RedStorm men open campaign at Patriot Open

Rio Grande Sports Information
     CORBIN, Ky. - Justin Bartee and Zackery Burroughs picked up three wins each, while two of their teammates won twice to lead the efforts of the University of Rio Grande men's wrestling team at Saturday's season-opening Pepsi Patriot Open hosted by the University of the Cumberlands.
     Bartee, a junior from Point Pleasant, W.Va., went 3-2 in the 157-pound Open division, while Burroughs - a sophomore from St. Paris, Ohio - did the same in the 157-pound Freshman/Sophomore bracket.
     Bartee opened with an 11-4 decision over Vinnie Abbey of Indiana Tech before defeating Billy Tate of Cumberland (Tenn.) University by fall at 5:23.
     After falling into the consolation bracket with a 4-3 tiebreaker loss to Jeff Dunasky of Marian (Ind.) University, Bartee rebounded with a 10-1 majority decision over Noah Smith of Oklahoma Wesleyan before seeing his day to come to an end with a loss to Jewell Williams of Bellarmine (Ky.) University by fall at 0:47.
     Burroughs also opened with a pair of wins, pinning Austen Murphy of Siena Heights (Mich.) University at 1:06 and Thomas Magness of Cumberland University at 6:47, being losing by fall to Colin Jewell of Cleary (Mich.) University by fall at 1:42.
     He bounced back in the consolation bracket to pin Kairyn Hall of Bluefield (WV) State University at 1:43, but fell victim to a 16-3 majority decision against Justin Krebs of Southeastern (Fla.).
     Senior Mitchell Freeman (Point Pleasant, WV) won a pair of matches for the RedStorm in the 165-pound Open bracket, while freshman Conner Blessing (Point Pleasant, WV) also won twice at 141 pounds in the Freshman/Sophomore bracket.
     Freeman pinned Deaunte Epp of Kentucky Wesleyan University at 2:16 and earned a 6-3 decision over Eli Clemmons of Cumberland University before falling by decision to both Anthony Federico of Southeastern (4-1) and Peyton Brooks of Life (Ga.) University (3-2).
     Blessing dropped a 12-9 sudden victory decision to Alex Velazquez of Midway (Ky.) University before rebounding to defeat Malachi Williams of Brewton-Parker (Ga.) by medical forfeit and John Stivers of Indiana Tech in a 12-0 majority decision. His day ended with a 13-3 majority decision loss to Blake Walker of Brewton-Parker.
     Rio's only other victories on the day came from sophomore Pate Eastin (Granger, IN) and freshman Abdul Khalaf (Columbus, OH).
     Eastin recorded a 10-6 decision over Drake Egan of Indiana Tech in the 174-pound Open bracket before suffering an 11-2 majority decision loss to Julius Polk of Rochester (Mich.) University and falling by technical fall, 15-0, to Alexander Couto of Life.
     Khalaf, competing in the 133-pound Freshman/Sophomore division, rolled to a 17-5 majority decision over Trevon Hawkins-Roberts of Keiser (Fla.) University before losing to Bregan Berry of Reinhardt (Ga.) University by fall at 4:07 and dropping a 10-0 majority decision to Alejandro Saldana of Southwestern (Mich.) University.
     Four others represented Rio Grande at the event, but all finished 0-2.
     The quartet included junior Mackandle Freeman (Point Pleasant, WV) in the 149-pound Open division, freshman Connor Bledsoe (Techumseh, OH) in the 285-pound Freshman/Sophomore division, freshman Gary Reno (Hillsboro, OH) in the 184-pound Freshman/Sophomore bracket and freshman Davin Skinner (Olive Hill, KY) in the 165-pound Freshman/Sophomore division.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Nov. 16 at the Grand View Open in Des Moines, IA.