FINAL RESULTS

ADA, Ohio – The Otterbein wrestling team got back on the mat Saturday at the Ohio Northern Invitational, finishing fifth out of 11 teams and getting an individual title from 197-pound sophomore Drew Kasper.

The Cardinals had four wrestlers finish in the top-three and seven total placers in their respective weight classes, compiling 106 points as a group and improving one spot from their result last year.

Kasper, ranked 11th nationally, led the way by running through the 197-pound bracket and successfully defending his title. The top seed, his path consisted of a bye, 6-1 decision, 33-second pin, 23-6 technical fall and then an 11-5 triumph over Alma's Taylor McPhail in the championship showdown. Kasper now stands 12-2 this season.

Sophomore Santino DiSabato continued his strong efforts at 133 pounds, winning three-straight matches before a 10-4 loss in the title contest against Kolten Radaz of Campbellsville. He had two decisions, one major, and now holds a 10-4 individual mark.

Classmates Jackson Lakso (125) and Nate Temple (285) also advanced into the semifinals of the winner's section before taking losses that re-routed their days.

Lakso had a dominant 16-0 tech fall and then a 13-9 decision before getting defeated by top-seeded Jared Brickley of Olivet. He would fight back from there through the consolation bracket, responding with an 11-0 major decision and then a 7-4 win over Mason Brainard in the third-place contest. He now stands 13-4 this year.

Temple caught fire out of the gate with a trio of first-round pins, two coming in the opening minute, until a hard-fought 8-2 loss against Ohio Northern's Nathan Barcaskey, the top-seeded heavyweight and eventual champ. Temple eventually settled for fifth place on the day after a medical forfeit.

Sophomore Willy Plaisir opened strong as the top seed at 165 pounds, posting a lopsided 15-0 tech fall before an unfortunate upset loss to Alma's Joseph Vondrasek, who emerged with a 10-2 major. Plaisir, the defending 157-pound champion, regrouped nicely to maneuver his way through the consolation section and also secure a third-place finish. He made the third-place showdown after surviving a 13-12 decision in the previous outing, and then punctuated his stay on a pin just 1:08 into the opening round.

Freshman Bryce Hessler turned in a nice afternoon competing at 174, battling through the consolation bracket to earn a sixth-place individual finish. Joey Tromba opened on a technical-fall win in the same weight class before absorbing a pair of losses.

Another pair of freshman also gained some valuable experience at 197 pounds. Connor Knabe notched a 3-1 sudden-victory for the Cardinals while classmate Bradley Minnard managed an eighth-place finish for the team effort.

Otterbein will be back in action Tuesday evening, traveling to Muskingum for an Ohio Athletic Conference dual at 7:30 p.m.