Douglasville, GA – The 12th-ranked University of the Cumberlands men's wrestling team had a strong showing at the Lucha Open on Saturday, turning in a combined 10 podium finishes between the Gold and Silver Divisions. Four Patriots placed in the Gold bracket and six more reached the podium in the Silver bracket, including a first-place finish from Jack Willen at 165.
 
#11 Austin Silva had another strong showing for the Patriots, placing second in the Gold Division at 285 with a 4-1 record. He opened the day with an 8-4 decision over Jared Volcic (Missouri Baptist), using two takedowns and two escapes to secure the win. In the following round, Silva picked up a 10-2 major decision over Ralph Riche (St. Thomas), racking up three takedowns and an escape. He continued that momentum in the quarterfinals with another major decision, this time 12-1 over Willie Cox (Montevallo), where he scored three 3-point takedowns while surrendering only a single escape. In the semifinals, Silva notched a 7-1 decision over Slade Calhoun (Mt. Olive), converting a 3-point takedown in the second and adding an escape and a 3-point takedown in the third to control the match. That win earned him a spot in the championship match. Silva squared off against Christian Bell (The Citadel) in the finals. The two heavyweights battled to a sudden victory decision, with Silva ultimately falling 5-3 in overtime to take home runner-up honors.
 
Malachia Harris, ranked seventh in the NAIA, turned in another standout performance for the Patriots, finishing as the runner-up in the Gold Division at 165 with a 4-1 record. Harris opened his tournament with a technical fall over J'vier Romeus (St. Thomas), dominating the match to end it at the 5:15 mark with multiple takedowns and turns. In the second round, Harris rolled to a 11-8 decision over Lody Cheatham (Campbellsville), highlighted by four escapes and a 3-point takedown. He followed with a hard-fought 13-2 major decision over Julian Gonzales (Keiser), scoring early with a 3-point takedown and controlling the mat to maintain the lead. In the semifinals, Harris outpaced Matox Allen (Life University) in a 7-3 decision, using two 3-point takedowns and a pair of escapes to advance to the championship match. In the finals, Harris squared off against #13 Rocky Raby (Life NCWA), where he dropped a 7-0 decision to take home second place in a highly competitive bracket.
 
#16 Riley Bettich battled his way to a second-place finish in the Gold Division at 125 with a 4-1 record on the day. Bettich opened his tournament with a 6-4 decision over Gabriel Tellez (unattached), using a 3-point takedown, two escapes, and a penalty. He followed that with a dominant technical fall over Kaleb Ruhl (Cumberland University), ending the match 17-2 in 4:19 after racking up multiple nearfalls and takedowns. In the quarterfinals, Bettich earned a sudden victory decision over Tyler Washburn (The Citadel), 4-1, after scoring the winning takedown in overtime. The redshirt junior then defeated Tyler Ramos (Truett-McConnell) 5-2 in the semifinals, again controlling the pace with a 3-point takedown, an escape, and a penalty. In the championship match, Bettich faced Kyle Sieminski (Southern Oregon) and dropped a close 4-2 decision to finish runner-up.
 
Yaveion Freeman pieced together a gritty performance to finish sixth in the Gold Division at 149 with a 5-2 record. Freeman opened the tournament with a 14-6 major decision over Cal Beadling (Campbellsville), tallying multiple takedowns and a nearfall to start strong. In his next bout, he fell to Davis Dollar (Reinhardt) by a 4-2 decision in a tightly contested matchup, but rebounded with a dominant 8-2 decision over Nathan Payton (Lindsey Wilson), where he controlled each period with takedowns and mat returns. Freeman then defeated Joseph Kindred (Southeastern) 4-1, using a third-period takedown and and escape to move on. He advanced further with a forfeit win over teammate Ty Lehman, then outlasted Cameron Crump (Life NCWA) in a sudden victory decision, 4-1. Freeman's run came to a close in the consolation semis with a 12-2 major decision loss to Tommy Johnson (The Citadel), placing him sixth overall in a deep field.
 
Jack Willen dominated his bracket in the Silver Division at 165, going a perfect 6-0 on the day to claim the individual title. He opened the tournament with a fall at 1:35 over Malankov Daceus (Brewton-Parker). In the second round, Willen continued his momentum with a first-period fall at 1:10 against Jacob Ornelas (Liberty), again capitalizing early with strong mat returns. Advancing to the quarterfinals, Willen received a medical forfeit win over Corbin Falgout (Huntingdon) before facing Jack Ponder (Shorter) in the semifinals. There, he cruised to a 16-1 technical fall in 4:50, using two 4-point nearfalls and two 3-point takedowns to build the lead. In the semifinal match, Willen took on Cameron Isabel (Cumberland University) and sealed the victory with a fall at 6:43. He went on to claim the title after his match against Tyree Grham was a no contest victory.
 
Also in the Silver Division, the Patriots added five more podium finishes to round out a strong team performance. At 157, Ayden Lehman placed third with a 5-1 record. The 165-weight class was particularly strong for UC, with Lincoln Krull also finishing third at 5-1, and Brodie Johnson placing sixth after reaching the match limit with a 5-1 record of his own. At 141, Hunter Luttrell placed sixth, going 5-1 before hitting the match cap, while Evan Hemmetter mirrored that result at 149 with a 5-1 record and sixth-place finish.
 
The Patriots will return to action Saturday, December 6, at the Doane Open in Doane, NE. Wrestling is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
 
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