LAKELAND, FLA.-- So far, so good. This Saturday, the team will be at Cumberland University in Chattanooga, Tennessee to take on #20 Cumberland at 10 a.m. and then the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 11:30 a.m.
This will be a homecoming of sorts for head coach
Javier Maldonado, who was a three-time SoCon champion at 125 pounds from 2006-08. His 82 wins at UTC is good for 10th all-time in program history.
Early into the inaugural Southeastern wrestling season, the team most recently placed four wrestlers at the Georgia Intercollegiate.
"It was a well-run event and the competition was great," said coach
Javier Maldonado.
At the Georgia Collegiate, freshman
Ethan Owen scored his second win in as many tournaments, securing the 133-pound championship bout with a pin of Brewton-Parker's Omar Ruiz just 1:04 into the match.
Sophomore
Ryan Strickland was the 149-pound runner-up at the Georgia Intercollegiate, falling to Emmanuel College's Jeremiah Lutz via technical fall.
Olson Delisca and
Zech Rives finished with fourth-place finishes at 125 and 174, respectively.
The Fire will take on the 20th-ranked Bulldogs of Cumberland University at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Cumberland placed six wrestlers at the Patriot Open in late October, including senior Tyler Smith winning the 285-pound bracket. In the Georgia College Open, Cumberland placed nine wrestlers, including Orlando Nawade in the 165-pound bracket, and Smith in his heavyweight bracket.
After Cumberland, SEU will face the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Mocs. They most recently fell to #24 Stanford 19-16. Chris Debien (133), Michael Pongracz (149), John Lampe (184), Scottie Boykin (197), and Jared Johnson (285) all recorded wins in the loss.
