Wrestling team finishes in third-place at Mid-States Conference Tournament

OLIVET, Mich. – Led by individual titles from junior Justin Holm (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) at 141 pounds and senior Logan Renas (Big Rapids) at 197 pounds, the Olivet College wrestling team finished in third-place today at the 2013 Mid-States Conference Tournament, which was hosted by Alma College and inside the Art Smith Arena in Alma.

The host Scots won the team championship with 203 points. Wabash (Ind.) College was second with 171.5 points, followed by the Comets with 165.5 points.

Holm posted a 3-0 en route to his title. He beat Gabe Costanzo from Heidelberg, 14-4, in the quarterfinals, and Michael Venezia from Wabash, 3-0, to advance to the championship match, where he beat Theron Blake from Alma, 15-6. Renas started his day with back-to-back pins and then beat Trevor Maresh from Alma, 5-2, in the semifinals. He then earned the medical forfeit win over teammate and junior Andrew Simpson (Tecumseh).

Finishing in second were junior Michael Gancer (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) at 133 pounds, sophomore Kyle Witgen (Romeo) at 157 pounds, sophomore Dan Fleet (Ada/Lowell) at 165 pounds and Simpson.

Gancer fell to Justin Kihn from Heidelberg, 5-2, in the championship match. He had a bye in the first round, pinned Aaron Davis from Wabash in the quarterfinals and defeated Collin Lesko from Alma, 6-4, in the semifinals. Witgen also had a 2-1 record. He won his first two matches – 7-0 over Ian Gillespie from Heidelberg and 6-4 over Kyle Nardi from Wabash – and fell to top-seed Josh Sampson from Wabash, 11-1, in the championship match. Simpson finished with a 3-1 record, with his wins being 7-1, 13-0 and 4-3.

There were only six wrestlers in the 165-pound bracket; therefore, Fleet needed only one win, 6-3 over Brandon Howe from Ohio Northern, to advance to the championship match, where top-seed Matthew Tuttle from Alma pinned him in the third period.

After losing his first match, senior Kam Olsen (Kentwood/East Kentwood) won three straight matches, 15-0, 10-1 and 9-6, to finish in third-place at 133 pounds. Sophomore 285-pounder Trevor Timmreck (Birch Run) also finished in third-place. He won two matches, 11-1 and 6-4, before losing to Adam Robinson from Alma in the semifinals. Timmreck bounced back to record a pair of first-period pins against Ian Kelton from Wabash and Jimmie King from Manchester.

The Comets had wrestlers finish in third, fourth and fifth at 174 pounds. Senior Josh Crawford (Birch Run) was third. After pinning his opponent in the quarterfinals, he lost 7-5 in the semifinals. Crawford received a medical forfeit victory over teammate and sophomore Nick Allen (Scotville/Mason County Central). Junior Connor Sharp (Schoolcraft) placed fifth.

Junior Henry McKeown (Bellevue/Olivet) placed fourth at 125 pounds. He received a bye in the first round, pinned his opponent in the quarterfinals and lost 8-7 in the semifinals. In the third-place match, McKeown was pinned by Robbie Carter of Wabash.

Olivet will next compete Saturday, March 2, at the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional at Elmhurst (Ill.) College. The top three placers in each weight class at the regional will earn bids to the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championships.