Ashland University's wrestling team picked the right time to be as healthy – and as productive – as it has been all season.
The 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships were contested on Saturday (Jan. 27) at Tiffin, and the No. 19-ranked Eagles outlast the also-No. 19-ranked Dragons in the team standings, 109-102.5. In the process, Ashland won its third Great Midwest title in four attempts – becoming the first Great Midwest wrestling program to win as many.
Ashland led the conference field going into the first- and third-place matches, and had a 10-point lead on Tiffin, 90-80. The Dragons took the lead during the early weights – before the Eagles reeled off four consecutive individual conference titles.
- Sophomore Sevriano Garza went from a 4-8 start to the season to a conference title at 165 pounds. He was 2-0 with a major decision on the day, and has won six of his last seven bouts to improve to 10-9 on the season.
- No. 10-ranked sophomore Nate Barrett won the 174-pound title thanks to a 3-0 day with a pin and two technical falls. Barrett is 18-5 this season. After that title, the Eagles led the Dragons, 101-100.5, and didn't look back.
- No. 2-ranked graduate Daniel Beemer went 3-0 with a pin, a tech fall and a major decision to win the 184-pound conference championship. He is 6-0 this season.
- Then, at 197 pounds, senior Walker Uhl finished off a 3-0 day with a pin and a major decision after topping his teammate, redshirt freshman Peyton Lemon, in the title match. Uhl had wrestled just once this season prior to Saturday after coming back from injury.
All told, nine Eagles placed on Saturday – with every point up and down the AU roster being important.
No. 9-ranked grad
Drew Wiechers was second at 157 pounds (2-1, two pins, 13-4 in 2023-24), and Lemon was the runner-up at 197 (2-1, tech fall, major decision, 13-12 in 2023-24). Redshirt freshman
Luke Acuna took third at 125 pounds (4-1, two pins, 19-8 in 2023-24).
Ending in fourth place were freshman
Hayden Kuhn at 149 pounds (3-2, tech fall, major decision, 16-10 in 2023-24) and sophomore
Wyatt Bailey at 285 pounds (2-2, two pins, 16-14 in 2023-24).
After Ashland and Tiffin, Lake Erie was third with 89.5 points, Findlay fourth with 59, Thomas More fifth with 47, and Kentucky Wesleyan sixth with 16.
UP NEXT
Alumni and Youth Night on Friday (Feb. 2) at 7 p.m. against Tiffin at Kates Gymnasium.
