Buckeyes Earn 8 Titles at MSU Open Saturday Buckeyes Earn Eight Titles at MSU

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11-5-2022 - Buckeyes Earn Eight Titles at MSU Open Saturday
Buckeyes Earn Eight Titles at MSU Open Saturday
Ohio State opens dual season vs. Virginia Tech Nov. 11 at the Covelli Center   

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State placed seven wrestlers into the final in the Open Division and four more in the Freshman/Sophomore Division and came away with eight champions and three second-place finishes Saturday at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing.

In the Open Division, senior Malik Heinsleman battled Joey Prata of Oklahoma in the finals at 125. Heinsleman recorded a takedown in the first period to take the lead. Prata escaped and trailed 2-1 after the first period. Prata tied it at 2-all with an escape in the second. Heinselman went up 5-2 with an escape and takedown halfway through the third to win the title by decision, 5-3.

Freshman Jesse Mendez was up next in the final at 133. He faced Lucas Byrd of Illinois. Neither wrestler was able to score in the opening three minutes. Byrd escaped to start the second for a 1-0 advantage heading into the third. Mendez evened the match with an escape late in the third and then secured the 3-2 victory by decision with a takedown.

Redshirt senior Sammy Sasso was up next in the 149 Final for the Buckeyes. He faced Johnny Lovett of Central Michigan. Sasso scored first with a takedown and added a couple more before winning by fall at 1:56 to earn the title.   

Next up was redshirt freshman Paddy Gallagher in the 157 Final against Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern. After a scoreless first, Gallagher escaped midway through the second for a 1-0 lead going into the third. Gallagher went up 3-1 with a takedown but Chumbley tied it was a penalty point and an escape. The bout went into sudden victory at 3-all where Chumbley took the title with a quick takedown to win by decision, SV-1 5-3.

Redshirt senior Ethan Smith took on Troy Fisher of Northwestern in the final at 174. Smith struck first with an early takedown. He added a couple more to lead after the first period, 6-3. Smith led 8-5 going into the third with a takedown and a pair of Fisher escapes in the second. The title went to Smith, who finished off the match to win by decision, 10-5.

Another Ohio State redshirt senior, Kaleb Romero, met Matthew Finesilver of Michigan at 184 for the Open Title. Romero got out to the quick lead with a takedown for the 2-1 advantage after the first. Romero added three takedowns in the second to lead 8-4 going into the third. Romero closed out the match for the title with a win by decision, 12-5.

Ohio State's final opportunity for a title came at 197 where Gavin Hoffman battled Zac Braunagel of Illinois. There was no score after the first period. Braunagel got the escape in the second for the 1-0 lead before adding a takedown for a 3-0 advantage. Braunagel then earned the title, winning by fall at 4:20.

In the Freshman/Sophomore Division, Brendan McCrone defeated Malachi O'Leary of Ohio University by fall at 3:20 to claim the championship in his first event as a Buckeye.

At 133, Nic Bouzakis pinned Koal Brower of Illinois at 1:18 to give Ohio State its second champion of the day. Bouzakis won by fall in three of four matches on the day and won the other by major decision (12-1).

Ohio State was guaranteed a champion 197 in the Freshman/Sophomore Division with both Seth Shumate and Luke Geog making the finals. Geog came away with the championship with a 6-1 win by decision.