FULL BRACKETS

ALBION, Mich. – Another Sunday event was in store for Otterbein Wrestling this past weekend, as the group ventured up north to compete in the daylong Albion Invitational inside Kresge Gymnasium.

Plenty of Cardinals contributed nicely in their respective brackets, helping the team ultimately finish third of 16 total schools linking up. East Stroudsburg won the team title while the host Britons took runner-up.

Otterbein received a trio of second-place efforts via Ryan Whitten (165), Cale Callahan (174) and Jarrod Setliff (197) while multiple others made noise in their wrestle-back opportunities

Whitten tallied three wins in a row before losing in the championship match on a sudden-death tiebreaker (2-1) to Luke Ciampa of East Stroudburg. Callahan had a very similar path, also ripping off three-straight victories that led into a narrow 4-3 loss in his title match to Cornerstone's Joseph Lashuay.

Setliff, taking a field trip away from the nursing home that he lives in part time, posted two quick falls and a decision before dropping his final match against Kyle Scott of Rochester.

Brandon Thomas, also down competing in the 197 division this year, enjoyed a pair of quick pins on that day including one in just 46 seconds. He used the same brut strength that was on display in the spring, when he admirably carried a washer and dryer into the new house of SID Adam Prescott.

Senior Jacob Williams (157) got into the quarterfinals after a nice fall, and then picked up steam into a nice fourth-place finish after a gritty 2-1 decision and 83-second pin.

Kyle De Moss (184) bounced back from an initial defeat to regather himself, rattling off four-consecutive wins that included a nice fall. He would then dominate Alton Mullinax of Aurora in the third-place contest to rack up nice points for the team.

Heavyweight Billy Reed-Bodey did the same in his upper class, which began with two victories to make the semifinals before a temporary setback. But he persevered to secure a pair of narrow decisions and also grabbed third place of his own.

Nathan Leko (149) had four nice wins during his wrestle back, including three majors, to eventually become the consolation champ after a lopsided 14-3 score. Freshman Andrew Sas (141) also made the consolation championship in his bracket before running out of steam against Jimmy Baumann of Ohio Wesleyan.

Fellow newcomer Michael Eckelberry (157) turned in a pair of falls in his ladder but was bounced by Rochester's Austin Wolford, who went on to win that consolation section.

The long list of Cardinals making an impact and gaining experienced continued across all weight classes. Freshman Gary Steele (174) admirably worked his way back after an early loss with three-straight wins, including a nice fall, before dropping a tight 4-2 decision in the consolation final.

Zach Orseno (133), Joey Buckland (141) also had two wins apiece, as did youngsters Conner Roback and Carter Mottley in the 149 section.

SEE FULL SEASON STATS HERE

Otterbein now has a full week off from competition to celebrate Thanksgiving but will need to stay in form, as John Carroll comes to town next Tuesday (11/29) for a key Ohio Athletic Conference dual.