Sophomore Shakur Laney (125 lbs.) and junior Noah Forrider (141) seem to have emerged as the leaders for Ohio’s young 2016-17 wrestling squad.
Both took home first-place finishes at the Bearcat Open in Binghamton, New York, on Sunday as Laney went 5-0 during the tournament to improve to 7-0 on the season, while Forrider’s 6-0 day put his season record at 9-0.
Forrider cruised through his first three matches winning each by major decision, 8-0, 12-4 and 14-0. He went on to defeat Rutgers unattached freshman Michael Van Brill in the first-place match 8-3.
Twenty-four teams sent wrestlers to the Open, which is an individual competition. The Bobcats sent 21 wrestlers, however, they fell short of coach Joel Greenlee’s goal of at least 10 wrestlers placing, as only six placed.
Sophomore Cameron Kelly (133) claimed second place in his weight class after winning his first three matches of the day. His only loss came to Cornell’s unattached senior Mark Grey by a 9-5 decision.
Redshirt freshman Dontae McGee (174) and Bailey Faust (197) also placed as McGee earned fourth in his weight class, and Faust came back to claim fifth in his class after winning four straight matches in the consolation bracket.
Heavyweight redshirt sophomore Zach Parker claimed fourth place in the 285-pound weight class after putting together three consecutive wins in the consolation bracket.
Laney looks to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances this season, while Forrider attempts to uphold his top four Mid-American Conference preseason ranking in his weight class.
The next chance will come on Nov. 19 as Ohio will compete in the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Maryland.
