INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Millersville University wrestling team competed at the 46th annual Midwest Classic, hosted by the University of Indianapolis, finishing 32nd out of 47 teams in one of Division II's most competitive tournaments.
Redshirt junior Nick Cottone highlighted the weekend for the Marauders with a sixth-place finish. Cottone opened the tournament with two decision victories on Saturday, setting the tone early in the weekend. On Sunday, he continued his strong performance with a 12–8 decision win in the quarterfinals. His momentum slowed in the semifinals, where he was pinned at 6:34. In the subsequent placement match, Cottone jumped out to an early takedown before a reversal led to a cradle and a pin at 2:29. His final match for fifth place once again saw him get the early jump but lose the advantage late, resulting in a sixth-place finish at the Midwest Classic.
"Nick had a great weekend. He didn't finish as strong as we would have liked, but a couple breaks go his way and he's in a different spot," said Head Coach Jerry Boland. "Again, I think he learned some things this weekend about where he stands against the competition and the adjustments he needs to make to jump levels by March."
Sophomore Chase Bish also advanced to Sunday following a strong showing on Saturday. Bish opened the tournament with a dominant 17–7 major decision victory before facing two-time national champion David Hunsberger. Bish battled hard but ultimately fell by technical fall. He rebounded in his final match of the day, earning a fall at 6:47 to secure a spot on Sunday. Bish started his Sunday bout with an early lead, but his Maryville opponent rallied and earned a sudden-victory decision, ending Bish's tournament run.
Redshirt freshman Gavin Boland finished one match shy of advancing to Sunday. After dropping his opening bout by major decision, Boland responded with two straight wins in the consolation bracket, earning victories by decision and technical fall. His tournament concluded with a quick fall in his final match.
At 184 pounds, redshirt sophomore Cole Dubois opened his Midwest Classic with a technical fall at 3:58. He suffered a 7–3 decision loss in his second bout but bounced back in a tightly contested match against a Fairmont State opponent. The bout extended into double overtime, where Dubois was unable to respond after an escape in the second overtime period, concluding his run.
Taylor Robinson and Daniel Sinclair each finished the tournament with 1–2 records. Both dropped their opening-round matches before earning wins in the consolation bracket. Robinson recorded a fall at 2:13, while Sinclair earned a 7–2 decision. Each wrestler then fell in their third match, with Robinson losing by fall and Sinclair by decision.
Mitch Bivona and Jaxon Townsend both went 0–2 on Saturday. Bivona narrowly lost his opening match by decision before dropping his second bout by major decision. Townsend competed tough in both matches but was pinned in each contest.
Caleb Nason's tournament was cut short after he suffered an injury in his opening match and was unable to continue.
"When you build your schedule as a coach, you're looking for opportunities for your athletes to see the toughest competition and also have a positive experience," Boland said. "I think we accomplished both of those this weekend. We definitely saw some good things to build on, and we also learned about other things we need to work on."
The Marauders return to action next Friday when they travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Wilkes Open.
