DOUGLASVILLE, Ga.— The Montreat College men's wrestling team sent 14 of its student-athletes to Douglasville, Ga. on Saturday for Life University's Lucha Open. With seven Cavaliers in the gold division and another seven in the silver division, the Cavs picked up 22 total victories and three placements.
 
Four of the Montreat wrestlers in the gold division registered at least one win. Boedi Kirkland notched the squad's best effort in the top competition, placing seventh at 149. The freshman suffered a tight 4-2 decision loss in his opening bout before rattling off four consecutive triumphs. Kirkland utilized two pins, an 11-6 decision and a medical forfeit to advance through the bracket. A native of Catawba, N.C., Kirkland eventually dropped a 7-2 decision to an NCAA Division I wrestler from The Citadel before garnering a successful no contest ruling in the seventh-place matchup.
 
Kane Bryson, Josh Mojica-Smith and Louis Mehaffey each went 1-2 in the Lucha Open's gold division. At 125, Bryson secured an 8-4 decision win before suffering back-to-back defeats. Mojica-Smith bounced back from an initial loss at 174 with a pin prior to being eliminated via a second defeat. Meanwhile, Mehaffey lost a competitive 5-1 bout before recording a 14-3 major decision victory. The Canton, N.C. native was ultimately eliminated by the NAIA's No. 10-ranked wrestler at 141.
 
In terms of finishes, the Cavaliers captured two placements in the silver division, including their top overall showing of the weekend. Wrestling in the 125-lb weight class, Sam Gosnell went 6-1 en route to a third-place effort. A pair of tech fall triumphs set the freshman up for a deep run early on. Gosnell lost a 10-6 decision to a fellow Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) wrestler, but that proved to be his only taste of defeat. Three straight wins—an 8-0 major decision, a forfeit and a 4-2 decision—carried Gosnell to the third-place bout. There, Gosnell avenged his lone loss thanks to an 11-10 decision.
 
Jack Mathieu also placed at the Lucha Open behind a plethora of decisions. Officially going 5-1, Mathieu fell via a 12-11 result in his opening bout before tallying decision victories of 9-2, 10-3, 9-3 and 4-1. The 165-lb competitor also delivered a 16-6 major decision result in his last action of the day. Already at his six-bout limit, Mathieu placed eighth following a pair of no contests in the consolation semifinals and the seventh-place matchup.
 
Four pins resulted in a 2-2 record for Reese Ferm at 285. The heavyweight totaled two swift triumphs in 44 seconds and 48 seconds in between a pair of defeats.
 
Both Grayson Burleson and Elijah Pate notched 1-2 records in the silver division. The former's victory came via pin in 5:19, while the latter's ended the same way but in 2:18.

"We're starting to see the payoff," said head coach Jim Connaghan. "The preparation, the film and the extra lifts. Our athletes are beginning to believe in how high their ceiling really is."
 
For the complete list of results from the Lucha Open, click here.
 
The Montreat College men's wrestling team is currently slated to compete next at another event hosted by Life University. On Dec. 13, the Cavs head to Gatlinburg, Tenn. for the Rocky Top Duals.