(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The UCM Mules wrestling team placed five at the annual Roger Denker Open Sunday at the Multipurpose Building.
Junior Tim Tuaquoi highlighted the Mules place-finishers Sunday, placing second at 285 pounds. Freshmen Mitchell Bradley and Laramie Allembaugh placed fourth and fifth at 125 pounds while senior Brandon Russow posted a sixth-place finish at 157 pounds in his first wrestling action of the season.
Freshman Jacob Clark rounded out the UCM place-finishers, finishing fifth and wrestling unattached at 285 pounds.
Tuaquoi began his runner-up performance with a 5-2 decision over Ouachita Baptist’s O’Dell Lee in the first round before rolling to a 6-1 decision in round two against Baker’s Chris Tackett, earning Tuaquoi a spot in the quarterfinals.
His quarterfinal opponent was Brad Hughes, who was competing in the meet unattached. Tuaquoi took a 6-0 decision over Hughes to advance to the semifinals against Maryville’s Donnell Walker. The Yahanna, Ohio native easily defeated Walker via a 10-3 decision to place him in the championship match against Mizzou’s Devin Mellon.
Tuaquoi fell in the match by a 6-1 decision, earning him second place. He posted an overall record of 4-1 on the day.
Bradley began his fourth-place performance by falling to Missouri’s Cody Hummer in the 125-pound quarterfinals via a 7-0 decision to drop him into the consolation bracket. Bradley fought back, posting two straight wins to advance to the third-place match where he fell to Hummer once again, coming up on the short end of a 7-5 decision to finish fourth with a 3-2 record.
Allembaugh opened the day with a pin (2:14) against Baker’s Kevin Magdael to earn a spot in the 125-pound semifinals. There he battled Mizzou’s Zach Synon and was pinned (6:24), dropping him into the consolation bracket. Allembaugh faced his teammate Mitchell Bradley in the consolation semifinals with Bradley winning the match with a 4-2 decision to drop Allembaugh into the fifth-place match where he defeated Newman’s Kris Workman in a tightly contested 3-2 decision. He finished the day 1-3.
Russow posted three straight victories to open his day at 157 pounds, defeating Dallas Lamphire of Wentworth Military via a 14-2 major decision, unattached wrestler Ky Biddle with a pin (1:49), and a 6-3 decision against Baker’s Cole Price to advance him to the semifinals.
Russow’s streak ended there though as he fell to Maryville’s Christian Loges on a 5-0 decision. Russow finished the day in sixth place with a record of 3-3 (two losses were due to medical forfeits in consolation semifinal and fifth-place matches).
Clark, wrestling as an unattached wrestler, pinned Trey Grovenor of Newman (0:36) in his first match Sunday before falling to Maryville’s Donnell Walker in the quarterfinals via a 6-2 decision.
Clark won by decision and medical forfeit in the consolation fourth and fifth rounds before falling in the semifinals against Newman’s Lorenza Serna via a 6-2 decision to place him in the fifth-place match. Clark won on medical forfeit to secure fifth place and finish the day 4-2.
The Mules return to the mats Wednesday when they travel to Kirksville, Mo., to face Truman in an MIAA dual.