LAKELAND, Fla.—Six Fire wrestlers will have their seasons continue at the NAIA National Championships after Southeastern placed second at the Mid-South Conference Southeast Championship match hosted by SEU on Saturday.
Southeastern had six wrestlers participate in the 10 championship bouts which included senior
Jesse Pryor winning the 285-pound title. Pryor won by fall in his semifinal match over Earnest Johnson in the first period then battled back to win a 6-4 decision in the title match.
"For about two hours, I was thinking to myself I'm going to win this, I want this, it's the conference tournament, we're at home, it's been four years, I need to get it," said Pryor of his match with Joel Faglier, whom he had lost to earlier this season. "That transferred to the mat and the last takedown, I was thinking to go hard and I don't care where I end up, I have to score."
Pryor earned a wild card bid to nationals.
Adrian Ayala also earned a wild card after placing second at 141. Ayala needed just 21 seconds to win his quarterfinal match, then defeated teammate Max Kauffman in the semis 5-3. Ayala lost in the championship to Tyree Johnson of Life, 4-2.
Kauffman finished third with a tech fall win in the third-place match.
Andreus Bond was the runner up at 149 defeating teammate
Jaquan English 5-3, and lost by fall in the championship. Bond earned a wild card bid to nationals. English placed third with a second period fall.
At 165,
Kyle Kirkham was the runner up with a tech fall and a major to advance to the final where he lost to Mid-South Wrestler of the Year Sid Ohl, 3-1. Kirkham earned a wild card bid as well.
Stephen Kelle was the runner-up at 174 with a tech fall in the semis before dropping a major decision in the final.
Kohl Drake finished second at 184, winning a major decision in the quarters and a 4-1 decision in the semis. Drake battled through injury in a 10-4 loss in the final. Drake earned a wild card bid to nationals.
Carlos Diaz placed fourth at 184, dropping a 5-3 decision in the third-place match after winning a major decision in the quarters, and losing an 8-5 decision in the semis.
Isaac Crowell earned a trip back to Wichita with a fourth-place finish at 125. In his four matches, Crowell scored 27 points.
Nationals begin on March 5
th in Wichita.
