Men's Wrestling

WARRIORS CLAIM THREE FIRST-PLACE FINISHES

WARRIORS CLAIM THREE FIRST-PLACE FINISHES
Posted: Dec 04, 2021

Springfield, MO – No. 5 Indian Hills Men's Wrestling came home with three first-place finishes at the Drury Open on Saturday. In total, nine wrestlers placed sixth or better on the day with five medalists for the Warriors.

The Warriors were led by a trio of nationally ranked wrestlers as Caleb Meekins (Livonia, MI/John Glenn), Cameron Nesbitt (Champaign, IL/Centennial), and Deron Pulliam (Columbus, OH/Dublin Scioto) each won their respective weight class. Chris Busutil (Homestead, FL/South Ridge) placed second overall while Jacob Anderson (Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage) took home third place.

"Today was a huge step in the right direction for our team," stated head coach Cole Spree. "A lot of the guys that we have been waiting to break out did so today."

Meekins, the top-ranked junior college wrestler in the 133lb weight class recorded his second open victory of the year on Saturday. The sophomore opened the day with a fall followed by a major decision and tech fall before pinning his opponent in just 58 seconds in the first-place match. Along with Meekins' two open victories, the sophomore is also 3-0 in dual victories on the year.

Nesbitt, ranked No. 7 in the 165lb weight class, was victorious at the Drury Open with four wins. Nesbitt earned three decisions before a 3-1 overtime victory in the first-place match wrapped up the day.

Pulliam, ranked No. 1 in the 184lb weight class, put together an impressive showing on Saturday against premier competition. Pulliam opened the day with a pair of decisions before a fall in the second period pushed him into the championship bout. Against Carson Berryhill of the University of Oklahoma, Pulliam scored a 3-1 decision to take home top honors.

The No. 5 ranked wrestler in the 125lb weight class, Busutil took home second-place at the Drury Open after reaching the first-place match. Busutil scored a major decision, a fall, and a decision to reach the final.

Anderson was impressive in his strongest showing of the year, placing third overall in the 184lb weight class. Anderson earned a pair of falls to open the day and worked his way through the consolation round to earn bronze. Anderson scored a 6-4 decision in the third-place match.

Jacob Ramirez (Metairie, LA/Archbishop Rummel) placed fourth in the 149lb weight class while Lais Cardero (Naples, FL/Golden Gate) placed fifth in the 174lb weight class. Destin Jones (Miami, FL/Miami Palmetto) of the 157lb weight class and Khris Walton (Merrillville, IN/Merrillville) of the 197lb weight class each placed sixth overall.

After falling in the second round, Victor Guzman (Rock Island, IL/Rock Island) battled through four matches to take home the consolation championship in the 141lb weight class.

"Very pleased with the overall results," Spree added. "Any time you can have multiple champs, it's usually a solid showing."

As a team, the Warriors went 67-43 on the day and recorded the third-most match points out of the 14 team field with 297. The Warriors also recorded the second-most falls on the day with 21.

The Warriors, ranked No. 5 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Wrestling poll returns to action after the new year at the National Duals in Miami, OK on Jan. 14.