Central places nine at Millikin men’s wrestling meet
DECATUR, ILL. – Getting the rest of its roster on the mat, the Central College men’s wrestling team had nine place winners at the Millikin Open on Saturday.
There were no team scores kept in a meet with 19 teams from across multiple levels.
“We saw some really good things and some things we need to get better on,” coach Landon Williams said. “We didn’t just wrestle Division III teams, there were Division II, NAIA and junior colleges here. It’s just the second open of the year and we had an opportunity to get the rest of our guys matches and that’s what we wanted. The effort was there across the board.”
The Dutch crowned an individual champion at 157 pounds as University of Iowa transfer Carter Martinson (sophomore, Altoona, Southeast Polk HS) went 5-0 with a pair of technical falls.
“It’s never easy with your first open at a new school,” Williams said. “The good part is he got better every match. He wasn’t in all the opens at his last school so there are still some processes he needs to learn in terms of navigating a long day like this.”
Samuel West (junior, Burlington, Notre Dame HS) also made it to the championship bout at 184 pounds before losing a 4-1 decision to No. 12 Cael McLaren of Cornell College in the final. He pinned No. 7 Blake Williams of Adrian College (Mich.) in 3 minutes, 50 seconds in the semifinals.
“He had a big win in the semifinals against some with a lot of experience over the last couple of years,” Willaims said. “He’s buying and making the changes we’ve asked.”
At 141 pounds, Pierre Baldwin (junior, Carol Stream, Ill., West Chicago HS) went 4-1 and won by technical fall in the third-place match. He suffered an overtime loss in his semifinal.
“We want to people in positions they can learn from,” Williams said. “I don’t think I’d be doing my job if I didn’t put them in barn-burner matches. That match didn’t go our way but that’s a simulation for a regional or national match. It’s all about finding matches to prepare guys for the postseason.”
Other place winners for Central included David Vukobratovich (junior, Homer Glen, Ill., Lockport Township HS) in third at 125 pounds, Austin Roos (senior, Atkins, Benton HS) in fourth at 197, Ethan Skoglund (freshman, Sergeant Bluff, Sergeant Bluff-Luton HS) in fifth at 133, Hayden Hearne (junior, Urbandale) in fifth at 285 and Rheiner Stahlbaum (senior, Johnston) in sixth at 125.
The Dutch travel to Cedar Rapids for their first dual of the season on Wednesday against Coe College at 7 p.m.
“We’re excited to go up there,” Williams said. “I know they’re going to bring their best and we are, too.”
