Michigan
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Mantanona Advances to 184-Pound Semis, U-M in Fifth Place at CKLV
12/5/2025 11:59:00 PM | Wrestling
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Redshirt freshman Brock Mantanona advanced to the 184-pound semifinals to headline the University of Michigan wrestling team's first day of action at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday (Dec. 5) at the Westgate Hotel Paradise Event Center. With four more still alive in the consolation bracket, U-M sits in fifth place in the team standings with 55 points.
Mantanona, the top seed and ranked seventh nationally, went 3-0 on the day and earned a 17-7 major decision against Cal Poly's 21st-ranked Cesar Garza in the quarterfinals. Mantanona scored four takedowns, including two in the third period -- one out of a late scramble in the final 20 seconds to ice the bonus win. He earned a pair of decision wins in the morning session, including a 7-2 victory against South Dakota State's Brock Fettig, with takedowns in the second and third periods. It is his second CKLV tournament; he did not place last season at 165 pounds.
The Wolverines dropped their other quarterfinal bouts in a tough evening round. Graduate student Diego Sotelo (125 pounds), redshirt freshman Cameron Catrabone (157), redshirt sophomore Beau Mantanona (174) and graduate student Taye Ghadiali (Hwt) all bounced back in the bloodround, including three with bonus points, to secure their spots on the podium.
Sotelo, seeded ninth and ranked 23rd, was narrowly leading his quarterfinal bout against Iowa State's 10th-ranked Stevo Poulin after earning a quick escape in the second when he was pinned from neutral -- at the 4:33 mark -- while defending an ISU single leg. He rebounded with his highest-ranked win of the season in his next bout, using two takedowns and four back points to build a 12-0 lead on Northern Illinois' 14th-ranked Blake West before the Huskie wrestler defaulted out at 5:51. Sotelo also earned a ranked win in the second round with an 8-5 comeback against Rider's 18th-ranked Tyler Klinsky, scoring the go-ahead takedown off a single shot with :30 left, added two quick swipes and rode for 1:01.
Catrabone, seeded seventh and ranked 25th at 157 pounds, went toe-to-toe with Stanford's fourth-ranked Daniel Cardenas in the quarterfinals but lost a late scramble on the mat to fall 15-12 to the All-American. Catrabone gave up three first-period takedowns but scored a reversal and eight total back points to lead 12-11 on the scoreboard -- with Cardenas holding riding time -- late in the third period. He shot in on a deep single leg with 30 seconds left but could not finish as Cardenas scrambled out to secure the winning takedown with :04 on the clock. He pinned Utah Valley's Mark Takara at 2:32 in his next bout.
Beau Mantanona, seeded third and ranked 13th nationally, also scored a big bloodround fall, pinning Iowa State's eighth-ranked MJ Gaitan at 3:50. Mantanona countered a quick ISU takedown with a reversal and two-point tilt, then added a duck-under takedown of his own late in the period. He came out on top of the second-period scramble, catching a reverse half to pin Gaitan for his third fall of the season. Mantanona dropped a 5-4 decision to South Dakota State's 24th-ranked Moses Espinoza-Owens in the quarterfinals, sacrificing an early lead when SDSU finished on a late second-period takedown and rode out the frame.
Ghadiali, seeded second and ranked fifth at heavyweight, fell 11-2 to Wyoming's Christian Carroll in the quarterfinals on three counter takedowns. He bounced back with a 7-1 decision against Virginia Tech's Parker Farrell in the bloodround with two takedowns and 1:52 in riding-time advantage. Ghadiali picked up bonus points in both of his morning-session bouts, including a 17-1 technical fall against CSU Bakersfield's Mason Cover with three takedowns and eight back points off a pair of tilts.
Michigan will return to action Saturday (Dec. 6) for the second and final day of competition at the 2025 Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. U-M will hit the mat at 10 a.m. PST for the semifinals and continued wrestleback rounds, while the championship finals are slated for a 3 p.m. PST start. All matches will take place at the Westgate Hotel Paradise Event Center.
