WILDWOOD, Mo.- Two Missouri Baptist University wrestlers claimed the Dr. Tom Smith Open title on Sunday afternoon at Lafayette High School, hosted by MBU.
Daryl Mills and
Joel Campbell led the team as the Spartans finished the day with 11 placers.
Mills took the crown at 141 in dominant fashion as he collected three technical falls. Mills also outscored his opponents 56-6 and gave up zero offensive points en route to the tournament title.
Campbell also shone for the Spartans as the Idaho native had four wins on the day. Campbell started with a 5-0 decision win in which, after a scoreless first period, Campbell got a reversal in the first eight seconds and rode his opponent out. Campbell's opponent took neutral, and despite the effort, Campbell found a late takedown to ice his match. Campbell claimed two more victories, which included a technical fall to make the finals. Campbell's championship bout pit him against an opponent from the NCAA Division 1 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Campbell scored a first-period takedown, and after a few exchanges of escapes, the final fell 4-2 in favor of the Spartan.
Brenden Rayl finished third at 141, as he claimed four bonus-point victories, which included three pins and a technical fall. His sole loss came from his teammate, Mills, in the semifinals.
At 157,
Noah Richardson came away with the bronze finish. Despite an opening round loss, Richardson found a second gear. The Eureka native was a backside warrior as he claimed three falls, out-placed the wrestler he lost to, and finished third at the weight.
Other highlights from MBU include
Trey Ladymon, who finished 4th at 165 with a fall and a major, and
Blake Johnson, who finished 4th at 184 with four consecutive wins after a first-round loss, all of which were via bonus points.
Elijah Schlessinger finished 5th at 157 as he went 4-2 with a fall,
Jared Volcic finished 5th at 285 with a fall, and
CJ Bauer finished 5th at 174 with a pin and a major.
Sam Blackmon finished 6th at 133 with two falls, and
Nicholas Keim finished sixth at 184 with a technical fall and a fall.
