ST.LOUIS, Mo.- The Missouri Baptist University men's wrestling team dominated in the home dual against Midway University (Ky.) on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans won eight of 10 matches, six of which were bonus-point victories, and led MBU to a 34-10 win over the Eagles.
The Eagles started the dual with six team points as the Spartans did not have a wrestler at 125.
Geno Cardenas got the momentum started with an all-gas-no-brakes offense. Cardenas grabbed the first-period takedown, picked up an escape, and another takedown in the second. Cardenas kept up the pressure and scored 11 points in the third to finish the technical fall.
At 141 MBU brought out an unfamiliar face with a freshman, Thomas Blackmon, who received his first career start today, and he took advantage of the spotlight. The Monument, Colorado native, showed out and scored 17 points in the first period. After he found the first takedown, he scored 14 points in the top position and brought the team score to 10-6.
Senior Jake Sinn kept the scoring train chugging with a second-period technical fall of his own. This win brought the total match score to 52-0 through the first three bouts.
Noah Richardson and Joel Campbell both won via decision at 157 and 165. Richardson controlled the pace in his match and held on to an early lead to win 9-5. Campbell inserted himself back into the lineup, and despite a 3-2 deficit after the first period, the Idaho native scored six unanswered points to win 8-3
Hunter Song went up a weight class and represented the Spartans at 174. All the junior needed was a takedown and found the fall early in the match to keep MBU on a six-match win streak.
The Eagles' second win of the dual came at 184 via major decision.
Braeden Stotts dominated in his 197-pound bout. After a no-score first period, Stotts quickly escaped to gain the first point. Stotts was able to get in a body-lock position and returned his opponent to the mat and found two near-fall points to blow up the score 6-0. In the third period, Stotts maintained great position and added one more takedown late to ice the victory and add four team points to the score.
Amad Soufi rounded out the night with a 4-2 victory, which was aided by a first-period takedown and an escape in the second.
The Spartans travel to Marshall, Mo., to compete in the toughest NAIA regular-season tournament, the Missouri Valley Invite, hosted by Missouri Valley College, next weekend, Jan. 23-24. Wrestling to start at 10 a.m. on both days.
