CRETE, Neb. – Missouri Baptist University Men's Wrestling turned in its most-decorated performance of the 2023-24 season at the Doane Conner / Oppenheim Open on Saturday, with four Spartans earning Top-5 finishes.
Leading the way for MBU was junior
Dillon Witt, as he took fourth place in the 133 Open Division. The junior from Sullivan, Mo. started his day with a hard-fought 5-4 decision over the No. 24-ranked 141 pounder in the NAIA, Devin Avedissian of Doane University. He followed that up with a decision over Bobby Robinson of Ottawa (Kan.) University before losing via tech fall to the eventual champion, Jackson Cockrell of Grand View University. That proved to be his final match of the day, as he won via no contest over Avedissian in the consolation semi-final before forfeiting the third-place match.
Not to be outdone, freshman
Hunter Song took fourth place in the Amateur 157 division. Song benefitted from a first-round bye before putting together a three-match winning streak, with the first coming by major decision and the last two by tech fall. The streak put the Lafayette High School product into the semifinals where he lost by tech fall to the eventual division champion, Josey Jernegan of the University of St Mary (Kan.). The brackets threw the Wildwood, Mo.-native a bit of a curveball as his next match was against his own teammate,
Joel Campbell. Song advanced into the third-place match after Campbell took a medical forfeit. Song then lost by tech fall in that third-place match. Song's two losses were to the first and third place wrestlers.
Campbell fought off illness all day and advanced to claim fifth place in the Amateur 157 bracket. Like his teammate Song, Campbell got a bye into the second round where he defeated Colin Sharp of Graceland (Iowa) University by a 4-3 decision. He then lost to Cannon Carey of Iowa Western Community College 10-4 in the quarterfinals. Carey would move on to finish second to Jernegan in the division. Campbell would reel off back-to-back decisions in the consolation bracket before encountering Song. The native of New Plymouth, Idaho then scored a 6-3 decision in the 5
th place match over Jakob Stoval of Baker (Kan.) University. His only loss of the tournament was against the second-place finisher.
Freshman
John Davis enjoyed the best result of his collegiate career by claiming fourth place in the Amateur 125 bracket. After a first-round bye, Davis scored a quick fall, dispatching of Jason Bias of York (Neb.) University in just 24 seconds. He was victorious over Robert Ramsey of Ottawa (Kan.) University in the quarterfinals but lost a 7-3 decision to John Rodriguez of Hastings (Neb.) College in the semifinals. Davis won by no contest in consolation semifinals before losing by fall in the third-place match.
The Spartans will be back in action next Saturday when they host the MBU Duals with Trinidad State Junior College and Westminster College as their guests.
