Des Moines, IA – The 12th-ranked University of the Cumberlands Men's Wrestling team competed at the Grand View Open on Saturday, facing off against elite competition from across all collegiate levels, including some NCAA Division I programs and 12 teams from the NAIA Top-25. The Patriots had 13 wrestlers in action, with two athletes reaching the podium: Matteo Vargo placed fifth at 125, while Weston Melvin finished sixth in the 174-weight class.
 
Competing in one of the deepest brackets of the day, Matteo Vargo went 4-2 to claim fifth place at 125. Vargo opened his tournament with back-to-back falls, pinning #25 Boden Banta (Providence) at 3:25 and Zairyn Ramos-Semana (Jamestown) in just 50 seconds. He followed that with an 11-5 decision over Dylan Atherton (Midland), tallying two 3-point takedowns, a 2-point nearfall, a reversal, and over a minute of riding time. In the quarterfinals, Vargo dropped a narrow 2-1 decision to Elijah Carter (Grand View), then fell in another close 7-5 decision to Brandon Paez (Northern Iowa). He finished his day on a win, earning fifth place after Kobi Johnson (Providence) withdrew due to medical forfeit.
 
In the 174-weight class, Weston Melvin also battled through a challenging bracket to place sixth with a 4-2 record. Melvin began his day with a 9-7 decision over Kevin Olavarria (Central Methodist), scoring two 3-point takedowns, two escapes, and benefiting from a penalty point. He followed that with a 7-2 decision over Richard Mack (Grand View), notching two more takedowns and an escape. After falling to Konlin Weaver (Life) in a 4-1 decision, Melvin responded with a 3-0 shutout over Thomas Even (Grand View), recording an escape, riding time, and a penalty. He then defeated #2 Shadrick Slone (Campbellsville) in a 4-2 decision, highlighted by a 3-point takedown and an escape. Melvin wrapped up his day with a 4-2 loss to #6 Roman Garcia (Central Methodist) and his last match was ruled a no contest due to match limit. 
 
Drew Waldon put together one of his strongest collegiate performances, finishing 6-2 in the tournament. Waldon recorded several hard-fought decisions and bonus-point wins while advancing deep into the consolation bracket. At 165, Rider Trumble continued his consistent start to the season by going 4-2 on the day and defeating two ranked opponents. 
 
The Patriots will return to the mat next Saturday, November 22, as they travel to compete at the Life U Open in Marietta, GA.
 
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