FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- The No. 2-ranked SEU Wrestling team showcased its impressive depth and balance once again with a strong outing at the Georgia Open, earning 13 total place winners and producing a tournament champion. Against a deep field, the Fire recorded more than 90 combined victories, highlighted by standout performances throughout the lineup.
Top-ranked
Aaron Lucio continued his dominance at 133 pounds, finishing a perfect 6-0 to claim the tournament title.
At 149 pounds, No. 12
Raymond Cavey turned in a 6-1 record to finish as runner-up in a highly competitive bracket, while No. 2
Kasten Grape went 4-1 to earn second place at 197. Southeastern also had multiple top-four finishes, with
Noah Gregory (4-2) and
Jaxon Mackey (5-3) each taking fourth at 149, and
Seth Tshiams (3-2) placing fourth at 285.
A trio of fifth-place finishes came from No. 16
Drew Jones (6-2, 141),
Fabian Facundo (5-1, 165), and
Ralph Sanchez (5-1, 197), all of whom battled deep into their respective brackets with strong winning percentages and bonus-point victories along the way.
At 184 pounds,
Jonathan Vanderbilt went 6-1 to place sixth, while
Kai Shultz earned eighth at the same weight with a 4-3 mark.
Jake Bucci (5-2, 125),
Austin Scott (5-2, 157), and
Husam Mustafa (3-2, 174) also reached the podium with eighth-place finishes to round out the Fire's 13 place winners.
In addition to those who placed, SEU had several wrestlers finish with winning records, including
Erick Hair (4-2 at 125),
Anthony O'Dell (3-2 at 133),
Jackson Crawford (4-2 at 149), No. 18
Ryan Bennett (5-2 at 157),
Michael Shannon (4-2 at 157),
Joseph Kindred (3-2 at 157), and No. 21
Justin Krebs (4-3 at 157).
Altogether, Southeastern placed wrestlers in every weight class and produced 20 competitors with winning records, reinforcing the Fire's depth and competitive consistency across the board.
SEU returns to dual action on Thursday, November 13, traveling to face Keiser University at 7 p.m. in West Palm Beach, Florida.
