FINAL BRACKETS
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

WHEATON, Ill. – A shorthanded Cardinal wrestling squad traveled to the Pete Willson Invitational hosted by Wheaton College over the weekend, eventually settling for a 26th place finish out of 35 total schools.

Otterbein, which finished 13th last year in the very competitive event, took the mat this time without nationally-ranked standouts Willy Plaisir (165) and Drew Kasper (197), who were held out for precautionary reasons to rest injuries.

The Cards did get a nice weekend from their third nationally-ranked wrestler, watching sophomore Jackson Lakso finish fifth in a loaded 125-pound bracket. Ranked No. 25 in the latest poll, he went 4-2 overall by tallying three major decisions and a second-round pin over Muskingum's Jordan Burkholder.

Lakso's losses came against stiff competition, going down to No. 12-ranked Nick Mancini (Mount Union) and No. 6-ranked Mike Tortorice (UW-Whitewater). Tortorice finished third and Mancini came in sixth.

Otterbein's other wins came from Jake Vaughan (149), Bryce Hessler (174) and heavyweight Nate Temple.

Vaughan opened with a tight 6-5 decision over Concordia's Miguel Betancourt before enduring a pair of losses, with consolation defeat being a narrow 4-3 match against Augustana's Matt Sears. Hessler had a 5-3 decision and Temple's victory came via pin at the 2:35 mark. It was his team-leading 12th fall of the year.

Santino DiSabato (133) dropped a pair of very close two-point decisions in his bracket, while 157-pound freshman Denver Aydelott hung in well with top-seeded Steve Bonsall of Chicago before absorbing a 9-5 loss.

Otterbein will be back in action on Tuesday night, heading to Ada for a dual against Ohio Northern at 7:30 p.m.