Wrestling opens 2017-18 season with 8th place finish at Mount Union Invitational

By Matt Mangen

ALLIANCE — The Ohio Northern wrestling team opened its 2017-18 season with an eighth place finish at the Mount Union Invitational on Saturday.

The Polar Bears finished with 61 points. NCAA Division II Lake Erie was first with 143.5 points, DII Gannon (Pa.) was second with 140 points and Mt. Union was third with 130.5 points.

ONU was led by senior Brad Taton (Mentor/Lake Catholic) and sophmore Nate Barcaskey (Moon Area), who finished second at 133 pounds and 285 pounds respectively. Both wrestlers finished with a record of 2-1. The Polar Bears finished the tournament with five individual placers.

At 174 pounds, junior Clayton Davidson (Kirtland) finished fourth with a record of 3-2.

Freshman Alex Kowal (Bishop Fenwick) finished fourth with a record of 4-2 at 149 pounds and freshman Cash Thompson (Lakewood) finished fourth with a record of 3-2 at 184 pounds.

The Polar Bears will travel to Findlay on Saturday to compete in the Findlay Open.

Team Standings

1. Lake Erie 143.5, 2. Gannon (Pa.) 140, 3. Mt. Union 130.5, 4. Seton Hill (Pa.) 114.5, 5. Brockport State (N.Y.) 96.5, 6. Bellarmine (Ky.) 84.0, 7. Campbellsville (Tenn.) 65.5, 8. Ohio Northern 61, 9. Ohio Valley 49.5.