Michigan State Open Results | Michigan State Open Fr, So Results

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Returning NCAA qualifiers Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) and Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) both placed fourth in their respective weight classes to lead the way on Sunday at the Michigan State Open in what was a successful opening weekend for first-year Navy wrestling coach Joel Sharratt. Meanwhile, a trio of freshmen placed among the top five in the freshman/sophomore division of the Michigan State Open held at Jenison Field House.

"The team gained valuable experience against a quality field of competition today," said Sharratt. "We were able to gauge where we are at and what we need to focus on in our training and preparation in the coming weeks."

Walsh, who placed fourth at last year's Michigan State Open and entered the weekend ranked 16th via InterMat, was dominant throughout the opening rounds of the tournament, winning his first three matches to secure a spot in the semifinals at 165 pounds. Navy's team captain scored a 17-0 tech fall over Purdue's Luke Schmit (unattached), pinned Louden Gorden of Notre Dame (Ohio) and dealt Eastern Michigan's Derek Davison (unattached) an 11-4 loss.

Walsh, however, would drop his first match of the day in the semis to redshirt freshman and 13th-ranked Bo Jordan of Ohio State, 10-2, who would go on to claim the tournament title. Walsh came back to surrender an 8-2 decision in the third-place match to Ohio's Harrison Hightower who he faced and beat twice a year ago, including at the Michigan State Open.

"Peyton demonstrated that when he wrestles at his pace and in the positions he is most comfortable and dominant with, he will be tough to compete against," added Sharratt. "He is certainly on track with what our plan is: instill fatigue, brilliant in the basics and always compete with an all-in performance."

Rands, ranked 20th according to InterMat, returned to the mat with a clean bill of health after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the opening round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Like Walsh, Rands carved his way through the bracket with wins over West Virginia's Bryson Begley (Fall, 1:52) and Columbia's Matt Idelson (5-2) before succumbing to ninth-ranked Phillip Wellington of Ohio, 9-4, in the semis.

Rands went on to meet 17th-ranked Max Huntley of Michigan, the younger brother of former Navy wrestler and team captain Oscar Huntley, in the third-place bout where Huntley knocked off Rands by major decision, 13-5.

Though medal rounds were wrestled through sixth place, Navy junior heavyweight Colynn Cook (Murrysville, Pa.) just missed the opportunity to wrestle in the fifth-place bout. Cook, who finished among the top eight, lost his opening match to Michigan State's Luke Jones, 8-1, but fought back to win three in a row, including a 2-0 win over teammate Brendan Kahle (Abingdon, Md.). Cook, however, fell for a second time when Ohio State's Nick Tavanello, ranked 10th in the country, scored a 12-2 major decision.

Seven Mids were entered into the freshman/sophomore division of the Michigan State Open and three finished among the top five. Rookies Drew Daniels (Overland Park, Kan.) and Jadaen Bernstein (Glen Gardner, N.J.) both wrestled in the championship of their respective weight classes, while newcomer Steban Cervantes (Chula Vista, Calif.) finished fifth at 197 pounds.

After scoring a 13-3 major decision over Reed Daniel of St. Catharine College, Daniels went on to win three straight matches by a combined three points at 157 pounds. He posted a 2-1 victory over Kent State's Jacob Globke, earned a 5-4 victory over Lake Erie College's Justin Smith and edged out Indiana's Luke Blanton, 3-2, to punch his ticket into the championship bout. Daniels, however, would come up short of the title, as Ohio State's Micah Jordan picked up the 6-1 victory.

Bernstein took second at 174 pounds after threading his way through the bracket. He opened with an 8-0 major decision over Michigan's Wesley Maskill and followed up with an 18-2 tech fall over Austin Repp of Northern Illinois. He scored a 5-3 decision over Kayne MacCallum of Eastern Michigan before picking up a 4-2 decision over Ryan Harris of Ohio State in the semifinals. Bernstein was unable to sustain the momentum and dropped a heartbreaker in sudden victory (6-4) to Michigan's Davonte Mahomes.

Cervantes was also on the short end of a sudden victory match in his quest for a championship at the Michigan State Open. After earning a 15-4 major decision over Indiana's Brandon Joest, Illinois' Colton Emmerich managed a 6-4 sudden victory against Cervantes, sending the Navy frosh to the consolation bracket. Cervantes went on to win three in a row, including a 3-1 win over Gabriel Dzuro of Ohio to claim fifth place.

"Our young guys had some hard-fought bouts and will now better understand what we mean when we train to instill fatigue," said Sharratt. "Looking forward, I thought we showed we have some talented individuals who can compete at the highest level. Each of our wrestlers needs to better understand their own unique capabilities and how to use our team strategy to enhance their strengths. This will help elevate more of our athletes to the next level."

The Mids will be back in action next Saturday (1:00 pm) when they make the trip to Fairfax, Va., to face George Mason in the first of eight duals slated for the season.


### Go Navy ###