MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- No. 3 Southeastern Wrestling delivered a dominant performance in Appalachian Athletic Conference action, rolling past St. Thomas by a 48–6 final on Thursday night. The Fire won nine of the 10 bouts and collected bonus points in seven matches to remain perfect in AAC dual competition.
After the teams traded forfeits at 125 and 133 to open the dual, Southeastern seized control of the match and never looked back. Top-ranked
Andrew Voiles set the tone at 141, showcasing his pace and precision with a technical fall over Jerry Molina in just 3:34 to give SEU its first lead of the night.
The momentum carried straight into 149, where No. 2
Mario De La Torre wasted little time, recording a 15–0 technical fall in only 2:25 to push the Fire advantage to 16–6. Southeastern continued to pile on bonus points at 157 as
Justin Krebs secured a first-period pin, flattening his opponent in 2:31 to extend the lead to 22–6.
At 165, No. 5
Anthony Federico delivered another dominant performance, controlling the bout from the opening whistle on his way to a technical fall that stretched the team score to 27–6. The Fire showed no signs of slowing down at the upper weights, as
Lane Reardon added a fall at 174 before No. 12
August Batson secured a pin in just over two minutes at 184.
A forfeit at 197 for No. 5
Gentry Smith officially clinched the dual, giving Southeastern a commanding 45–6 advantage heading into the final bout. The night closed at heavyweight as
Bryce Wheatley squared off with No. 23 Gage Cook in the most competitive match of the dual. After a tightly contested bout, Wheatley earned a 3–3 decision via criteria to seal the 48–6 victory for the Fire.
Southeastern now shifts its focus to tournament competition, returning to action on Sunday, February 1, when the Fire travel to South Carolina for the Newberry Open. The all-day event in Newberry, S.C., will provide another opportunity for SEU to test its depth against a broad field as the Fire continue to build momentum toward the postseason.
