WHEATON, ILL. – Four Cortland wrestlers earned top-six finishes, including a runner-up showing by Demitreus Henry (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) at 174 pounds, as the Red Dragons tied for seventh place out of 35 schools at the Pete Willson-Wheaton College Invitational Friday and Saturday. 
 
Cortland and the University of Chicago finished with 71.5 points apiece. Wisconsin-Eau Claire won the team crown with 136 points. The tournament featured nine schools ranked in the latest NWCA Division III Top 25 poll. The Red Dragons were one of only three non-ranked teams to finish in the top 10. 
 
In addition to Henry's second-place finish, Chandler Merwin (Walton) placed third at 149 pounds, Cody Merwin (Walton) was sixth at 125 pounds, and Brian Torres (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) was sixth at 184 pounds. 
 
Henry, ranked ninth nationally in Division III, won his first four matches at 174 before losing 10-5 in the finals to nationally top-ranked Cornell Beachem of Mount St. Joseph. Henry recorded an early takedown in that match and led 2-1 after the first period. Beachem held a 4-3 lead after two, and Henry tied the match with an escape seven seconds into the third. Beachem, however, recorded a takedown and near fall about 30 seconds later to go up 10-4. 
 
Henry started the tournament with a 14-3 major decision, followed by a 6-4 overtime win in the next round. He followed that with an 11-8 win in the quarterfinals and an 8-2 decision in the semifinals. 
 
Chandler Merwin posted a 5-1 record at 149. He won his first three matches, one by major decision, before losing, 9-4, to Brock Parker of Wisconsin-Platteville in the semifinals. He came back to pin his next opponent and then won by injury default 10 seconds into the third-place match after an early takedown. 
 
Cody Merwin was 3-0 at 125 pounds before forfeiting his next three matches. His wins included a 15-2 major decision and 8-6 and 13-6 decisions. 
 
Torres went 2-2 at 184 pounds. He opened with an 8-3 decision and a 9-1 major decision before losing to nationally fifth-ranked Jaritt Shinhoster of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the semifinals. Torres dropped his first match in the consolation bracket and then medically forfeited the fifth-place match. 
 
Three other Red Dragons registered multiple wins during the tournament. Ben Klei (Victor) went 3-2 with a major decision at 285 pounds, Markel Browne (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) finished 2-2 at 157 pounds, and Ryan Burgbacher (Medford/Patchogue-Medford) was 2-2 with two pins at 141 pounds. 
 
Cortland will send wrestlers on Sunday at the Jamestown Community College Open. 

PETE WILLSON-WHEATON COLLEGE INVITATIONAL
Jan. 28-29, 2022; Wheaton, Ill.

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
 
1) Wisconsin-Eau Claire - 136 
2) John Carroll - 100 
3) Millikin - 92.5 
4) Ferrum - 87 
5) Wisconsin-Stevens Point - 76.5 
6) Wisconsin-Whitewater - 74 
tie 7) Cortland - 71.5 
tie 7) Chicago - 71.5 
9) Wisconsin-Platteville - 71 
10) Messiah - 70 
11) Mt. St. Joseph - 67.5 
12) Wheaton - 61.5 
13) Cornell College - 59 
tie 14) Ozarks - 57.5 
tie 14) Mount Union - 57.5 
16) Ohio Northern - 47 
17) Roanoke - 45.5 
18) Heidelberg - 45 
19) North Central - 44 
20) Buena Vista - 34.5 
21) Elizabethtown - 27.5 
22) Nebraska Wesleyan - 26 
23) Concordia (WI) - 22.5 
24) Elmhurst - 18.5 
25) Augustana - 15.5 
26) Milwaukee School of Engineering - 10.5 
27) Defiance - 10 
28) Case Western Reserve - 9 
29) Muskingum - 4 
tie 30) Adrian, Alma, Olivet, Otterbein, Pacific (OR), Trine - 0 
 
Cortland Results:
 
125 pounds
 
Cody Merwin (3-0) (Sixth Place) 
dec. Colin Mellott (Ohio Northern), 8-6 
major dec. Emilio Acosta (Concordia), 15-2 
dec. Alex Barbarise (Wis.-Whitewater), 13-6 
(forfeited next three matches) 
 
133 pounds
  
J.C. Cardenas (1-2) 
pinned Warren Stanfield III (Chicago), 3:41 
lost to Tyler Fleetwood (Wis.-Eau Claire), 8-4 
lost to Trevor Boryla (Augustana), 7-2 
 
141 pounds
 
Ryan Burgbacher (2-2) 
pinned Zach Rupp (Elizabethtown), 2:24 
lost to Zach Sato (Wis.-Eau Claire), 10-1 
pinned Vincent Menozzi (Chicago), 2:08 
lost to Ethan Renager (Wheaton), 17-15 (ot, sv-1) 

149 pounds

Chandler Merwin (5-1) (Third Place) 
major dec. Tyler Ramirez (Ferrum), 10-1 
dec. Kale Buckiso (John Carroll), 7-6 
dec. Jake Coniglio (Messiah), 4-2 
Semis: lost to Brock Parker (Wis.-Platteville), 9-4 
pinned Isaiah Schannep (Buena Vista), 4:07 
Third Place: won by injury default vs. Jordan Carson (Millikin), 0:10 
 
157 pounds

Markel Browne (2-2) 
lost to Roger Deck (Mt. St. Joseph), 12-4 
dec. Peter McCusker (Millikin), 7-3 
dec. Ronald Massari (Elmhurst), 6-4 
lost to Joaquin Bautista (Ozarks), Pin 2:09 
 
165 pounds
 
Steven Gazzillo (1-2) 
lost to Patrick McGraw (John Carroll), 12-6 
tech. fall Deontae Davis (Defiance), 5:58 (18-2) 
lost to Chris Anderson (Mount Union), Pin 4:51 
 
174 pounds
 
Demitreus Henry (4-1) (Second Place) 
major dec. Brody Dickinson (Nebraska Wesleyan), 14-3 
dec. Dejon Glaster (Millikin), 6-4 (ot, sv-1) 
dec. Jared Stricker (Wis.-Eau Claire), 11-8 
Semis: dec. Nick Dado (Wis.-Platteville), 8-2 
Finals: lost to Cornell Beachem (Mt. St. Joseph), 10-5 
 
184 pounds 
 
Brian Torres (2-2) (Sixth Place) 
dec. Ben Kasten (Wis.-Stevens Point), 8-3 
major dec. Anthony Rizzo (John Carroll), 9-1 
Semis: lost to Jaritt Shinhoster (Wis.-Whitewater), tech. fall 5:20 (15-0) 
lost to Mahlic Sallah (Roanoke), Pin 1:04 
(medically forfeited fifth-place match) 
 
197 pounds 
 
Roman Jellick (0-2) 
lost to Andrew McFee (Muskingum), 2-0 
lost to Treyten Steffen (Cornell College), Pin 4:54 
 
285 pounds 
 
Ben Klei (3-2) 
dec. Grant Robinson (Case Western Reserve), 6-2 
lost to Cole Fibranz (Chicago), Pin 3:00 
dec. Jarrell Carey (Concordia), 8-1 
major dec. Gary Powell (Mt. St. Joseph), 14-6 
lost to Carter Urich (Messiah), Pin 1:09