Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
Results
Brackets
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Dec. 14, 2024)- The North Central College men's wrestling team returned to tournament action for a third time this season for the 60th Annual North Central College Invitational held inside of Residence Hall/Recreation Center. The Cardinals placed second, with
Christian Guzman and
Robby Bates winning their respective weight classes.
No. 6 nationally ranked Augsburg University took home first place, scoring 165.5 points, with No. 9 ranked North Central bringing in second place, scoring 142.5 points. No. 7 ranked Vermont State University Castleton took third with 135.5 points.
The second-ranked 125-pound wrestler, Guzman, won his weight class in dominant fashion, taking a first-round bye before squaring off against Baldwin Wallace's Kieran Magee. There he would get his first of three technical fall wins in the meet. After his 16-1 tech fall win, Guzman would win his next match over Andrew Punzalan from Wabash by an 18-1 tech fall. In the semifinal, Guzman squared off against No. 10 ranked Wyatt Kaczrowski (Augsburg) and pinned him in two minutes and 56 seconds. Guzman made quick work in the first-place match, beating Castleton's No. 4 ranked 125-pound wrestler Gavin Bradley by a 16-1 technical fall. Guzman's efforts also earned him the Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet Award. Guzman remains undefeated this season as he went 4-0 in the meet.
Bates, entering the meet as the No. 3 ranked 285-pound wrestler, started the day off with a fall victory over Evan Daniels from Baldwin Wallace. Bates secured the pin in two minutes and three seconds. In the second round, Bates had a bout with Coe College's Russell Coil. Coil proved to be not much trouble for Bates, who won the match in a 14-0 major decision. The quarterfinal match came to be Bates' toughest test yet as he won his match over Peyton Smith (Concordia University Wisconsin) by a narrow 4-1 decision. Bates earned a second decision win in a row, taking down Aurora University's Cam'rom Harper, 5-0, in the semifinal. The first-place match saw two ranked 285-pound wrestlers go at it as Bates faced off against Castleton's Evan Day, who is ranked tenth. The match was very defensive as both wrestlers had trouble getting offense on the other, sending it to sudden victory. Bates scored a takedown in the sudden victory period, reversing a takedown attempt from Day. Bates finished the day undefeated, going 5-0.
One of the four third-place finishes for the Cardinals was Julian Valtierrez in the 133-pound weight class, as he kicked the day off with a bye before taking on Augsburg's Thomas Oswald. Valtierrez overwhelmed Oswald, winning his first match by a 21-6 technical fall. He would score another tech fall (20-5) victory as Valtierrez faced off with Carlos Munoz-Flores (Aurora) in the quarterfinal. Valtierrez's momentum would come to a halt as he ran into the would-be 133-pound champion, No. 7 ranked Dominik Mallinder (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater). Mallinder took down Valtierrez by a 15-3 major decision. In the consolation round, Valtierrez bounced back with an 8-2 decision over No. 10 ranked Chance Suddeth (Augsburg). This win catapulted him into the third place match where another ranked opponent would be waiting, No. 9 ranked Bryce Parke (Coe). Valtierrez eked out a 12-9 decision for his placement, helping him finish 5-1 on the day.
Josh Robison placed third, beginning in the 141-pound weight class with a first-round bye. Robison's first match of the day came from Whitewater's Kolbe Kowalczyk. It was finished fairly easily for Robison with a 17-1 tech fall. Robison moved on to the quarterfinal, where he would meet Austin Gabbert (Augsburg). The match was scored a 10-6 decision in favor of Robison. The toughest test of the day came from Whitewater's No. 7 ranked Evan Onstad as he took care of Robison with a 9-1 major decision. Robison bounced back in his final two matches, taking down Cade Willis (Augsburg) by a 15-8 decision to put him in the third place match. The third-place match featured a rematch from earlier as Robison took on Gabbert again, where he would secure another decision (7-1). Robison finished the day 4-1.
Fifth-ranked Alex Villar finished third in the 165-pound weight class. Villar began the day with a pin over Isaac Barba (Joliet Junior College). Villar got the pin in one minute and 27 seconds. Wabash's Ayden Lutes was not much of a challenge for Villar either, as he won the match with a 17-2 tech fall. Villar kept on rolling into the quarterfinal match against Apollo Ashby (Augsburg). Villar earned a 13-2 major decision to advance to the semifinal. In the semifinal, No. 6 ranked Andrew Supers (Baldwin Wallace) beat Villar with a 12-0 major decision. Villar bounced back, beating Paul Kadlec (Joliet Junior College) by a 12-6 decision and Jashon Holmes (Castleton) by a 4-2 decision in the third place match. Villar finished the day 5-1.
The final third-place finish for North Central belongs to Javen Estrada, who competed in the 174-pound weight class. Estrada got a first-round bye before squaring off with Matthew Hamad (Baldwin Wallace). The match ended with Estrada pinning Hamad in one minute and 10 seconds. Estrada was tested in the quarterfinal with a ranked opponent as No. 14 Desmond McLaughlin (Castleton) was set to do battle. Estrada knocked off McLaughlin with a purpose, getting a 17-2 tech fall win. Estrada would meet another ranked opponent in the semifinal, with seventh-ranked Lj Richardson (Coe) meeting him on the mat. Richardson dominated, earning a 20-5 tech fall. Estrada came back to win his final two matches for his third-place finish, beating Carter Lloyd (Baldwin Wallace) via pin in one minute and 24 seconds and Nick Alexander (Augsburg) in the third-place match. It was a 14-3 major decision for Estrada to place him third and cap his day off 5-1.
The lone fourth-place finish for the Cardinals was Payton Geigner in the 184-pound weight class. Geigner started off with a first-round bye before taking on Dax Clatt (Coe). Geigner took care of Clatt with a 12-2 major decision. Geigner captured another win in the quarterfinal over No. 11 ranked Max Borton (Augsburg) via a 10-3 decision. No. 14 ranked Jared Voss (Coe) squeaked out a 5-1 decision over Geigner, before Geigner bounced back, taking down another Augsburg wrestler as he beat Carter Sorensen with a 7-1 decision to put him in the third place match. However, Brandt Bombard (Augsburg) got the better of Geigner, winning by a very slim 8-7 decision. Geigner finished the meet 3-2.
Harrison Konder was the final Cardinal to place in the meet as he took sixth place in the 157-pound weight class. Konder began the meet dominant with back-to-back pinfall victories, pinning Hunter Daniel (Joliet Junior College) in two minutes and 29 seconds and Franco Gattuso (Wheaton College) in one minute and 41 seconds. Charlie Stuhl (Augsburg) handed Jonder his first loss of the meet in the quarterfinal, narrowly winning with a 6-5 decision. Konder bounced back with a tech fall (17-1) over teammate Luke Christie. No. 10 ranked Nate Camiscioli (Castleton) knocked off Konder in a 2-1 decision before Konder fell to Ty Koedam (Coe) by a 13-12 decision in the fifth place match. Konder finished the day 3-3.
The Cardinals placed eight wrestlers, with six of them being top-three finishes, including two weight class wins. North Central returns to action Thursday, Dec. 19, for duals against the University of Chicago and the University of Olivet. Click HERE for the full schedule.
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