BALDWIN CITY, Kansas- It was a bright start to the season opening campaign for the Ouachita Baptist Wrestling Team, as several individuals found success in the Dan Harris Open at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas on Sunday.
“I’m proud of the way our team competed,” Ouachita Head Coach Kevin Ward said. ”It was nice to have some success in our first tournament. It validates to the team why we’ve been working so hard and lets them know that we belong and can be competitive. The success gets us excited to compete for the rest of the season.”
The tournament featured a brutal schedule, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 11:30 p.m., as the Tigers traveled 8.5 hours to the venue. In all, 12 teams traveled to compete in the Dan Harris Open, entering an unlimited amount of wrestlers in each weight division.
Ouachita took 17 wrestlers and had five wrestlers place in the top four. Freshman Josh Myers placed first in the 141-pound weight class with three wins by fall and a major decision over No. 1 seed Phillip Henes of Baker University, 9-1, in the championship match.
Freshman Brantley Pyle placed fourth in the 133-pound weight class, coming back after a first round loss to win five-straight matches, dropping an 8-5 decision to Danny Floyd of Northwest Tech Community College in the consolation finals.
At 165-pounds, Jake Simpson placed fourth, recording five wins, finishing at 5-2 overall. Junior Aaron Butler placed third in 174 pounds, coming back after a first round loss to win five-straight, finishing third and pinning the No. 2 seed Dylon Walker of Pratt CC in the consolation finals. In the 197-pound weight class, junior Gabe Musser finished fourth with a 6-2 record on the day.
Ouachita Baptist next travels to Warrensburg, Mo. to compete in the Central Missouri State University Open on Saturday, Nov. 13. Competition begins at 9 a.m.
“I’m looking forward to the tournament,” Ward said. ”It’s always a tough tournament, which will most likely end up being the toughest competition we’ll face until the Regional Tournament in February. The results for this tournament will help solidify our starting lineup as we get ready for the dual meet portion of our schedule.”
