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Wills Bronson Men Wrestling Duals Vs ONU
Peter Wangechi

Men's Wrestling Totals 4 Placers at Pete Willson Invitational

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Wills Bronson won his 184 pound bracket in impressive fashion

WHEATON, Ill. – Each year, the Pete Willson Invitational welcomes the best wrestlers from the Midwest to Wheaton College in Illinois. This annual, traditional tournament is a fantastic measuring stick for wrestlers with the postseason approaching. 

John Carroll Men's Wrestling competed well during the two-day tournament, finishing in 11th place as a team.

Wills Bronson provided the highlight for the Blue Streaks as the champion of the 184-pound bracket. Kyle Bizjak (6th, 149), Ty Daugherty (7th, 133), and Aiden Ashburn (8th, 174) also placed for John Carroll. All are first-time placers at this tournament. 

Final Brackets

Without a doubt, Wills Bronson's title was the highpoint of the weekend for the Blue & Gold. The sophomore started with a quick first-period pin. A 12-4 major decision sent him into the the quarterfinals as a significant underdog against Cael McLaren of Cornell College (Iowa), ranked #6 in the latest NWCA National rankings. In a shocking victory, the Memphis native pinned his nationally ranked foe with just 3 seconds left in the first period. 

Another first-period pin in the semifinal propelled the star into the title bout. Facing Ryder Slayton of Messiah – ranked #4 in Region 3 – Bronson put on another show. The Christian Brothers grad rolled to a dominant 9-1 major decision and a bigtime victory for John Carroll.

Kyle Bizjak got things started with a 12-8 decision, but then a 7-2 defeat sent him to the consolation bracket. The Aurora native roared through his first matches there, including an 18-0 tech fall, 14-0 major decision, and 18-5 major decision. Bizjak kept rolling with a 4-2 decision, but then ran out of gas, dropping back-to-back tech falls to settle for sixth.

Ty Daugherty kicked off the tournament well with a 4-1 decision. But then the Avon native ran into Dominik Mallinder, ranked #4 in the nation at 133. Daugherty lost that match, but rebounded with a 7-4 decision. A loss via pin dropped him to the seventh-place bout, which he won in a narrow 3-2 conquest.

Aiden Ashburn experienced a very similar journey, which started with a win but then ran into a buzzsaw, in the form of Jared Stricker. The UW-Eau Claire grappler is the top ranked wrestler at 174, and while Asburn lasted a while, his match ended in defeat. The Westlake native moved along with a decision win, but lost back-to-back bouts to accept eighth place. 

Next Up
The Blue Streaks will host Wilmington College for the final dual of Ohio Athletic Conference action, and for a Senior Day celebration.
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