PELLA, Iowa (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team took part in the 2022 Under Armour Invitational host by Central College on Saturday. Jared Stricker (Fr. – Ashland, WI), Mason Hawkins (Sr. – Farmington, MN) and Jake Drexler (Jr. – Stratford, WI) all took home championship placements in their respective divisions.
At the Gold 174 division, Jared Stricker had a huge afternoon with two major decision wins over C. Luthens (NIAC) and M. Walters (Will-Penn). In his semifinal match, Stricker scored a 9-3 decision over S. Langley (Simpson). To cap off his successful day, Sticker pinned E. Carlos (NIAC) at 3:45 to earn the 174 Gold division championship.
Mason Hawkins added to his stellar year with a championship run in the Gold 285 division. With two pins in his first two matchups against L. Everfield (ECC) and C. Mitchell (Will-Penn), Hawkins secured a spot in the finals against Owen Miller of Albion (Mich.). With both competitors giving their all throughout the match, Hawkins would be victorious with a 2-0 decision.
Jake Drexler also claimed champion status with a first-place finish in the Silver 157 division. Drexler had a familiar foe in the opening round when he faced his teammate, Colton Sund (Fr. – Prior Lake, MN). Drexler came a way with a 12-3 major decision victory to move on to the semifinals. In his second match, Drexler was victorious by a 15-0 tech fall over L. Reardon (ECC). During a close battle against D. Isiordia (ECC) in the finals, Drexler would capture the first-place honors with a 6-4 win by decision.
Colton Sund, Tristan Massie (So. – Hillsdale, WI/Baron), Zach Sato (Fr. – Oswego, IL), Jan Hernandez-Soto (Fr. – Minneapolis, MN/Patrick Henry), and Patrick Boyle (Fr. – Libertyville, IL) all earned podium placements in their respective divisions as well.
The Blugolds will be back on the mats on Saturday, January 15th when they travel to North Manchester, IN for the Spartan Classic. The event is scheduled to begin at 9AM CST.
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