WHEATON, Ill. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team took second place at the Pete Willson Wheaton Invitational on Saturday at Wheaton College. The Blugolds produced two individual champions in Tristan Massie (Jr. – Hillsdale, Wis./Barron) and Jared Stricker (So. – Ashland, Wis.) to score 125 team points.
The Blugolds finished only behind team champion North Central, who accumulated 136 points.
Massie was the 165-pound champion. The ninth-ranked junior advanced to the semifinals with three wins on Friday, and qualified for the finals after advancing via medical forfeit in the semis. He secured the title with a 5-2 decision victory over Ohio Northern's Jordan Hardrick. Massie went 5-0 at the tournament with three wins by decision and one by sudden victory.
"I went into the finals pretty confident knowing I had beaten my opponent from Ohio Northern earlier in the season with a good game plan of getting to my ties and offense and not allowing space where he is most effective at scoring," Massie said.
Stricker won the 174-pound title with two wins on Saturday. The fourth-ranked sophomore wrestled four matches at the tournament and won all four via fall. He advanced through the semifinals after a medical forfeit, and breezed to the tournament championship. He pinned Concordia Moorhead's Alexander Rapelje in 26 seconds in the finals to clinch the crown.
Stricker received the tournament's Jack Swartz Award for most falls in the least amount of time.
"I've just been tyring to go into these matchups with a good mindset and feel confident," Stricker said. "I try to tell myself before all my matches that I can beat anyone and it's been working. It's just that mindset and putting that extra work in on your own."
Zach Sato (So. – Oswego, Ill.) was the runner-up at 149 pounds. He won his semifinal match with a last-second pin, beating North Central's Charlie Dojan by fall at the 5:59 mark. The 12th-ranked sophomore fell in a narrow 3-2 decision to UW-Whitewater's Jake Burford, who is ranked fifth in the country.
Sato received the tournament's Pete George Sportsmanship Award.
Sixth-ranked Niall Schoenfelder (So. – Antioch, Ill.) took second place at 184 pounds. A 3-1 sudden victory in the semifinals sent him to the finals, where he squared off with 11th-ranked Mahlic Sallah of Roanoke. Schoenfelder battled, but fell in a 5-2 decision.
The Blugolds had two other placewinners thanks to the consolation brackets. Sam Melton (Sr. – Shell Lake, Wis./Spooner) finished seventh at 285 pounds. He went 4-1 in consolation matches, capped by a victory by fall in the seventh-place match. The pin came in the third period.
Jake Matthews (So. – Addison Trail, Ill.) placed eighth at 141 pounds. He won his first wrestle-back match with an 8-4 decision, but fell via pin in the seventh-place match.
At 125 pounds, Carter Schulz (Fr. – Rice Lake, Wis.) entered the day competing in the consolation bracket. He fell in a major decision 17-7 in his opening match to conclude his tournament.
Zach Schneider (Jr. – Houston, Minn.) entered the day with a fourth-round match in the 157-pound consolation bracket. He fell in a narrow 8-6 decision to wrap up his competition.
Tenth-ranked Chase Melton (Sr. – Spooner, Wis.) also started the day with a fourth-round consolation match. He finished his 197-pound competition after falling in a close 4-3 decision.
The Blugolds will be back in the comforts of home next weekend when they host the annual Don Parker Open on Saturday, Feb. 4. Wrestling will take place at the McPhee Center, beginning at 10 a.m.
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