ALLENTOWN, PA – The Wilkes University wrestling team claimed three top 3 finishers at the Futures Tournament hosted by Muhlenberg College Sunday in a chance for wrestlers who will not compete at next weekend's regionals a chance for some end of the season wrestling.
 
Nicholas Bauer (Coplay, PA/Wyoming Seminary) earned second place at 125-pounds, Brock Horton (Towanda, PA/Athens) third at 133-pounds and Cody Dix (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) third at 149-pounds.
 
Bauer began his run to the finals with a fall in the opening round over TCNJ's Christian Deehan. He followed that with a 13-4 major decision over Rick Castine of Cortland before settling for second place falling 4-3 in a tough match against Brendan McDonough of York in the finals.
 
After a bye in the first round, Horton scored a 4-3 decision over TCNJ's Ryan Manahan before falling to Verlenskey Joachim of York in the semifinals. He wrestled back in the consolations with wins over his teammate Patrick Miko (Derby, CT/Derby) 8-6 before claiming the third place bout when his oppoenent defaulted with an injury.
 
Dix began the day with a 8-0 major decision over Gettysburg's Nolan Smith before falling 12-2 to eventual runner-up Tim Sparks of York. Dix wrestled back with four consecutive wins in the consolations to take third place including a 20-3 technical fall, fall in 6:01 and two decision wins of 8-2 and 6-4 the latter being in the third place bout.
 
Other notable finishers for Wilkes included Devin Sweeney (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) (5^th place at 125), Miko (6^th place at 133), Max Shaffer (Doylestown, PA/Archbishop Wood) (4^th place at 141), Michael Brown (Plains, PA/Coughlin) (5^th place at 157) and Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) (4^th place at 184).
 
Wilkes will now head to the Southeast Regionals hosted by Lycoming College this Friday and Saturday. The top three finishers at the regional tournament earn a spot at the NCAA Championships.