Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Missouri redshirt freshman Patrick Wright finished first at the UNI Open.

 
Wright Finishes First at UNI Open

Tigers Cmpete at UNI Open

Dec. 8, 2008

Cedar Falls, Iowa - Twelve members of Missouri's wrestling team competed unattached at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Open, Dec. 7, in Cedar Falls, Iowa and six earned top four finishes at the all-day event. Redshirt freshman Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) led the charge at 157 pounds, managing a first place finish with his perfect 4-0 record.

Wright, who now stands at 13-4 on the season, opened the annual competition in the UNI Dome with a 5-0 shutout of Minnesota's Jordan Kolbow. Advancing in the bracket, Wright held off Matt Brown of Iowa State and found his next match against Tiger teammate Nick Gregoris (Mebane, N.C.). The Missouri wrestlers went back-and-forth on the mat, but Wright held the upper hand and won the bout, 5-3. The championship match at 157 pounds featured Wright and Iowa State's Nate Carr and resulted in a one point, 2-1, decision in favor of the Tiger grappler.

Gregoris, a freshman who owns a 15-3 record, finished fourth at the tournament. The top-four finish is Gregoris' third of the campaign. Throughout the course of the day, Gregoris managed a 3-2 mark that included an opening round, 19-2 win by technical fall in 6:37 over Stul Gilmore of Iowa and 13-0 major decision of Wisconsin's Brad Nardick.

Freshman Brent Haynes (Kansas City, Mo.) was one of seven competitors in the 184 pound weight class and took second after falling to Iowa's Grant Gambrall, 6-3, in the championship match. Haynes opened the day with a 5-4 decision of Scott Elliot of South Dakota State University.

Tiger teammates Nick Hucke (Pewaukee, Wis.) and Cody Farinella (Maryland Heights, Mo.) finished third and fourth respectively in the 141 pound weight class. Hucke, 15-4 on the season and Farinella, 13-7, met in the third-place match after each were handed losses in the semi-finals. Hucke won out, 11-2, to collect his third top three tournament finish of the season.

A redshirt freshman from O'Fallon, Mo., Brandon Wiest finished the tournament in fourth place while competing at 149 pounds. The fourth place finish ties Wiest's highest tournament finish of the campaign and improves his record to 10-9. After an opening bye, Wiest met at center circle with Northern Iowa's Charlie Ettelson. Wiest won 11-6 and went on to win his next match, 22-5, over Wisconsin's Trey Bertram. After suffering a one point loss to Minnesota's Luke Mellmer, Wiest battled through the wrestle back's and finished fourth.

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