Lopez leads RedStorm men at Lucha Open

Rio Grande Sports Information
     POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. - Zack Lopez posted a third-place showing in the 157-pound Silver bracket to lead the University of Rio Grande men's wrestling team in Saturday's Lucha Open hosted by Life University at McEachern High School.
     Conner Blessing added a trio of victories in the 141-pound Silver division, while three others representing the RedStorm notched a pair of wins.
     Lopez, a freshman from Columbus, Ohio, collected four wins on the mat, while earning his final two victories by no contest.
     Each of Lopez's first three wins came by fall - at 0:34 against Denis Chernyavskiy of Shorter (Ga.), at 1:01 versus Kodey Butler from Mount Olive, and at 3:49 over Jelcey Marte of Liberty.
     Lopez then posted a 6-2 decision over Wyatt Leduc, who was wrestling unattached, before losing by fall at 1:25 to Malachia Harris of Cumberlands (Ky.) in the semifinal round of the championship bracket.
     Lopez then captured third place with no contest wins over Nathaniel Santos of Life University in the consolation semis and over Leduc in the third place match.
     Blessing, a freshman from Point Pleasant, W.Va., went 3-2 in his five matches.
     After dropping a 15-7 majority decision to Hunter Kegley of Cumberland (Tenn.) in his opening match, Blessing rebounded with a 17-0 win by technical fall over Johnathan Pope from Truett-McConnell (Ga.) before knocking off Austin Buird of Montevallo (Ala.) in a 9-0 majority decision.
     Blessing then posted a 5-1 decision over Calvin Moon of Pikeville in the consolation third round before losing by fall at 0:36 to Kevin Kerns of the University Of Central Florida.
     Junior Mackandle Freeman (Point Pleasant, WV), senior Mitchell Freeman (Point Pleasant, WV) and sophomore Pate Eastin (Granger, IN) all went 2-2 in their respective brackets.
     Mackandle Freeman won by technical fall, 16-0, over Dylan Hiller from Emmanuel and defeated David Herrick, who was wrestling unattached, by fall at 4:26 in the 157-pound Gold division.
     Mitchell Freeman, in the 165-pound Gold bracket won by fall over Tony Connor of Missouri Baptist University at 2:21, while also earning a 12-3 majority decision over Briar Whaley from Emmanuel.
     Eastin was part of the 174-pound Gold division and posted consecutive wins in the consolation bracket, defeating Abram Fessenden of Williams Baptist by fall at 1:06 and winning a 6-3 decision against Ethan Baker from Apprentice School.
     Three others from Rio earned one win apiece - junior Justin Bartee (Point Pleasant, WV) in the 165-pound Gold division, freshman Ben Sloan (Ironton, OH) in the 149-pound Silver bracket and senior Kaylin Foust (Charlotte, NC) in the 157-pound Silver division.
     Bartee's win was a 17-2 technical fall over Dylan Hogan of Montreat College, while Sloan had a 20-5 technical fall over Caleb Campbell (Unattached-HS) and Foust won by technical fall (22-7) over Tristan Williams from Montevallo (Ala.).
     Two Rio wrestlers - junior Ashton Simison (Enon, OH) and freshman Gary Reno (Hillsboro, OH) - both went winless in the Gold Division 184-pound bracket and the 184-pound Silver division, respectively.
     The RedStorm is scheduled to return to action on Dec. 14 at the Rocky Top Duals in Gatlinburg, Tenn.