CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The No. 3 Southeastern wrestling team delivered a commanding opening day at the NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships on Friday inside the UNI-Dome, sweeping two ranked opponents to punch its ticket to Saturday's semifinals.
Southeastern opened the day with a convincing 34–11 victory over No. 15 Arizona Christian, then followed with a decisive 28–8 win against No. 12 Cumberlands to cap a flawless 2–0 start in the opening rounds of the tournament.
The Fire wasted no time asserting control in the morning dual, beginning at 125 pounds where
Brodie Christmas set the tone with a 10–4 decision over Julio Gonzales to give SEU an early lead. After Arizona Christian responded with a major decision at 133, the Firestorm briefly surged ahead following back-to-back majors at 141.
That momentum was short-lived.
At 149 pounds, No. 2
Mario De La Torre ignited the Fire bench with one of the most electric moments of the day, pinning Ryan Robles in just 14 seconds. The pin flipped the dual on its head and swung the team score back in Southeastern's favor, 9–8.
From there, the Fire tightened their grip.
Justin Krebs followed with a pin of his own at 157 pounds, flattening Kadrick Lewallen at the 2:52 mark to stretch the lead to seven. At 165, No. 5
Anthony Federico put on a clinic, rolling to a 19–4 technical fall over Nicholas Pina and pushing the margin to double digits.
Arizona Christian picked up a decision at 174, but Southeastern answered emphatically down the stretch.
Tyler Hanna secured a major decision at 184,
Kasten Grape recorded a fall at 197, and heavyweight
Bryce Wheatley closed the dual with a 16–2 major decision to seal the 34–11 win.
The Fire scored four bonus-point victories in the opening dual, using pins and major decisions to separate themselves decisively.
Southeastern's afternoon matchup against Cumberlands followed a different script, with the Patriots striking first and holding an 8–0 advantage through the opening two weights.
The Fire began their comeback at 141 pounds, where No. 2
Andrew Voiles battled past No. 16 Eli Peyton in a tight 5–3 decision to get SEU on the board. At 149, No. 11
Raymond Cavey delivered a pivotal performance, securing the winning takedown with 34 seconds remaining in the third period to escape with a 5–4 decision and trim the deficit to two.
Momentum swung fully at 157 pounds.
De La Torre, competing at a higher weight, needed just 35 seconds to pin Brice Coleman, vaulting Southeastern ahead 12–8 and shifting the tone of the dual. Federico followed with another strong effort at 165, earning a 12–5 decision over No. 21 Rider Trumble to extend the lead.
One of the most dramatic moments of the day came at 174 pounds.
Jovon Mitchell, wrestling up a weight class, escaped in the final seconds before scoring a takedown at the buzzer to edge No. 24 Derrick Bannister, 5–4, sending the Fire bench into celebration and pushing the advantage to 18–8.
Southeastern continued to pour it on from there. At 184, No. 14
August Batson rolled to a 16–5 major decision, and at 197, No. 5
Gentry Smith clinched the dual with an 8–3 decision over Malachi Evans. Wheatley capped the sweep with an 8–5 decision at heavyweight, closing out the 28–8 victory.
With two ranked wins on day one, Southeastern advances to the national semifinals, where the Fire will face No. 1 Grand View on Saturday at noon ET. The winner will advance to the championship dual scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, while the semifinal loser will wrestle for third place at 2 p.m. ET.
The opposite semifinal will feature No. 2 Life against No. 4 Indiana Tech, setting the stage for a loaded championship Saturday inside the UNI-Dome.
