Doane, NE – The 12th-ranked University of the Cumberlands Men's Wrestling team turned in another strong performance on Saturday at the Conner Oppenheim Open, hosted by Doane University. Four Patriots reached the podium, including two champions in Weston Melvin and Roman Valera.

#8 Weston Melvin continued his impressive start to the season with a dominant 5-0 performance to win the 174-pound bracket in the Open Division. Melvin opened the tournament with a 10-3 decision over #24 Braedyn Rakes (Morningside), followed by a 7-0 shutout over Thomas Even (Grand View), where he scored on two 3-point takedowns and an escape for the win. In the quarterfinals, Melvin notched an 8-0 major decision over Hunter Weimer (Concordia – NE), recording one 3-point takedown, a 3-point nearfall, an escape, and riding time, maintaining full control throughout. He added another major decision in the semifinals, defeating Xayvion Anderson (Grand View) 14-4 behind a flurry of takedowns and nearfalls. Melvin capped off his title run with a 4-1 overtime decision over #20 Orion Thivierge (Montana State-Northern), using an escape in the third period and a 3-point takedown in the extra period to close out the championship match.
 
Roman Valera went 5-0 to take home the title at 125 in the Amateur Division, showing dominance in all five of his matches. He opened the tournament with a fall at 2:39 over Ty Lorentzen (Morningside), following up with a 13-4 major decision against Nino Vidic (Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa). In the quarterfinals, Valera tallied another major decision, this time 12-2 over Logan Schroeder (Northwestern – IA), racking up four 3-point takedowns. He then pinned Parker Leverknight (Briar Cliff) in just 42 seconds to punch his ticket to the finals. In the championship bout, the freshman capped off the day with a 17-1 technical fall in 3:30 over Malachi Aispuro (Waldorf), securing his first career tournament title in convincing fashion.
 
#11 Austin Silva earned a runner-up finish at 285 in the Open Division, going 3-1 on the day. After receiving a bye in the opening round, Silva began his tournament with a dominant 19-1 technical fall over Spencer Fleming (Missouri Baptist), ending the match in just four minutes with a series of takedowns and nearfalls. In the quarterfinals, he earned a 7-2 decision over #17 Emmett Bivens (Wayland Baptist), using a 3-point takedown, a 2-point reversal, an escape, and riding time. Silva continued his run in the semifinals with a 10-4 decision over #19 Gabe Kant (Concordia – NE), tallying three takedowns and maintaining control from start to finish. In the finals, Silva squared off with #12 Zeph Sivels (Midland) in a close contest, ultimately dropping a 7-3 decision to finish second overall.
 
Eli Peyton, ranked 11^th in the NAIA, placed third in the 141-pound Open Division after going 4-1 on the day. He began his tournament with a 12-3 major decision over Ian Metz (Dakota Wesleyan), using two takedowns and a 4-point nearfall to pull away in the second period. Peyton followed that with a fall at 4:24 over Caleb Peralta (Benedictine), securing the pin off a tilt midway through the second. In the quarterfinals, Peyton defeated Channing Porter (Arizona Christian) in a tight 5-4 decision, scoring a first-period takedown and two escapes the rest of the way. He advanced to the semifinals, where he dropped an 11-6 decision to Dean Anderson (Valiant Prep) despite scoring two takedowns in the loss. Peyton responded in his next match with a win over Luke Fogleman (Grand View), collecting a 12-9 decision. Peyton secured the third place finish after his last match was ruled a no contest.

The Patriots will return to action on Saturday, December 13, at the Rocky Top Duals in Gatlinburg, TN.

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