LEBANON, Tenn. – Zeke Hunt claimed the 174-pound title, Jared McKinley defeated teammate Jake Williams in the final at 141, Kirk Johnson and Joe Gallegos each lost in the finals and Steven Sandefer and Aric Fernandez both finished third, leading Cumberland’s wrestlers on Saturday at the Patriot Open in Williamsburg, Ky.
Hunt reached the final for the second straight week, this time posting a 5-3 Decision against Daniel Toth from the University of the Cumberlands to claim the weight class championship. The junior from Dacula, Ga., registered an 8-1 Decision over Shorter University’s Jamari Davis, pinned Truett-McConnell’s Joshua Cook at 4:00 and received a Forfeit against Campbellsville University’s Paul Gryniuk.
Williams registered four wins and McKinley three before their meeting in the final at 141, which McKinley claimed with a 4-2 Decision. The freshman pinned Life University’s Jon Sumber at 5:57 and Mason Saitman from the University of the Cumberlands at 4:53 before posting a 2-0 Decision against Campbellsville’s Colby Rinehart in the semifinals.
Williams won an 11-0 Major Decision over Life’s Dillan Schouw, pinned Central Baptist’s Dontavious Gardenhire at 4:39, recorded a 13-4 Major Decision versus Campbellsville’s Ryu Ballard and defeated Calob Perkins from the University of the Cumberlands with a 6-1 Decision en route to the finals.
After posting five victories in the first meet of the year, Johnson recorded four more wins in reaching the finals. The freshman pinned Shorter’s Seth Broome at 0:31 and Lindsey Wilson’s Taylor Doan at 2:33 before registering a 13-4 Major Decision against Zachary Barkett from the University of the Cumberlands. Johnson pinned Marion Military’s Marvin Lawrence at 5:47 before dropping a 12-3 Major Decision to Lindsey Wilson’s Aaron Back in the finals.
Gallegos picked up three victories in the heavyweight division, starting with a Forfeit against Shorter’s Dillan Campbellsville. He then won a 3-1 Decision over Darton’s Henry Floyd and a 3-2 Decision versus Marion Military’s Richard Brown before dropping a 4-0 Decision against Shorter’s Christopher Rowland in the finals.
Sandefer won his opening match with a 16-3 Major Decision against Marion Military Institute’s Matt Vieira at 149 before dropping an 8-4 Decision to Campbellsville’s Kyle Terry. In the wrestleback the junior won four consecutive outings, starting with a pin at 1:35 against Central Baptist’s Matthew McKenna. Sandefer then won an 18-9 Major Decision versus Campbellsville’s Sam Conners, received a Forfeit from Darton College’s Terry Harris and defeated Terry with an 8-4 Decision in the third place match.
Fernandez lost his first match by Fall at 1:22 against Campbellsville’s Nate Knauf before reeling off six consecutive victories to finish third. The freshman posted a 5-3 Decision over Eddie Bernal from the University of the Cumberlands; won a 12-2 Major Decision against Middle Tennessee’s Jonathan Roberts; recorded an 11-6 Decision versus Lindsey Wilson’s Zach Gnadinger; pinned Truett-McConnell’s Daniel Moreno at 2:46; won a 14-5 Major Decision against Campbellsville’s Miguel Santis; and dfeated Campbellsville’s Michael Johnson with a 6-4 Decision in the third place match.
Cumberland will participate in a Tri-Match along with three NCAA institutions on Friday at UT-Chattanooga along with the host Mocs, Iowa and Virginia.
