Wrestling Competes at JWU Wildcat Open

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Bridgewater State University wrestling team competed at the Wildcat Open hosted by Johnson & Wales University on Sunday at the Wildcat Center.

Freshman Ryan Higgins (Billerica, Mass.) placed second in the heavyweight class to pace the Bears. Higgins (22-6) earned a 12-6 victory over Tyson Jones of Springfield College before posting an injury default win in the semifinals. In the championship bout, Higgins was pinned by Tommy Wrzesien of host Johnson & Wales. Higgins was ranked seventh New England heading into this weekend's tournament while Wrzesien was ranked eighth.

Freshman Wilson Gomes (New Bedford, Mass.) went 3-2 and placed fourth in the 125-pound weight class. After dropping  a 10-6 decision in his opening bout, Gomes (9-15) won three straight including a 17-0 technical fall victory over freshman teammate Lucas Purpora (Lawrence, Mass.) and an 8-6 overtime decision against Brandon Mercado of LIU Post. In the third place match, Gomes was pinned (4:43) by Kyle Randall of Division I Sacred Heart University.

Sophomore Fox Maxwell (Wilmington, Mass.) posted a 4-2 record and finished fifth competing out of the 165-pound weight class. Maxwell (19-7) opened the tournament with a 5-1 decision over Bill Dunn of Plymouth State University. After being pinned (3:39) by Jack Reilly of Trinity College, Maxwell bounced back with a 16-0 technical fall victory over Justin Garden of Roger Williams University and followed that up with a 5-0 win over Coast Guard's Adam Wilhelm. Following a loss by fall (4:12) in the consolation semifinals, Maxwell won the fifth place match by rule against Johnson & Wales' Steven Ocampo.

Sophomore Shawn Farrell (Bridgewater, Mass.) placed fifth in the 125-pound weight class as he went 2-2 on the day. After being pinned (5:22) by Ryan Chauvin of the U.S. Military Academy to open the meet, Farrell (3-6) earned a win by fall (6:45) over Plymouth State's Will Jarvis. He then dropped an 18-2 technical fall decision to Kyle Randall of Division I Sacred Heart. In the fifth place match, Farrell won by forfeit against Chauvin.

The Bears are off until Saturday (Feb. 2) when they travel to Coast Guard for a quad meet.