Wrestling Places 11th at NEWA Dual Meet Tournament

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Bridgewater State University wrestling team went 2-2 and finished in 11th place at the 2020 New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Dual Meet Tournament hosted by Johnson & Wales University on Sunday at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Seeded ninth in the 16-team tournament, the Bears dropped a 25-19 decision to #8 seed WPI before bouncing back with a decisive 44-7 consolation round victory over #16 Plymouth State University. Following a 26-20 setback to #12 Williams College, the Bears wrapped up the tournament with a 40-15 triumph over #10 New England College in the 11th-place match.

Sophomore heavyweight Ryan Higgins (Billerica, Mass.), sophomore 184-pounder Edwin Morales (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior 197-pounder Henry Oberlander (Mansfield, Mass.) each went 4-0 on the day.

Higgins recorded three wins by fall and added a forfeit victory as he improved to 17-3 (.850) on the season with a team-leading ten pins.

Morales, who is now 17-2 (.895) on the year, won his four bouts by major decision, fall, technical fall and forfeit. Morales garnered All-Tournament honors for the Bears.

Oberlander (15-7) picked up a pair of wins by decision to go along with a pin and a forfeit victory.

Junior Fox Maxwell (Winchester, Mass.) went 3-1 out of the 165-pound weight class. After dropping his first bout of the day, Maxwell bounced back with two wins by decision and added a forfeit triumph. Maxwell (19-12) leads the team with 19 wins.

Sophomore Wilson Gomes (Fogo, Cape Verde) and junior Caleb Lamarre (Brockton, Mass.) each posted 2-1 records on the day. Gomes recorded a pin and a major decision at 125, while Lamarre notched a technical fall victory and a win by decision at 133.

The Bears (3-5) are back in action next Sunday when they compete at the Wildcat Open hosted by Johnson & Wales.