Wrestling team has 2-1 record at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Olivet College wrestling team had a 2-1 record today at the 2012 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/Cliff Keen National Duals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill. The Comets, ranked No. 10 in the NWCA poll and seeded No. 7, opened the day with a 19-13 win over No. 18/No. 10 University of Wis.-Whitewater. Olivet then fell to No. 2/No. 2 Augsburg (Minn.) College, 30-13, and ended the day with an 18-15 win over No. 16/No. 9 University of Dubuque (Iowa).

After losing the first two bouts against Whitewater, the Comets won the match with wins in six of the last eight bouts, including five straight. Junior Kenny Richmond (Brighton) got things started with an 11-4 win at 141 pounds. Sophomore Gage Pederson (Hastings) followed with a 10-0 shutout win at 149 pounds.

Senior Steven Mena (Martin) won 9-5 at 157 pounds. Junior James Myers (Monroe/Indian Creek) was next to win, 10-6, at 165 pounds. Senior Trevor Tyler (Roscommon) then ended the winning string with a 6-1 victory at 174 pounds. Senior Justin Leonard (Webberville) capped OIivet's win with his own 7-3 victory at 197 pounds.

The Comets won just three bouts against Augsburg. Pederson posted an 8-4 win at 149 pounds. Mena pinned Zach Enrico in 2:19 at 157 pounds. Tyler won 14-3 at 174 pounds.

The outcome of the match against Dubuque was not decided until the last bout finished. After the Spartans won the 125-pound bout, Olivet reeled off four straight wins to go up 12-3. Winning were junior Kam Olsen (Kentwood/East Kentwood) at 133 pounds, 11-6; Richmond at 141 pounds, 5-2; Pederson at 149 pounds, 3-2; and Mena at 157 pounds, 6-5. Pederson needed the riding time point to win his bout, while Mena used an escape at the start of the third period to pull out his win.

A decision at 165 pounds and a pin at 174 pounds allowed Dubuque to tie the match score at 12-12. Junior Josh Crawford (Birch Run) put the Comets back up by three with a wild 16-13 win at 184 pounds. An Olivet loss at 197 pounds forced the match into a 15-15 tie entering the 285-pound bout. Junior Logan Renas (Big Rapids) took his opponent down twice and got a reversal in the third period to win the bout, 7-3.

With today's wins, the Comets are guaranteed a Top 8 finish. They will wrestle No. 7/No. 5 St. John's (Minn.) University tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CT. The winner advances to the fifth-place match against the winner of the University of Mount Union (Ohio) versus Wis.-Whitewater match, while the losers from the two matches will face each other in the seventh-place match. The placement matches will start at approximately 1 p.m. CT.

NOTE: For the rankings next to the teams, the first ranking listed is the NWCA poll, and the second ranking is the seed at this tournament.