Rio's Wagers posts runner-up finish at Fairmont Invite

Rio Grande Sports Information
     FAIRMONT, W.Va. - Bruce Wagers posted a runner-up finish and two of his teammates picked up three victories each to lead the University of Rio Grande wrestling team in Saturday's Fairmont State Invitational at the Feaster Center.
     Brennen Greene and Isaac Gray backed Wagers' efforts to help the RedStorm finish 10th among the 42 competing schools.
     Wagers, a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, posted a trio of wins by fall in the 285-pound bracket - against Hiram College's Davion Thomas, Robert Garrett of Manchester and Kutztown State's Dustin Swanson - before losing to Colby Whitehill, who was wrestling unattached, by fall at 3:48 of their championship match.
     Greene, a senior from Jackson, Ohio, posted a 3-2 record in the 165-pound division. He defeated West Liberty's Brett Goff by fall at 1:33 of their first round match before losing a 4-1 decision to Trine's Lakin Webb.
     Greene then rebounded with a pair of wins by fall - over Trine's Ethan Nash (3:56) and Wiley Houser, who was wrestling unattached, at 1:27 - before being pinned by Thomas More's Kody Kaimann.
     Gray, a sophomore from Frankfort, Ohio, also posted a 3-2 mark in the 174-pound division.
     Gray started the day with a 13-3 major decision over Otterbein's Josh Taylor, but was bumped into the consolation bracket after losing by fall at 6:09 to Waynesburg's Colby Morris.
     Gray bounced back by dropping Jimmy Thomas of Hiram by fall at 0:51 and then pinning Pate Eastin - who was wrestling unattached - at 4:13. His day ended by losing by technical fall to Lindsey Wilson's Cory Cannan.
     Phillip Balis and Layton Vennon also notched one win each in their three matches for the RedStorm.
     Balis, a freshman from Leroy, W.Va., defeated WVU-Tech's Corbyn Cunningham by fall at 1:16 of their 141-pound match, while Vennon - a freshman from Chillicothe, Ohio - pinned Cole Dyer, who was wrestling unattached, at 1:51 of their 125-pound match.
     Sophomore Colin Greenwood (Bethesda, OH) and junior Ethan Pannell (Boise, ID) also represented Rio in the tourney, with both going 0-2 in the 125-pound and 157-pound brackets, respectively.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Thursday when it hosts Patrick & Henry Community College in a dual at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Match time is set for 6 p.m.