Bowling Green, KY – The 7th-ranked University of the Cumberlands men's wrestling team captured the Mid-South Conference Tournament title for the second consecutive year on Friday, placing 11 wrestlers and crowning two individual champions. The Patriots finished the day with two champions, three runner-up finishes, two third-place finishes, three fourth-place finishes, and one sixth-place finish to secure the team championship.
 
#8 Matteo Vargo captured the MSC title at 125 to earn First Team All-Conference honors. After receiving a first-round bye, Vargo opened his tournament with a fall at 2:20 over Zachary Lewis (Midway), scoring early before securing the pin. In the championship bout, Vargo faced #22 Chase Walker (Cumberland) and earned an 8-2 decision, controlling the pace with takedowns and strong mat work to secure the conference crown.

#10 Weston Melvin claimed the MSC title at 174 to earn First Team All-Conference honors. Melvin opened with a 4-1 decision over #6 Shadrick Slone (Campbellsville), then followed with an 8-1 decision over #21 Anthony Pyron (Cumberland) in the championship match to secure the conference crown.

#13 Brice Coleman earned Second Team All-Conference honors with a runner-up finish at 157. Coleman opened with a first-period fall at 1:04 over Anthony Joseph (Campbellsville), then posted a 15-3 major decision over Antonio Parker (Cumberland). He advanced to the finals with a tight 2-0 decision over Mackandle Freeman (Rio Grande) before dropping a narrow 3-2 decision to #16 Antwaun Burns (Campbellsville) in the championship match.

#10 Malachia Harris turned in a strong performance at 165 to finish second and earn Second Team All-Conference honors. Harris opened with back-to-back technical falls over Sam Daniels (Georgetown) and John Walters (Rio Grande). In the semifinals, Harris defeated teammate Derrick Bannister by a 13-3 major decision. He advanced to the semi-finals before falling to #4 Jastin Kubwimana (Campbellsville). He bounced back with a victory over Ethan Gomez (Cumberland) to finish third.

#7 Austin Silva earned Second Team All-Conference honors with a runner-up finish at heavyweight. Silva recorded a fall at 2:34 over Anthony Popi (Midway) and a win by injury default over #23 Miguel Perez (Lindsey Wilson) to reach the finals. In the championship match, Silva battled #20 Luke Cox (Georgetown) but fell in a tight 7-6 decision to finish second.

#4 Riley Bettich went 3-1 on the day to finish third at 133 and earn Third Team All-Conference honors. Bettich opened with a 2-0 decision over Arlo Laxton (Lindsey Wilson), then notched a fall at 3:46 over Jaydon DeHart (Rio Grande) to advance to the semifinals. After dropping a 5-2 decision to Alex Tabor (Lindsey Wilson), Bettich bounced back in the consolation match with a dominant 22-4 technical fall over Alex Velasquez (Midway) to claim third place.

#15 Ty Lehman secured Third Team All-Conference honors with a third-place finish at 149. Lehman opened with a quick fall in 48 seconds over Kiowa Vines (Lindsey Wilson), then defeated Cal Beadling (Campbellsville) by an 11-5 decision to reach the semifinals. After falling 8-2 to #5 Victor Guzman (Cumberland), Lehman responded with a forfeit win over Chris Begley (Midway) before earning a 19-3 technical fall in 4:20 over Benjamin Sloan (Rio Grande) to secure third place.

#17 Eli Peyton placed fourth at 141 after a competitive bracket run. Peyton fell 1-0 to #7 Jared Dinh (Cumberland) in the semifinals, then earned a quick injury default win over #6 Nick Moore (Campbellsville) at 0:11 in the consolation round. He faced Dinh again in the third-place match but fell 4-0 to finish fourth.

Derrick Bannister placed fourth at 165. He opened with a 2-0 decision over Pate Eastin (Rio Grande) before falling by major decision to Harris in the semifinals. Bannister battled back but ultimately finished fourth in the bracket.

Trey White placed fourth at 285, going 3-2 on the day. White rebounded from an early loss with wins over Sam Bertin (Campbellsville) and #9 Bruce Wagers (Rio Grande) before finishing fourth in the bracket.

Lane Kiser finished sixth at 184. After a bye, he earned an 11-6 decision over Sebastian Hutchinson (Midway) and a medical forfeit win over #10 Brice Parks (Campbellsville). Kiser fell in the semifinals and later in the consolation round to place sixth overall.

With the conference championship secured, the Patriots will now prepare for the NAIA National Championships that will take place March 5^th-7^th in Wichita, KS.

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