DECORAH, Iowa (Blugolds.com) – Five members of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team placed at the Luther College Open on Saturday. The Blugolds were led by Tristan Massie (Fr. – Hillsdale/Barron) and Chase Melton's (Fr. - Spooner) second place finishes.
Massie took second in the 157-pound Silver Division after going 3-1 on the day. Massie defeated Wartburg's Kaleb Krall by decision (10-6) before winning by fall over Luther's Benjamin Mennenga (5:10). In the semifinal, Massie won by sudden victory over Braxton Doebel of Wartburg (8-6). In the championship bout, he fell to Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa) by major decision (12-3).
Melton was 2-1 in the 184-pound Silver Division after a first round bye. In the quarterfinal, he won by decision (2-1) over Nicolas Leo (Minnesota State Mankato) and defeated UW-La Crosse's Kalyn Jahn in the semifinal with a 7-3 decision. In the championship, Melton fell to Loras' Shane Liegel by major decision (13-0).
Sam Melton (Fr. – Shell Lake/Spooner) also placed at 184, taking fourth. Melton won by fall over Jeremiah Colon of RCTC in the first round (6:25) and by major decision (10-4) over Logan Andeway of Coe in the quarterfinal. He lost to Shane Liegel of Loras by decision (6-0) and then won a tie-breaker over Nicolas Leo (Minnesota State Mankato) in the consolation semifinal (TB-1 6-4). In the third place bout, he fell to UW-La Crosse's Kalyn Jahn (Fall 1:09).
Also placing for the Blugolds was Connor Collins (Fr. – Oshkosh/West) who was sixth in the Silver 157 bracket. Collins fell in the first round but won by major decision over Luther's Preston Schuelke (14-1) in his next match. He won by fall in the consolation second round (3:56) and earned two more victories in the third and fourth rounds with a 2-1 decision and 8-6 decision. In the fifth place match, Collins lost to Braxton Doebel of Wartburg by fall (2:49).
Tyler Vanderlois (Fr. – Combined Locks/Kaukauna) earned a seventh place finish in the Silver 141 bracket, finishing the day with a 4-2 record. He tallied a tech fall (TF 17-2), two pins (2:53 and 2:09) and won the seventh place match due to a medical forfeit.
Eau Claire will be back in action at home on Wednesday, Nov. 20th as they host UW-La Crosse in the McPhee Center at 7 p.m.
