Wrestling 2/29/2024 9:28:00 PM

Shires, Latimer, and Smith Advance to the Quarterfinals after Day One of the NAIA National Championships

WICHITA, Kan.--Sammy Shires, Jack Latimer, and Cole Smith each advance to the quarterfinals to cap off day two. Five Phoenix remain in action after the first day with the Phoenix slipping to ninth place.

Life University holds on to the lead with 52.0 team points followed closely by Grand View with 49.5. Menlo is in third place with 29.5 points. Campbellsville is in fourth with four wrestlers still in the championship bracket at 25.5 points. Doane and Providence round out the Top 5 tied for fifth place with 25.0 points.

Cumberlands sits in seventh place with 23.0 points. Southeastern is in eighth with 22.5 points followed by the Phoenix in ninth with 21.5. Missouri Valley and Reinhardt are each tied for 10th with 17.5 team points.

Sammy Shires was the first to wrestle at 133 for Cumberland in Session II. Shires was up against 14-seed Haden Hernandez from Missouri Valley and jumped out to a big lead after the first period, 10-2. Hernandez had no quit and picked up five points in the second period to cut it to 10-7. Shires used two escapes as Hernandez got a takedown in the third to win by decision, 13-10. Shires moves on to round three in the championship bracket tomorrow and will face 6-seed Dominic Chavez from Texas Wesleyan.

Jack Latimer opened up round two at 149 against Nick Moore from Campbellsville. Latimer got a point in the second off a stalling call before turning Moore to his back and getting the pin to move on to the quarters. Latimer will square off with 4-seed Parker Debrocky in the morning session tomorrow for a chance to be an All-American.

Cole Smith battled with 15-seed Ledger Petracek from Menlo in the second round. Smith started off strong with a takedown and a nearfall in the first for a 7-0 lead. Petracek got a takedown on Smith in the second period, but Smith got the escape to get a point back up 8-3 going to the third. Petracek got another takedown and let Smith up to try to tie it, but Smith held him off to advance to the quarterfinals with a 9-6 decision. Smith will square off with 10-seed Graham Calhoun from Southeastern tomorrow morning.

Rocco Horvath's first match of the tournament was against No. 1 seed at 184 Isaiah Luellen from Grand View. Horvath suffered a 19-4 tech fall loss to fall to the consolations. Horvath did bounce back in the consolations against KJ Fry from Graceland.He was dominant in the first period picking up three takedowns. In the third, he got Fry to his back and pinned him to move on. Tomorrow he will face off with 8-seed Kyle Knudson in the third round of the consolations.

Kawaun Deboe's championship round match was against No. 3 seed Zane Lanham from Life. Lanham got a 17-2 tech fall on Deboe in the second period to advance and sent Deboe to the consolations tonight with a match against. Deboe took on 13-seed Jacob Vincent from Simpson and bounced back to stay alive with a 9-4 decision. Deboe grabbed a 6-1 lead in the first with two takedowns. He was able to expand upon that to get the win. Deboe will face 11-seed Kenneth Copley from Embry Riddle in the third consolation round tomorrow.

Victor Guzman was set for a rematch of the third place match at the Mid-South Conference Championships against Bryce Nickel from the Cumberlands. After a scoreless first, Nickel got an escape in the second for a 1-0 lead going into the third. Guzman answered with an escape to tie it, but a minute left Nickel posted a takedown. Guzman again got an escape and then received a point after two stalling calls, but could not get past Nickel losing by decision 4-3. In the consolation round, Guzman took on Aundre Beatty from Marian. Going into the third period Guzman was up 1-0, but Beatty got a quick escape and a takedown to hold off and upset Guzman and end his run.

Jared Dinh lost a tough match in his first match of the tournament. After receiving a bye, he was up against No. 9-seed Bret Minor from Life. Minor picked up a takedown in the first and pretty much sat on that going on to win 5-2. Dinh was sent to the consolation round where he took on Bo Davis from Corban who put out his teammate Elijah Griffin in the last round. Davis was able to best Dinh as well in a whirlwind of a match in an 8-6 decision. Dinh got two takedowns in the first and picked up a point from misconduct, but lost four points in the period to trail 4-3. Dinh got a reversal in the second and an escape in the third, but Davis matched him to get the win and end Dinh's championships.

Chris Busutil's second consolation match was against David Corretjer from Central Baptist. Corretjer took a 7-2 lead after the first period with a takedown and a 4-point nearfall. Busutil got an escape in the second, but another takedown put him down 10-3. Starting on top in the third, he used it for a 4-point nearfall, but couldn't overcome the deficit, ending his tournament with an 11-7 loss.

Eli Clemmons also saw his tournament come to an end after losing to 15-seed Donald griffin 8-2. After a scoreless first, Griffin used a 5-1 second where Clemmons lost three points after getting a takedown. Griffin added a takedown in the third to win 8-2 and advance.

Anthony Pyron had a tough draw in the second consolation round as 3-seed Abel Nava from Providence was upset in the championship round. Nava went on to get a 16-0 tech fall and end Pyron's run as well.

Session III will begin tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. in Hartman Arena with the championship bracket starting things off. The third round of consolations will follow to conclude the morning's action.

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Players Mentioned

Anthony Pyron: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Sammy Shires: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Cole Smith: 5' 11"; Senior

Chris Busutil: 5' 6"; Junior

Eli Clemmons: 6' 0"; Junior

Jared Dinh: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Elijah Griffin: 5' 7"; Junior

Victor Guzman: 5' 8"; Junior

Rocco Horvath: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Jack Latimer: 5' 9"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Anthony Pyron
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Sammy Shires
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Cole Smith
: 5' 11"; Senior

Chris Busutil
: 5' 6"; Junior

Eli Clemmons
: 6' 0"; Junior

Jared Dinh
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Elijah Griffin
: 5' 7"; Junior

Victor Guzman
: 5' 8"; Junior

Rocco Horvath
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Jack Latimer
: 5' 9"; Senior