ST. LOUIS, Mo.- The Missouri Baptist men's wrestling squad claimed its first home dual win of the season over a tough William Woods University team this evening. The Spartans produced five bonus-point victories to aid them in their 32-21 triumph over the Owls.
Isaac Christman got the nod tonight at 125 and took advantage of the start. The freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo., gave up the opening score but rallied back with an escape followed by seven unanswered points. With the 11-4 lead at the end of the first, Christman's opponent chose neutral. Christman got in on a double leg, picked up his opponent, and put him on his back to capture the fall at the 3:47 mark.
At 133, John Davis represented the Spartans. After an early takedown, Davis maintained control through the second, even enough to garner a stall warning against his opponent. Werdenhausen chose bottom to start the third, and while Davis attempted to get near-fall, his bad position gave up the reversal, as the score became 4-3 in favor of Davis. Davis was able to find a reversal of his own when Werdenhausen got too high and gave up two stall warnings to win the match 6-5.
The tenth-ranked wrestler at 141, Daryl Mills, laid the pressure on early as he garnered a stall warning against his opponent and grabbed a takedown and back points for the 7-0 lead after the first. Mills continued as he reversed his opponent, secured another set of four near-fall points, and received an additional stall warning, which ultimately led to the fall in the second period and the Spartans' 15-0 lead in the team score through three bouts.
Jake Sinn went to work early at 149 and had a lead into the second period, but unfortunately gave up the fall in a scramble to give the Owls their first team points of the night.
An always classic Owls-Spartans grudge match occurred at 157, which pitted Noah Richardson against Whit Nichols. Richardson grabbed the first takedown to start the match, and Nichols was able to escape and grab one of his own in a scramble. The two scrambled into a poor position for Nichols, and Richardson took advantage to grab the reversal. Nichols escaped to end the period 5-5. Nichols selects the bottom position and grabs an escape and a takedown to take a 9-5 lead into the third. Despite an escape, takedown, and the pressure from Richardson to tie it up 10-10, Nichols found a late escape to take the match at 157.
Elijah Schlessinger took the win at 165 in a controlled fashion. Schlessinger secured a takedown in the first round, and his pressure on top earned him a stall warning against his opponent. After he chose bottom, Schlessinger was able to grab a reversal and place more pressure on his opponent, earning a second stall warning and a penalty point. His opponent escaped, but that did not stop Schlessinger from another takedown to close the period. Schlessinger was all gas as he collected three more takedowns in the third to take the match 18-3.
CJ Bauer picked up a forfeit at 174, and the Owls picked up two first-period falls at 184 and 197.
Jared Volcic took the mat at 285 for the Spartans. Despite his opponent's first takedown, Volcic escaped and grabbed a takedown of his own and grabbed four near-fall points to go up 8-3 at the end of the first. His opponent chose neutral, but Volcic took him down and secured the second-period fall to finish the dual 32-21 in favor of the Spartans.
Some of the Spartans will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend to compete in the Grand View Open on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
