WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team won a pair of duals to clinch the championship at the Budd Whitehill Duals on Saturday at Lycoming College. The eighth-ranked Blugolds sealed the title with a win over sixth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in the championship dual.
The Blugolds earned the tournament championship with a 23-13 win over Stevens Institute of Technology in the finals. UW-Eau Claire trailed 10-3 early in the dual, but won six of the final seven matches to take home the title. The dual featured three bouts between nationally ranked wrestlers, and the Blugolds won all three.
"I was really impressed with our team this weekend," Blugolds assistant coach Brandon Carroll said. "There was consistent effort and fight for bonus points. That championship dual was a really good test for us and our guys were up for it. Great way to end this road trip and now looking forward to building off this performance."
Tenth-ranked Tyler Fleetwood (Jr. – Fulton, Ill.) got the Blugolds on the board in the championship with a 4-2 decision over 15th-ranked Nico Diaz at 133 pounds. Fifteenth-ranked Zach Sato (So. – Oswego, Ill.) earned a key victory at 149, besting third-ranked Hunter Gutierrez 15-0 in a technical fall. Thirteenth-ranked Jared Stricker (So. – Ashland, Wis.) made it a sweep of the ranked clashes with a 7-4 decision over fourth-ranked Stefan Major at 174.
UW-Eau Claire reeled off six straight victories from the 149-pound weight class to 197. Zack Schneider (Jr. – Houston, Minn.) scored a 7-1 decision at 157, and 12th-ranked Tristan Massie (Jr. – Hillsdale, Wis./Barron) followed with a 5-1 decision victory at 165. Stricker's win came next, and ninth-ranked Niall Schoenfelder (So. – Antioch, Ill.) added a 6-3 decision at 184. Eleventh-ranked Chase Melton (Sr. – Spooner, Wis.) had a 10-8 decision victory at 197 to complete the Blugolds' scoring.
Carter Schulz (Fr. – Rice Lake, Wis.) and Lorenzo Diaz both battled ranked wrestlers at 125 and 141, respectively, but saw their upset bids thwarted. Sam Melton (Jr. – Shell Lake, Wis./Spooner) fell in a narrow 10-6 decision at 285, but the Blugolds had already sealed the title.
The second-seeded Blugolds had booked their trip to the finals with a 32-16 win over third-seeded Ohio Northern in the semifinals. They got a pair of victories by fall: Stricker won by pin in the first period at 174 pounds, and Chase Melton secured a pin in the third round of his 197-pound match.
Fleetwood prevailed in a 15-0 technical fall at 133 pounds. The Blugolds also got three wins by decision. Colton Sund (So. – Prior Lake, Minn.) won 5-4 at 157 pounds, Massie picked up a 3-1 victory at 165, and Schoenfelder won 4-0 at 184. Schulz won by forfeit at 125 pounds. Diaz and Sato both battled ranked opponents at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, but came up short.
Stricker was named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament, a distinction given to the wrestler that earned the most points per match on the championship team. Fleetwood, Massie, Stricker and Schoenfelder were all named to the all-tournament team for their respective weight classes.
The championship was the Blugolds' second dual tournament title this season. Their first came at the Blithe Duals in December. It is the third tournament title overall this winter.
UW-Eau Claire is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 21, with a WIAC dual against UW-Platteville. The Blugolds are the hosts, with wrestling set to begin at 1 p.m. at the McPhee Center.
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