Michigan
Clarion Open
Walker Claims 174-Pound Title, Wolverines Place Eight at Clarion Open
11/3/2024 6:45:00 PM | Wrestling
» Joseph Walker captured the 174-pound title at the Clarion Open with a 4-0 record and a 4-2 decision in the finals.
» Michigan posted eight total place winners; Brock Mantanona and Jaden Bullock also reached the finals at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively.
» Mantanona and Hayden Walters (197) earned their first collegiate wins; Walters placed fourth at 197 pounds in his debut tournament.
CLARION, Pa. -- University of Michigan wrestling fifth-year senior Joseph Walker captured the 174-pound title, leading a group of eight Wolverine place winners at the season-opening Clarion Open on Sunday (Nov. 3) at Tippin Gymnasium.
Walker posted a 4-0 record, defeating Clarion's 28th-ranked John Worthing, 4-2, in the championship final. Walker, who is unranked nationally, scored on a first-period single leg and earned riding time in the second period before losing it -- down to :59 -- in the third. In two extended scrambles late, he neither scored nor conceded points, holding on for the win. Walker earned bonus points with a quick fall in the first round and two major decisions, including a 12-1 win over Mario Hutcherson in the semifinals, highlighted by two takedowns and a late six-point feet-to-back move with 2:19 in riding time.
Freshman Brock Mantanona and fifth-year senior Jaden Bullock also reached the finals at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively, before losing decision matches. Mantanona's comeback attempt fell short in an 8-6 loss to Lehigh's Max Brignola in the final. He scored on a single leg midway through the third period to cut the deficit to one but couldn't overcome Brignola's two second-period takedowns. Mantanona went 4-1 in his collegiate debut with four bonus wins, including a 17-2 technical fall over Bucknell's Creedi Thomas with three takedowns and eight back points in just 2:04.
Similarly, Bullock couldn't overcome a two-takedown second period in a 7-2 loss to Ohio State's third-ranked Rocco Welsh in the championship final. Bullock finished the day 3-1 with two bonus wins, including a quarterfinal pin against Navy's Cael Crebs with a cradle at the 4:46 mark.
Sophomore Sergio Lemley, sophomore/freshman Dylan Gilcher, and fifth-year senior Zack Mattin each bounced back from semifinal losses to claim third place at 141, 149, and 157 pounds, respectively.
Lemley fell to Lehigh's Luke Stanich -- a 125-pound All-American last season -- in the tiebreaker, 2-2, on riding time in the semifinals after opening with three straight technical falls, including a 19-3 win over Ohio State's Andre Gonzalez with six takedowns in the quarterfinals. He closed the tournament with a 12-6 decision against Pittsburgh's Briar Priest.
Gilcher and Mattin each posted 4-1 records on the day. Gilcher capped his performance with an 8-5 decision over Bellarmine's Zac Cowan, scoring two first-period takedowns. Mattin, who dropped an overtime heartbreaker in the semifinals, defeated Clarion's Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, 5-0, with an early takedown and nearly three minutes of riding time.
Sophomore/freshman Hayden Walters, competing unattached while redshirting this season, claimed fourth place with a 2-2 record in his collegiate debut at 197 pounds. He opened with two major decisions, including a 15-2 win over Bellarmine's Andrew Liber with a takedown, two reversals, and eight back points before narrowly losing to Buckeye opponents in the semifinals and third-place bout. Walters fell 7-5 in his semifinal against 11th-ranked Luke Geog, pushing the pace and drawing three stall warnings but unable to finish on a score. Walters missed all of last season due to injury.