Top 10 Teams (After Day 1)
1. Iowa State             107.5 2. Stanford               67 3. West Virginia          65.5 4. Arizona State          56 5. MICHIGAN               55 5. South Dakota State     55 7. Oklahoma               47 8. Wyoming                46.5 9. Oregon State           44.5 10. Purdue                44
Michigan Results (Day 1)
Numbers listed are tournament seeds
125 Pounds -- #9 Diego Sotelo
First Round - dec. Ashton Jackson (Purdue), 2-0
Second Round - dec. #8 Tyler Klinsky (Rider), 8-5
Quarterfinals - pinned by #1 Stevo Poulin (Iowa State), 4:33
Consolations - medical forfeit over #5 Blake West (Northern Illinois), 5:51
Consolations - vs. #10 Koda Holeman (Cal Poly)
133 Pounds -- Gauge Botero
First Round - dec. by #4 Sean Spidle (Northwestern), 6-0
Consolations - dec. Kyle Gibson (VMI), 12-2
Consolations - dec. Gavin Caprella (Air Force), 4-2
Consolations - dec. by Mason Leiphart (Franklin & Marshall), 7-1
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
141 Pounds -- Nathan Jerore
First Round - tech. fall by #12 Jack Consiglio (Stanford), 17-0 (4:46)
Consolations - injury def. Jacob Mann (Princeton), 1:17
Consolations - tech. fall by #11 Pierson Manville (Arizona State), 20-4 (4:34)
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
149 Pounds -- #2 Lachlan McNeil
First Round - dec. Andre Gonzalez (Cal Poly), 8-1
Second Round - dec. Patrick Jordon (VMI), 8-2
Quarterfinals - dec. #7 Eligh Rivera (Princeton), 4-3
Consolations - major dec. by Collin Gaj (Virginia Tech), 11-2
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
157 Pounds -- #7 Cameron Catrabone
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. #10 Drayden Morton (Cal Baptist), 4-0
Quarterfinals - dec. by #2 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford), 15-12
Consolations - pinned Mark Takara (Utah Valley), 2:32
Consolations - vs. #6 Jimmy Harrington (Harvard)
165 Pounds -- #3 Dylan Gilcher
First Round - major dec. by Gabriel Schumm (Cal Baptist), 11-2
Consolations - tech. fall Davis Park (Navy), 18-3 (6:12)
Consolations - dec. Luke Gayer (Cal Poly), 9-6
Consolations - dec. by Jacob Bostelman (Northwestern), 2-1 TB
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
174 Pounds -- #3 Beau Mantanona
First Round - tech. fall Aidan Zarrella (Sacred Heart), 20-5 (5:18)
Second Round - dec. Eddie Enright (Northwestern), 12-10
Quarterfinals - dec. by #6 Moses Espinoza-Owens (South Dakota State), 5-4
Consolations - pinned #2 MJ Gaitan (Iowa State), 3:50
Consolations - vs. Cash Stewart (Cal Poly)
184 Pounds -- #1 Brock Mantanona
First Round - dec. Tomas Brooker (Appalachian State), 15-10
Second Round - dec. Brock Fettig (South Dakota State), 7-2
Quarterfinals - major dec. #9 Cesar Garza (Cal Poly), 17-7
Semifinals - vs. #5 Brian Soldano (Oklahoma)
197 Pounds -- Joseph Walker
First Round - Bye
Second Round - medical forfeit over #3 Bennett Berge (South Dakota State)
Quarterfinals - dec. by #6 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia), 2-0
Consolations - dec. by Spencer Mooberry (Northern Illinois), 1-0
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
Heavyweight -- #2 Taye Ghadiali
First Round - major dec. Rylan Kuhn (Air Force), 11-1
Second Round - tech. fall Mason Cover (CSU Bakersfield), 17-1 (4:34)
Quarterfinals - major dec. by #7 Christian Carroll (Wyoming), 11-2
Consolations - dec. Parker Farrell (Virginia Tech), 7-1
Consolations - vs. Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois)
Players Mentioned
