The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team opened the 2022-23 season with an eighth place finish at the Adrian Invite on the campus of Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan on Saturday.
Four Spartan wrestlers placed in the top eight of their weight class in the main draw to total 36.5 points for CWRU, with four additional wrestlers adding top eight finishes in the first-year/sophomore draws.
Competing at 149 pounds, first-year Calvin Rowan had the best finish of the day for any CWRU wrestler, placing fifth in his bracket. Rowan started the day defeating Adrian's Trenton Trierweiler by decision 9-7 to pick up his first collegiate win. He reached the semifinals of the 149 pound bracket by besting Anthony Miraglia of Alfred State by decision 4-1. After falling by decision in the semifinals 4-1 and by major decision in the consolation semifinals, Rowan finished his day with a win in the fifth place match, earning the Spartans 11.0 team points.
First-year Art Martinez also won three matches for Case Western Reserve, placing sixth in the 141 pound bracket and earning the team 10.0 points. Martinez began the day by earning his first collegiate pin and win, pinning Wabash's Andrew Sinkovics in 5:49. After falling in the quarterfinals, he won two consecutive matches by 4-1 decisions, first over Sam Ross of Adrian and then over Devan Johnson of Cornerstone. In the consolation semifinal, Martinez dropped a close match to Hunter Campbell of Averett, falling in sudden victory (1) 3-1. In the fifth place match, he lost to Adrian's Tanner Smith 5-2.
In the 133 pound bracket, first-year Jacob Gregg picked up three wins en route to a seventh place finish. In his first collegiate match, Gregg earned his first career win and his first career fall by pinning Iosef Nunez of Heidelberg with six seconds remaining in the match. After falling by decision 7-2 in the next round, he responded by winning a tightly fought 4-3 decision over Campbellsville's Troy Kennedy. In the seventh place match, Gregg ended his day with an 8-2 win by decision over Olli Karjalainen of Averett. Gregg earned 7.5 team points for CWRU.
First-year Marty Landes, junior Calvin Cai, and senior Alex Torres all earned team points for Case Western Reserve. Landes won two matches at 157 pounds to earn 2.0 points, including his first collegiate win over Ezekiel Burkholder of Toledo. Cai picked up a fall over Heidelberg's Damien Skelly in 2:13 to earn 3.0 team points at 165 pounds. Torres earned 3.0 team points with an eighth place finish in the 184 pound bracket.
In the first-year/sophomore brackets first-year Angel Diaz, first-year Ari Kefer, sophomore Cole Mullenix, and first-year Keith Heineman all placed in the top eight. Diaz finished eighth at 125 pounds with a 1-3 record, earning his first collegiate win by decision over Ghaith Alghorbani of Henry Ford College 9-3. Kefer placed sixth at 133 pounds with a 2-3 record, earning wins by technical fall over Henri Arsenault and by fall over Jordan McBee (5:57). Mullenix went 3-2 to place seventh in the 285 pound bracket, winning by fall over Andre Penney (2:51 and 0:52) and first-year teammate Connor Heineman (1:16). Keith Heineman placed sixth in the same bracket, pinning Connor Marcotte (3:57) and Kelvin Ruffin (1:24) and winning by major decision over Mullenix to finish 3-2 on the day.
Picking up their first collegiate wins were first-years Thomas Wagner (149 pounds), Justin Sweeney (149 pounds), and Connor Heineman (285 pounds).
CWRU will host two events at the Veale Center next weekend, facing Ohio Wesleyan in a dual meet on Saturday, November 12 at 7 p.m. and hosting the Bob Del Rosa Ohio Intercollegiate Open on Sunday, November 13 at 10 a.m.
