The Wayne State College wrestling team hosted a triangular dual tournament in Rice Auditorium on Saturday, January 25. They finished 1-1, beating the Colorado State Rams 27-21 and losing to the Iowa State Cyclones 41-23.
The pair of duals were only the second and third home duals the wrestling team has hosted at WSC. They move to 2-1 in such duals, as they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats last February.
“I think this is a great look for the club,” Jared Engel said. “All of these duals show how hard we work and how seriously we take wrestling up here. Bringing in really good teams helps project everything we work for.”
Club president Gavin Zoucha was thrilled with the team’s performance. He says he only asks the team to control their effort and attitude, and he felt both were at an all-time high.
“With the atmosphere and energy from the day, everyone’s efforts were compounding,” Zoucha said. “The attitude on the day was the most tightly knit “team-feeling” I have felt in my career here. We are a team of class and respect, and I have a lot of respect for these guys for competing with the amount of heart they did. Everyone was classy, respectful, and constructive, and I think that is a direct result of their environment outside of competing.”
The Wildcats battled against Colorado State first. WSC was the beneficiary of many open spots from the Rams, but a pinfall from Zoucha in the 165-pound weight class and a win from Chance Sjulin in the 174-pound class led the way for a dual victory.
The Cyclones defeated Colorado State by a whopping 56-4 in between the two Wildcat duals, and WSC knew Iowa State was going to be a challenge.
“Wayne State College wrestling has never seen Iowa State University at a tournament besides the NCWA National Championships,” Zoucha said. “I don’t even recall one of our guys compete against one of theirs. I was excited to see how well we competed with them.”
The Wildcats got out to a flying start against the Cyclones, recording two quick pinfalls. In the 125-pound class, Engel got into some early trouble, but quickly flipped the match on his opponent, earning a pinfall that ignited the Wildcat faithful.
“The biggest part of my match was the continuous movement,” Engel said. “Knowing how to continually move and wrestle with better positioning helped me land the pin.”
In the next match, freshman Hayden Williams also saw himself behind the 8-ball early, but earned a quick reversal leading to a pinfall in the 133-pound class. This was the first victory of William’s collegiate career.
Iowa State quickly returned fire, taking the lead after the next three matches. Zoucha and Sjulin went back to work for the Wildcats to help them pull back in front. Zoucha earned a technical fall and Sjulin recorded a pinfall. The Wildcats were victims of many Cyclone pins from that point forward and ultimately lost the dual. However, Zoucha was still pleased with how the team performed and how the event went.
“The day ran very smoothly,” Zoucha said. “We are very grateful for the opportunity WSC gives us alongside the staff and faculty that help us do what we do. We certainly would not be able to put together these events at such a high caliber without everyone’s help.”
The wrestling team hits the road this weekend to take on the field at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Regional Duals in Saint George, Utah. The tournament starts on Friday, January 31.