Wagers, Bartee shine for Rio at Cumberland Open

Rio Grande Sports Information
     LEBANON, Tenn. - Bruce Wagers posted a runner-up finish, while teammate Justin Bartee placed third to lead the University of Rio Grande men's wrestling team in Sunday's Cumberland University Open at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center.
     Wagers, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, did his damage in the 285-pound division, while Bartee was part of the tourney's 184-pound bracket.
     Wagers cruised through his first four matches to reach the finals, defeating Evan Smigelski of Defiance College by technical fall and then posting consecutive pins of Liberty University's Zachary Kaminski, Ja'Quavian Daniels of Brewton Parker (Ga.) College and Emmett Bivens from Wayland Baptist (TX).
     Wagers' shot at taking the title ended, though, when he was forced to medically forfeit to Miguel Perez of Lindsey Wilson (KY) College in the finals.
     Bartee, a senior from Point Pleasant, W.Va., fought his way through the consolation bracket after following up his opening round bye with an 18-1 technical fall to Ashton Habiel, who was wrestling unattached.
     Bartee rebounded to notch and 18-15 sudden victory over Zahquel Davis of Brewton Parker before pinning Wayland Baptist's Dayne Stormer.
     Bartee then advanced by forfeit over Uriah Virzi from the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) and won the third place match over Logan Heckert from host Cumberland University by medical forfeit.
     In addition to the success enjoyed by Wagers and Bartee, junior Pate Eastin (Granger, IN) also scored three wins in his five bouts at 165 pounds.
     Eastin tallied consecutive major decision victories over Noah Myrick of Brewton Parker and Brady Nardella from Huntingdon (Ala.) before dropping a 5-1 decision to Cumberlands' Jack Willen in the championship quarterfinals.
     Eastin then posted another major decision triumph over Jordan Scott of Liberty before losing a 10-5 decision to Corbin Falgout of Huntingdon.
     Three others representing Rio Grande went 1-2 in their respective weight classes.
     Sophomore Conner Blessing (Point Pleasant, WV) won his first match at 141 pounds - a 3-1 decision over Cofy Walls of Georgetown (Ky.) College - before losing each of his next two contests.
     Senior Kaylin Foust (Charlotte, NC) collected a forfeit win over Liberty's Gordon Watson at 157 pounds and freshman William Bush (Greenville, OH) won by medical forfeit over Cumberland University's Elijah Griffin.
     Freshman Jaydon DeHart (Ashland, KY) and fellow frosh Braeden Buxton (Mechanicsburg, OH) both went winless at 133 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively.
     Rio Grande's next time on the mat will be in the Mid-South Conference Championships on Feb. 13 in Bowling Green, Ky.