Wheeler rolls to heavyweight crown at Life University open tournament

Saturday, November 23

Marietta, GA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Life Open

Wheeler rolls to heavyweight crown at Life University open tournament

11/24/2024 9:24:00 PM | Men's Wrestling

Besides Wade Wheeler, who won all five of his matches by fall, the Flames had three freshmen place highly at the event that drew 68 NAIA and NCWA programs.

Junior heavyweight Wade Wheeler won all five of his matches by fall to capture first place in the Silver Division of Saturday's Lucha Open at Life University in Marietta, Ga., highlighting a strong showing for Liberty University's men's wrestling team.

The Flames also recorded very respectable fourth- and sixth-place individual showings and a 5-1 finish from freshmen in a field of 68 NAIA and NCWA colleges and universities represented. No team scores were kept.

"We are very encouraged by the team's performance this weekend," Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro said. "We are extremely young yet eager to improve. Our main objective was to get more gritty, to show courage, perseverance, and resilience … and they showed us that and more."

Wheeler opened tournament action by pinning Montevallo (Ala.) University's Jaxon Hudgins in 1 minute, 41 seconds before decking Brewton-Parker (Ga.) College's Tevin Person in 4:43. Then in the quarterfinals, he pinned Cumberland (Tenn.) University's Evan Dixon in 1:56 before leveling Montevallo's Willie Cox in the semifinals in 2:16 and defeating Missouri Baptist University's Amad Soufi in the championship match by fall in 2:57.

In the 184-pound Silver Division, Flames freshman Paul Moore landed in fourth place after dropping his first match by 16-1 technical fall to Zaid Marjan to slip to the consolation bracket. He wrestled back to win two matches by tech fall — over Siena Heights (Mich.) University's Colten Plowman, 15-0, and St. Andrews (N.C.) University's Joshua Rodriguez Bello, 17-0 — and one by fall over Siena Heights' Caiden Nichols in 2:56 to advance to the consolation final. There, he lost by tech fall to Marjan again, 19-3.

By contrast, Liberty freshman Blaise Verdino only won and lost matches by decision in his 133-pound Silver Division bracket, starting with a 3-1 victory over the University of Central Florida's Charlie Smiarowski and 7-4 triumph over Life's Tristan Luna. Verdino then dropped a 7-3 decision to Florida A&M University's Gaetano Tedesco before recovering to defeat Pikeville (Ky.) University's Ethan Croom, 7-6. He then fell to Trenton Pagaduan of the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), 7-1, in the fifth-place final.

At 157, Flames freshman Matox Allen finished 5-1 before having to withdraw from his final consolation match by medical forfeit against Life University's Nathaniel Santos. He bounced back from a 10-1 major decision loss to Malachia Harris of Cumberlands (Ky.) in the opening round to claim the next two matches by fall — over Kaylin Foust from the University of Rio Grand (Ohio) in 1:16 and Reinhardt (Ga.) University's Maddox Sisk in 2:14 — and the following three by tech fall, over junior teammate Jelcey Marte, 16-0, Thomas Magness of Cumberland (Tenn.), 18-3, and Shorter (Ga.) University's Jack Ponder, 18-0.

After opening his Gold Division 125-pound bracket competition with a pin of Keiser (Fla.) University's Joseph Keeler in 2:04, Flames sophomore Aiden Scheeringa bounced back from suffering a technical fall setback by pinning Mount Olive (N.C.) University's Lens Mathurin in 2:18. However, Scheeringa withdrew with a medical forfeit during his next consolation round match against Montevallo's Colt Brown.

Following Thanksgiving Break and fall semester final exams, the Flames will compete at the Rocky Top Duals on Dec. 14 in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the Chocolate Duals on Dec. 21 in Hershey, Pa.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer