Behind 10 team members placing in the top eight of their weight classes, the Case Western Reserve University wrestling team finished fourth at the Baldwin Wallace Invitational held at the Lou Higgins Fieldhouse in Berea, Ohio, on Saturday.

CWRU placed fourth out of 12 teams with 126.5 points. Host BW scored 187.5 points to top the team table with Manchester placing second with 138.0 points and Lourdes finishing third with 130.0 points.

A pair of Spartan wrestlers reached the finals of their brackets. Junior Art Martinez won his first four matches of the day, including three by fall, to advance to the final of the 133-pound bracket. In the championship, he lost by major decision, 16-8. Junior Thomas Wagner earned three consecutive victories, including one technical fall, at 157 pounds to reach the championship match. However, he lost to the two-time defending national champion at the weight class by technical fall, 20-5.

In addition, both sophomore Mathew Gummere and junior Aidan Gassel placed third in their brackets. After a win by fall and major decision at 184 pounds, Gummere lost in sudden victory in the semifinals to drop to the consolation bracket. He responded with his second pin and a victory by medical forfeit to place third. Competing at 197 pounds, Gassel dropped his first bout of the day by decision. He won his next three matches by pin to reach the third-place match, during which he emerged victorious by technical fall, 15-0.

In the 174-pound bracket, first-year Chase Crutchley placed fourth after competing in the six-match limit. He won his first two matches by decision and technical fall before dropping a 9-3 decision in the quarterfinal. Crutchley rebounded with a 17-1 technical fall and sudden victory to reach the consolation semifinal, which he won by decision, 4-1. Junior E.J. Alizio, who wrestled at 125 pounds, also placed fourth at BW. With back-to-back wins, including one by pin in 2:48, he advanced to the semifinals, dropping an 8-2 decision in the round. Alizio won his consolation semifinal match by major decision but fell in the third-place match.

First-year Alexander Greene Barrios won his first two matches by fall then followed with a 10-4 decision in the 133-pound quarterfinal round. He fell in both the semifinal and consolation semifinal before winning an 8-7 decision to place seventh in the bracket.

Sophomore Louka Babic went 4-2 with three pins and a technical fall at 174 pounds to place eighth after reaching the match limit. Juniors Marty Landes (165 pounds) and John Conover (157 pounds) also placed eighth with 2-3 records. Landes recorded a win by pin and technical fall.

Sophomore Dillon O'Keefe and first-year Robert Minden both won matches at 149 pounds. O'Keefe split his four bouts, picking up a win by pin, while Minden went 1-2 in the bracket.

The Spartans will conclude the fall portion of their schedule with the RIT Invite on Saturday, December 7 in Rochester, New York.

Spartan Notes

• With the four wins, Martinez increased his career victory total to 80 in three seasons. His three pins also give him five this season and 27 for his career
• Wagner, competing for the first time this year, earned his seventh career technical fall and fifth at 157 pounds
• Gassel recorded his team-leading sixth pin of the campaign during the invitational. Gummere ranks second on the team with five
• Crutchley leads the squad with four technical falls this season