WILKES-BARRE – Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) placed second and Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) third as the Wilkes University wrestling team hosted the 89th Wilkes Open Wrestling Championships at the Marts Center Thursday. The event known widely as "The Rose Bowl of Wrestling" saw grapplers from over 30 different programs compete including NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III teams.

Full Results Bracket
Full List of Placewinners

Lowe, the second seed at 197-pounds, earned a 5-0 decision in the Quarterfinals over Matthew Henson of the Apprentice School, scoring all five points in the third period on two nearfalls and the riding time.

Lowe then defeated third seeded Ben DePrest of Ohio Northern University in the Semifinals by fall in the second period. The junior fell behind 6-0 early in the first period following a takedown and two nearfall opportunities for DePrest. Late in the first period Lowe worked an escape then a takedown and earned a four-point nearfall with 11 seconds left to take a 7-6 lead. Lowe then chose the top to start the second period and earned a fall 29 seconds in.

Top seeded Wolfgang Frable of Division I Army earned first place in the division with an 18-2 technical fall over Lowe in the Finals as Lowe placed second on the day with a 2-1 record. This is the fourth tournament placement of the season for Lowe.

Fashouer was the top seed in the 125-pound bracket and started his day with a Round of 16 decision win over Franco Mazza of Ursinus College. The sophomore fell behind with a takedown but tied the score in the first period with a reversal. After choosing to start the second period from the bottom position he earned an escape to take the lead and a takedown one minute later to go ahead 5-2. A third period takedown by Mazza made it 5-4 but Fashouer earned an escape and did not allow a takedown over the final 1:15 to earn the 6-4 win.

Fashouer then defeated Jack Bruce of Franklin & Marshall College in the Quarterfinals with a fall at the 4:21 mark as he led 4-2. Bruce gained the early first period fall to take the lead but Fashouer earned an escape following the takedown and another escape at the start of the second period to tie the score. Fashouer then used a takedown to gain the lead that led to his pin.

In the Semifinals Benjamin Monn of Division I George Mason University earned the 8-0 major decision over Fashouer. Monn was seeded fourth in the tournament. Fashouer then faced third seeded Garrett Totten of the Peddie School in the Third Place bout, earning an 8-5 decision. Trailing 4-2 after the first period, Fashouer took a 5-4 lead in the second period with an escape and takedown. Totten tied the score in the third with an escape and the Fashouer used a late takedown with 11 seconds left to seal the win and add the riding time point. He finished the day with a 3-1 record to place third.

At 285-pounds Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) was seeded sixth for the Colonels and finished the day with a 2-2 record. He defeated Jadon Brownlee of Ohio Northern by fall in the second period after earning a 7-2 lead in the first. Brownlee chose the bottom to start the second and 25 seconds later Burkhart earned the Round of 16 pin. In the Quarterfinals Burkhart lost a tight 9-8 decision to Karam Chakif of Division I Lehigh University. Burkhart gained the 6-3 lead with four nearfall points 22 seconds into the second period. Chakif, the third seed, scored six points on a reversal and two takedowns, the last coming with 43 seconds left to earn the win. Burkhart then defeated Logan Painter of Ohio Northern in the Consolation Round of 8 #2 with a 9-2 decision. The sophomore earned three nearfalls during the bout. Shane Noonan the second seed out of Division II Bloomsburg University defeated Burkhart in the Consolation Round of 4 by a second period fall to move into the fifth place bout.

Spencer Hughes (Metairie, LA/De La Salle) at 149-pounds, Ryan Winn (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) at 174-pounds, and Alexis Perez (Mahanoy City, PA/Mahanoy Area) at 184-pounds all went 1-2 for the Colonels.

Cadden Kucek (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West), Sam Kimmel (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby), Ben Grater (Saddle Brooke, NJ/Saddle Brook), Nikko Partsanakis (/Media, PA), Charles Everdale (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area), Devin Doty (Port Jervis, NY/Minisink Valley), John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central), and Trevor Gitski (Alburtis, PA/Emmaus) all represented the Colonels on the home mats as well.

The Colonels will next compete at the NWCA National Duals on Friday, January 6 and Saturday, January 7 in Louisville, Ky.