The No. 21-ranked Grand Valley State University men’s wrestling team (1-2) hosted the Laker duels Friday, matching up against Findlay University (1-3), No. 9 St. Cloud State University (3-0) and No. 10 Glenville State University (5-3). GVSU defeated Findlay in the first duel, 23-14, then dropped the final two duels to St. Cloud, 25-13, and Glenville, 22-19.
The event provided some high-level wrestling that proved to test the Lakers, with the meeting of three ranked teams, along with Findlay just outside the top 25. The GVSU wrestling program is only in its third year of competition, and this was head coach R.J. Boudro’s home coaching debut at the collegiate level, which came with a multitude of emotions.
“There is definitely some nerves, but wrestling is wrestling,” said Bourdo. “It’s not really much different than anything else, other than just a lot of pride for the work we’ve put in so far.”
The work Boudro alluded to was prevalent in the first duel against Findlay, with the two teams trading the lead back and forth for most of the matchup. Findlay took a 3-0 lead to start the duel, winning in the 125-pound class matchup. The No. 12-ranked wrestler in the 133-pound weight class, junior Jak Keller, was next to the mat. Keller displayed dominance throughout the match, dictating the pace with takedowns in the first and third periods to notch his first win of the duel.
After another dominating performance from GVSU sophomore Collin Twigg at 141-pounds brought the score to 7-3 in favor of GVSU, Findlay retook the lead 8-7 in the following matchup. This set up the best match of the opening duel between GVSU and Findlay, with freshman Braylenn Aulbach engaging in a fireworks display at the 157-pound weight class.
Aulbach entered the third period trailing 7-2, which set up a comeback that was filled with constant action in the final 30 seconds of the period. Aulbach tallied three takedowns in the final period, and despite the efforts of Findlay, Aulbach claimed the victory, 13-8, bringing the match score to 10-8 for the Lakers.
GVSU never relinquished the lead again, in part to multiple dominating performances from No. 5-ranked senior Josh Kenny in the 174-pound class and No. 4-ranked sophomore Brayden Mirjavadi in the 194-pound class, bringing the end of the first matchup to 23-14.
Taking on St. Cloud State next, GVSU continued to receive wins from its ranked wrestlers, such as Kenny, Mirjavadi and No. 4-ranked senior Carter Blough. Still, the Huskies tallied enough wins in order to be victorious over GVSU, 25-13.
In the final matchup with Glenville State, GVSU picked up a win in the first weight class from sophomore Orion Wilson, giving the Lakers an early lead in the match. However, despite the early dominant display from Wilson, who notched a 20-4 victory, the Pioneers tallied five straight victories to mount a massive lead with little chance of a GVSU comeback.
The Lakers mounted an impressive comeback with a huge pin-fall victory from sophomore Trammel Robinson at 174 pounds, doing some heavy lifting in bringing the match score closer. Sophomore Bradley Mayse claimed victory as well at the 184-pound weight class, along with Mirjavadi etching his third win of the day. This brought the overall match against Glenville State down to the wire, and the final matchup determined the winner.
GVSU came up just short on the miraculous comeback bid, losing the 285-pound weight class and dropping the match 22-19 to Glenville.
“These duels are about growth,” said Boudro. “Every time you wrestle, there’s an opportunity to win and learn, no winning and losing. (What’s important is) the family aspect, our core values and trying to do more than just wrestle. I think the guys have been working really hard on that.”
The Lakers will next be in action at the Jim Koch Open in Wisconsin Dec. 6, followed by the two-day Midwest Classic Dec. 13-14 in Indianapolis.
