GRANTHAM, Pa. – Junior Derek Arnold's victory in the 157-pound bracket highlighted Ursinus College wrestling's stay at Messiah College's Petrofes Invitational. The Bears sent a representative to the semifinals in four separate weight classes as they placed sixth in a field of 13 programs with 90 points over the two-day event.
The host Falcons claimed the team title with 186.5 points, well ahead of second-place Stevens (133) and third-place Mount Union (116.5). Wilkes was fourth with 111 points, followed by Baldwin Wallace (109), Ursinus (90), Springfield (81.5), Gettysburg (52.5), McDaniel (48.5), West Virginia Tech (31), Bridgewater State (23.5), Muhlenberg (22.5), and Thaddeus Stevens (4.0).
After a runner-up finish to teammate Richard Jasinski at this tournament a year ago, Arnold made sure to return to Collegeville with some hardware this time around. He started the proceedings with a pin of McDaniel's Manuel Miranda in 1:15 before back-to-back decisions against Baldwin Wallace's Richard Burke (9-3) and Springfield's Geovanni Medina (11-5) advanced him to Saturday's semifinals. He major decisioned Wilkes' Nicholas Racanelli, 12-0, to reach the championship round, where a 13-7 decision over Stevens' Thomas Poklikuha handed him a hard-earned title.
Sophomore Christopher Tan (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) placed third in the 125-poind bracket. After a setback in the quarterfinals, he scored a technical fall against teammate Branden Greyson (Fairfax Station, Va./James W. Robinson Jr.) before registering a 8-3 decision versus Baldwin Wallace's Chris Doyle and a 9-3 decision against Gettysburg's Lenny Ogozalek. That put him in the third-place bout opposite West Virginia Tech's Tristan Bean, who was injured 1:20 into the matchup. Tan was presented with the Stan Dutterer Sportsmanship Award, which is voted on by tournament officials, at the conclusion of the tournament, becoming the first Ursinus wrestler to receive that honor.
Senior Keven Hoogheem (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) was fourth at 133. He recorded a pin in 3:43 against Stevens' Kevin Zarzana, then followed that with a 10-3 decision against Messiah's Josh Grossnickle and an 11-2 major decision versus McDaniel's Michael O'Boyle. Hoogheem bowed to eventual champion Alec Cotton of Mount Union in the semifinals before dropping a tight 4-3 decision in the third-place bout with Messiah's Hunter Harris.
Christian Hoogheem (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) also got to the semifinals at 141, thanks to a 19-0 tech fall against Gettysburg's Everett Roach, a 9-7 decision opposite Stevens' Gianpiero DiBattista, and an 8-2 decision over McDaniel's Alvontae Drummond. He fell to eventual champ Thomas Stokes of Wilkes in the semis, and to Wilkes' Pankil Chandler in the wrestlebacks.
Freshman Jarret DiGiantomasso (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) showed well at 165, getting to the quarterfinals before winning consecutive bouts against West Virginia Tech's Bryan Overton (5-0), Springfield's Aarin Feliz (4-2), and Messiah's Tag Wilbur (7-5) in the wrestlebacks, eventually capturing fourth place.
Rookie grappler Nickolas Suk (Flemington, N.J../Hunterdon Central Regional) scored a 17-1 technical fall against Springfield's Severianel Burgos to gain the quarterfinals at 184 before dropping his first consolation match.