Michigan will send another group to the annual Michigan State Open next Saturday (Nov. 9) at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Mich. Action is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Michigan Results
125 Pounds - Christian Tanefeu
First Round - dec. by Matt Marlow (Pittsburgh), 4-2
Consolations - tech. fall Major Lewis (Bloomsburg), 16-0
Consolations - pinned Garatt Lautzenheiser (Ohio State), 1:21
Consolations - dec. by Max Elton (Buffalo), 9-5
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
125 Pounds - Nolan Wertanen
First Round - major dec. Eamonn Jimenez (Edinboro), 14-3
Second Round - major dec. by Keanu Dillard (unattached), 8-0
Consolations - dec. by Damion Ryan (Bellarmine), 5-4
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
141 Pounds - Sergio Lemley
First Round - tech. fall Jacob Brenneman (Edinboro), 20-4 (5:39)
Second Round - tech. fall Cole French (Buffalo), 21-3 (6:12)
Quarterfinals - tech. fall Andre Gonzalez (Ohio State), 19-3 (6:55)
Semifinals - dec. by Luke Stanich (Lehigh), 2-2 TB
Third-Place Match - dec. Briar Priest (Pittsburgh), 12-6
Finished in third place with a 4-1 record
149 Pounds - Dylan Gilcher
First Round - major dec. Keegan Knapp (Kent State), 16-3
Second Round - dec. Garrett McChesney (Edinboro), 5-2
Quarterfinals - dec. Jack Crook (Harvard), 7-3
Semifinals - major dec. by Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), 15-3
Third-Place Match - dec. Zac Cowan (Bellarmine), 8-5
Finished in third place with a 4-1 record
157 Pounds - Amaan Gulacha
First Round - dec. by Jack Pletcher (Pittsburgh), 2-1
Consolations - dec. by Eric Alderfer (Lock Haven), 4-0
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
157 Pounds - Zack Mattin
First Round - pinned Denis Kodakov Gil (unattached), 2:20
Second Round - tech. fall Jayden O'Farrill (unattached), 17-0 (5:17)
Quarterfinals - major dec. Gavin Brown (Ohio State), 10-0
Semifinals - dec. by Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo), 10-7 SV
Third-Place Match - dec. Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion), 5-0
Finished in third place with a 4-1 record
165 Pounds - Brock Mantanona
First Round - tech. fall Creed Thomas (Bucknell), 17-2 (2:04)
Second Round - tech. fall Kaeden Berger (Clarion), 22-5 (3:47)
Quarterfinals - injury def. Carter Chase (Ohio State), 2:20
Semifinals - tech. fall Keegan Rothrock (Brown), 19-4 (4:27)
Final - dec. by Max Brignola (Lehigh), 8-6
Finished as runner-up with a 4-1 record
174 Pounds - Josh Knudten
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. by Grant Odell (Bellarmine), 4-1
Consolations - dec. Josh Barlow (Pitt Johnstown), 4-2
Consolations - dec. Hunter Hutcheson (Edinboro), 4-2
Consolations - major dec. Brody Evans (Edinboro), 14-3
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
174 Pounds - Joseph Walker
First Round - Bye
Second Round - pinned Kenneth Rhodes (unattached), 0:24
Quarterfinals - major dec. Hunter Hutcheson (Edinboro), 13-1
Semifinals - major dec. Mario Hutcherson (unattached), 12-1
Final - dec. John Worthing (Clarion), 4-2
Finished as the 174-pound champion with a 4-0 record
184 Pounds - Codei Khawaja
First Round - dec. Patrick Cutchember (Clarion), 8-5
Second Round - dec. by Sam Schroeder (Bellarmine), 4-1
Consolations - major dec. Christian Chavez (), 13-3
Consolations - dec. by Michael Bartush (Bucknell), 1-0
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
184 Pounds - Jaden Bullock
First Round - Bye
Second Round - tech. fall Ayden Miller (Clarion), 19-3 (5:45)
Quarterfinals - pinned Cael Crebs (Navy), 4:46
Semifinals - dec. Carson Thomas (unattached), 2-1
Final - dec. by Rocco Welsh (Ohio State), 7-2
Finished as runner-up with a 3-1 record
184 Pounds - Jack Cummings
First Round - major dec. by Adrian Gacek (Clarion), 15-4
Consolations - dec. Connor Scuilla (Buffalo), 4-2
Consolations - dec. by Ayden Miller (Clarion), 11-8
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
197 Pounds - Matt McKenna
First Round - tech. fall by Michael Beard (Lehigh), 21-5 (3:30)
Consolations - dec. by Gage Yackee (Navy), 7-0
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
197 Pounds - Hayden Walters
First Round - Bye
Second Round - major dec. Andrew Liber (Bellarmine), 15-2
Quarterfinals - major dec. Mason Rebulk (Bloomsburg), 17-5
Semifinals - dec. by Luke Geog (Ohio State), 7-5
Third-Place Match - dec. by Seth Shumate (Ohio State), 5-4
Finished in fourth place with a 2-2 record
Heavyweight - Austin Jordan
First Round - major dec. by Thaddeus Huff (Bellarmine), 10-2
Consolations - major dec. by Magnus Bibla (Buffalo), 9-1
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
Heavyweight - Ira Jenkins
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. Daulton Mayer (Bellarmine), 11-7
Quarterfinals - dec. by Hogan Swenski (Ohio State), 7-1
Consolations - dec. by Spencer Lanosga (Navy), 7-6
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
Heavyweight - Dzhabrail Khurshidov
First Round - pinned Spencer Lanosga (Navy), 1:36
Second Round - major dec. Cash Henderson (Cornell), 11-3
Quarterfinals - major dec. by Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), 14-3
Consolations - dec. by Austin Chapman (Clarion), 4-2
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
Heavyweight - Keegan Nugent
First Round - Bye
Second Round - pinned Jack MacDonald (Buffalo), 2:47
Quarterfinals - tech. fall by Nick Feldman (Ohio State), 21-5 (4:07)
Consolations - dec. Daulton Mayer (Bellarmine), 3-2
Consolations - dec. John Mayers (Clarion), 4-0
Fifth-Place Match - pinned by Spencer Lanosga (Navy), 0:53
Finished in sixth place with 3-2 record
Heavyweight -- Lance Trost
First Round - dec. by John Meyer (Clarion), 4-2
Consolations - pinned by Daulton Mayer (Bellarmine), 1:13
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
Players Mentioned
