, and Buena Vista.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
