McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's wrestling team showcased its talents at the Millikin Open, held on November 9 at the Decatur Indoor Sports Complex. The event marked the season opener for the Titans, who fielded ten wrestlers in a competitive tournament.

Among those making their collegiate debuts were freshmen Chandler Gardner, Evan Carel, and Noah Passoni. Carel managed to secure a place in the tournament with a 2-2 record. In his first match within the 149-pound bracket, he defeated Bryce Brown of Mount St. Joseph with a major decision score of 10-2. Although Carel was moved to the consolation bracket after his second-round match, he demonstrated resilience by pinning Chase Bremmer of Central College in 5:36 during the consolation semifinal. He finished fourth overall after losing to Linkyn Schardt of Thomas More in a 12-5 decision during the third-place match.

Sophomore Austin Johnston began his day with a victory over Jace Kennel of Cornell, winning by a 5-2 decision at 141 pounds. Despite dropping his second-round match, Johnston went on to win three consecutive matches in the consolation bracket before falling to Ashton Massaro of Aurora in a 17-3 major decision.

Senior Bobby Conroy competed in the 184-pound weight class and made an impressive start by pinning Hugo Hernandez of Adrian College in just under a minute (0:49). Conroy continued his strong performance with an 8-2 decision win over Nick Kendrick of Huntingdon College and followed it up with a quarterfinal victory against Zack Wagner of Wabash via a 9-2 decision.

In the semifinals, Conroy faced Cael McLaren from Cornell, ranked No. 10 nationally, and suffered his first loss. This led him into the third-place match against Blake Williams from Adrian College, ranked No. 14 nationally; Conroy was defeated by way of a 17-8 major decision.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan University is preparing to host Millikin for its inaugural home dual meet and Senior Day at Shirk Center on Friday, November 15.