For the final time this season, the Ohio grapplers suited up in The Convo for the Mid-American Conference Championships in the daylong tournament on Sunday.
Battling against the entire conference, Ohio did not fare well in the standings, as the Bobcats finished in fourth place out of the six schools that have wrestling teams.
However, two Bobcats won their individual weight classes and another placed third in his to advance to nationals. Jeremy Johnson and Nick Purdue each won every one of their matches en route to their conference championships in the heavyweight and 174-pound divisions, respectively.
“I feel great right now. I lost to the same guy last year, and I knew that I could get a chance again today to be a champion,” Johnson said. “This really boosted my confidence. I’m excited to advance to nationals and hopefully become an All-American.”
Ryan Garringer wrestled two matches in the final round of the tournament and also solidified his trip to St. Louis for nationals.
Central Michigan took first place in the team portion of the tournament, marking the 11th consecutive season the Chippewas have won the MAC Championship tournament. Finishing in second place was Kent State, followed by Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Northern Illinois and Buffalo.
“We are a really young team, and these are great strides in what is ahead,” coach Joel Greenlee said. “The opportunities for the future are great, but we still have work to do this season with a couple of guys.”
In the opening round, six Bobcats battled on the mats. Winning their respective matches were Darrin Boing with an 8-1 win in the 141-pound bout and Garringer, who defeated Central Michigan’s Michael Curby in the 184-pound weight class.
After the first round, six Ohio wrestlers went on to compete in the semifinals round, including players who had earned a bye.
Though six competed, only Johnson and Purdue were victorious, as Boing, Andrew Romanchik, Harrison Hightower and Garringer all lost and were forced into the consolation bracket.
After the final round of the tournament, only three Bobcat wrestlers placed third or higher.
Garringer wrestled two matches in the final round, as he had the opportunity to compete for third place and then second place. In his first match, he pinned Kent State’s Casey Newburg to advance for an opportunity to qualify for second place, but he did not win his second match.
The school with the most conference champions from individual weight classes was Central Michigan with five, while Kent State finished with three and Ohio with two.
“It feels good to get back to NCAA’s and especially good that I won my weight class in Athens during my senior year,” Purdue said. “However, it’s still just the first peg, and I’ll continue to work hard for the next step.”
The NCAA Championships will be held in St. Louis, Mo. from March15-17.
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