Eureka Wrestling Takes on Loaded Field at Luther Open

DECORAH, Iowa – After a strong start to the season at Dubuque last weekend, the Eureka wrestling team took on a loaded field at Luther College on Saturday.

On the men's side, the Red Devils tested themselves against a couple of Division I and Division II teams, along with many ranked D3 teams.

Following his first-place finish at Dubuque in his first collegiate tournament, Trevor Hedges (Canton, Ill./Canton) was the Red Devils' lone place-winner on the day, taking fourth at 133 pounds.

The Eureka women also took on a talented group of D3 and community college squads and finished the day with seven place-winners.

"The women's team looked great today," EC coach Eric Biehl said. "They open up their dual season up next weekend. I'm excited to see us compete as a team and see what we can do."

The Red Devils' Alaskan duo of McKenzie Cook (Homer, Alaska/Homer/Lincoln) and Natallie Tobuk (Nome, Alaska/Nome-Beltz) led the way with a pair of second-place finishes. Cook, a senior, recorded a pair of pins in the 155-pound quarterfinals and semifinals before losing by fall in 1:55 to Jamestown's Allyssa Johnson in the first-place match.

Tobuk, a freshman, recorded a tech fall and a decision in the 136-pound quarterfinals and semifinals before dropping an 8-4 decision against Quincy's Madeline Barton in her first-place match.

At 109, Gada Bryant (Westville, Ill./Westville/Lincoln) recorded a tech fall in the consolation semifinals en route to a fourth-place finish.

Freshman Madison Farris (Chatsworth, Ill./Rifle) – a champion at 170 pounds last week and the first-ever St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Wrestler of the Week – placed fifth at 170 on Saturday after getting the edge over teammate Parker Dafnis (Volo, Ill./Wauconda) in a 6-5 decision in the fifth-place match. She also recorded a first-period pin over Buena Vista's Nancy Flores in the quarterfinals.

Dafnis picked up two wins on the day and placed sixth at 170, while Josie Barham scored three before placing sixth at 116. Vannah Berry (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) recorded a 10-0 tech fall over teammate Kiza Williams (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) in the second consolation round and placed eighth at 143.

On the men's side, Hedges won by 17-7 decision over Augsburg's Cade Willis in the second round and advanced by medical forfeit in the quarterfinals. He dropped a 27-14 major decision to Coe's Bryce Parke in the semifinals and lost by 21-6 tech fall in the third-place match to become EC's lone men's placer.

Biehl said it was "very impressive for a freshman to place that high in this tough tournament."

"We've got guys working through bumps and bruises," he added. "There are little things that we can improve on as shake off more rust before another tough tournament next week."

Jackson Creasy (Lake of the Ozarks, Mo./Osage), Gaige Owens (Marion, Ill./Maroin) and Jake Jozwiak (Lake Villa, Ill./Grayslake North) each picked up a win in their weight class (285, 141 and 125, respectively) in the elite competition, while Weston Swise (Canton, Ill./Canton) recorded one at 285 pounds in the silver competition.

Next Saturday, the Eureka men will compete in the Lindenwood Open. The following day, the women's team will open its duals season with the Lindenwood Duals.