LAKELAND, Fla. -- Southeastern Wrestling delivered a strong showing on Thursday at the Fire Duals, hosted at the Fire Pit, as the No. 4 Fire went 2–1 against a challenging slate that included Rochester Christian, No. 3 Indiana Tech, and No. 13 Providence (Mont.). SEU earned decisive dual wins over Rochester Christian and Providence while coming up just short in a tightly contested battle with Indiana Tech, showcasing depth across the lineup and multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents.
The day opened against Rochester Christian, and after an early setback, Southeastern quickly asserted control. Rochester Christian struck first at 125 pounds, where Mario Orueta pinned
Brodie Christmas to take a 6–0 lead. The Fire responded immediately at 133, as top-ranked No. 1
Aaron Lucio earned a 12–8 decision over No. 11 Nick Alayan, trimming the deficit and setting the tone for the remainder of the dual.
Momentum fully shifted at 141 pounds, where No. 13
Drew Jones needed just 39 seconds to record a fall over Marcus Abdal, giving SEU its first lead at 9–6. At 149, No. 11
Raymond Cavey followed with one of the most dominant performances of the match, earning a 16–3 major decision to extend the Fire advantage. Rochester Christian closed the gap with a major decision at 157, but Southeastern answered emphatically in the upper weights.
At 165, No. 7
Jovon Mitchell put on a scoring clinic, notching a 22–6 technical fall to push the lead to 18–10.
Lane Reardon kept the bonus-point surge rolling with a fall at 174, and at 184, No. 16
Jonathan Vanderbilt edged out a 5–4 decision to continue the Fire's momentum. The final two bouts sealed the result, as No. 5
Gentry Smith pinned Nick Meli at 197 and
Bryce Wheatley added a fall at heavyweight, lifting Southeastern to a convincing 39–10 victory.
Southeastern then turned its attention to one of the marquee duals of the day against No. 3 Indiana Tech, a matchup that featured several ranked head-to-head bouts and came down to the final match. Indiana Tech opened with a major decision at 125, but Lucio again steadied the Fire at 133, delivering a 15–2 major decision over No. 3 Luke Rioux to tie the dual at 4–4.
At 141, Jones continued his outstanding day, earning an 8–5 decision over No. 7 Conner Kimbrough to give Southeastern a brief lead. Indiana Tech answered in the middle weights, with close wins at 149, 157, and 165, including a decision by No. 2 Jonathan Kervin over No. 7
Jovon Mitchell, to build a 13–7 advantage.
The Fire battled back at 174, where
Husam Mustafa picked up a 4–1 decision over No. 11 Michael Durham, cutting the deficit to three. Indiana Tech added to its lead at 184, setting the stage for late drama. At 197, No. 5
Gentry Smith delivered one of the most electrifying moments of the event, pinning No. 7 Nathan Critchfield at the final horn to tie the dual at 16–16 and force a winner-take-all heavyweight bout. Indiana Tech ultimately secured the dual at 285, as No. 12 Johnny Cruz recorded a fall, handing Southeastern a narrow 22–16 loss.
The Fire closed the day with a strong response against No. 13 Providence (Mont.), controlling the dual from start to finish. Providence opened with a decision at 125, but Lucio answered with authority at 133, recording a fall in 4:48. A forfeit at 141 for No. 2
Andrew Voiles and a 7–0 decision by No. 3
Mario De La Torre at 149 extended the Fire's lead to 15–3.
After Providence earned a fall at 157, Southeastern regained momentum at 165 when
Anthony Federico won by injury default. Mustafa followed with a 10–7 decision at 174, and at 184, No. 14
August Batson added bonus points with a 19–3 technical fall. Providence picked up falls at 197 and 285 to end the day, but the results was a 29–18 win for the Fire.
Southeastern returns to competition on January 9, 2026, traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the NWCA National Team Duals.
