TIFFIN, Ohio – Notre Dame College wrestling competed for the second time this season and had a solid showing at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open. The Falcons had eight individuals place in the top-eight, with
Matthew Kaufmann leading the way by placing second at 141 lbs.
The open was broken up into the gold and white divisions.
Kaufmann, the 2020-21 Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year, snuck past Austin Fietz (Lake Erie) in a tie-breaker (5-2) to start the day in the white division at 141. He then started to roll through the bracket, defeating Matthew Grant, of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), with a 5-2 decision in the quarterfinal and then in the semifinal, he defeated Gavin Owens in another close 4-3 decision. In the First Place Match, Kaufmann could not get past Christopher Horton (RIT) and took second place following a 7-3 decision.
Logan Hall wrestled at 184 lbs. in the gold division and took third place. Hall, coming off of an All-MEC First Team performance at the conference tournament last season, went up against Glenville State's Cole Houser in the first round. Houser got past NDC's grappler in an incredibly tight 3-2 decision. The senior then went on a run and beat his next three opponents. Hall defeated Drake Kendrex (West Liberty) by 5-1 decision, took down Luke McGonigal (Mercyhurst) with a 6-2 decision and grabbed third place by defeating Kian Thompson (Tiffin) with a 6-0 decision.
Thomas Schmitt (174) and
Michael Viramontes (285) both wrestled in the gold division and both finished fourth. Schmitt defeated Nicolas Smythe, of Tiffin, with a 9-6 decision in the quarterfinal. Viramontes' highlight of the day was his victory over Tiffin's David Henson with a pin in the quarterfinal.
Cale Hoskinson earned fifth place at 165, coming back from a close loss early in the day. The freshman bounced back with a pin of Heidelberg's Brady Salmons (1:08) in the consolation semifinals before defeating Logan Germaine (Heidelberg) with a 9-2 decision in the Fifth Place Match.
Melvin Patterson (White 157) grabbed sixth, winning twice on the day. Patterson defeated Ohio University's Liam Harris by fall (6:49) in consolation round two.
Dylan Burnoski (Gold 133) earned sixth place and had a wild win in quarterfinal, when he defeated Glenville State's Devin Easton with an 11-10 decision.
Seth Horton took eighth place after winning four times in white division's 149 lbs. bracket. He was victorious by decision in round one, but then lost in round two. In his battle back to place, the freshman pinned Mercyhurst's Nolan Shaffer before defeating Austin Shepherd (Cleveland State) and Noah Mattin by decision. He was unable to win a fourth straight in the consolation semifinal.
Notre Dame travels next Saturday, Nov. 20, to compete in the Findlay Open.
