Rio men participate in Lucha Open

Rio Grande Sports Information
     DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. – Ten different members of the University of Rio Grande men's wrestling team represented the RedStorm in two different divisions of Saturday's Lucha Open, hosted by Life University, at the Legacy Arena.
     Four of the 10 grapplers saw action in the Gold Division and found success hard to come by.
     Senior Mackandle Freeman (Point Pleasant, WV) was the only one of the quartet to actually record a win on the mat.
     Freeman received a first-round bye before dropping a 10-2 majority decision to Life's Victor Jacinto. Another bye in the consolation bracket preceded a pin at 3:30 of Mt. Olive's Christian Orozco, but a 13-8 sudden victory loss to Abriel Padilla – who was participating unattached – ended his day.
     Also at 157 pounds, senior Kaylin Foust (Charlotte, NC) suffered a 21-6 technical fall loss to Huntingdon's Damion Jones and was pinned at 4:43 by Cumberland University's Joe Parisi.
     Senior Justin Bartee (Point Pleasant, WV) also went 0-2 at 184 pounds, after a 12-4 majority decision setback to Reinhardt University's Jonathon Paramore and a pin at the 3:12 mark by Cumberland University's Logan Heckert.
     Also wrestling for Rio in the Gold Division at 197 pounds was senior Ashton Simison (Enon, OH), who lost by fall at 2:54 to Life's Gio Jackson and by technical fall, 15-0, to Funky Monkey's Darrius Montgomery.
     The RedStorm fared a tad better in the event's Silver Division.
     Freshman John Walters (Ashland, KY) went 3-2 at 165 pounds, while Mars Coste won twice at 141 pounds and the trio of sophomore Conner Blessing (Point Pleasant, WV), freshman Malik Tufts (Columbus, OH) and freshman Braeden Buxton (Mechanicsburg, OH) all got one win each in their respective weight brackets.
     Walters defeated Tommie Johnson of Andrew College at 4:30 of their opening round match, while also earning a 9-2 decision of Montevallo's Luke Berguson and posting a 19-2 technical fall triumph over Shawn Bailey of Coahulla Creek.
     Coste's wins came by fall at 2:30 over Zeke Adams, who was wrestling unattached, and in a 12-7 decision over Jake Wyatt of Keiser University.
     Blessing pinned Brewton-Parker's Amari Bright at 3:55 of their 141-pound bout, Tufts posted an 18-1 technical fall victory over Brewton-Parker's Walker Anthony and Buxton pinned Emmanuel University's Frank Moore at 3:52 of the second round consolation match at 285 pounds.
     Freshman Jaydon DeHart (Ashland, KY) went 0-2 for Rio in the 133-pound bracket.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action next Friday when it hosts Campbellsville University in a Mid-South Conference dual at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Match time is set for 7 p.m.