The Waynesburg University wrestling team finished its last invitational of the season this past Saturday at Baldwin Wallace University. In preparation for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships this weekend, head coach Ron Headlee rested several key contributors.

Headlee rested senior 125-pound 2017 PAC champion Tristan Buxton, sophomores Dan Verhovsek and 197-pound 2017 PAC champion Ken Burrs along with freshmen Josh Kuslock and R.J. Hall Saturday to give them more time to rest and recover from the long season.

While Headlee purposefully rested these athletes, the Yellow Jackets were able to finish in eighth place out of 15 teams at the John Summa Invitational – where Wabash College took home the overall title.

Headlee said the goal going into the tournament was to be in the top four, but the PAC Championships took precedence over the individual tournament.

“It’s one of those where you are not sure what to do…it’s hard just getting ready for PAC’s, which is the emphasis,” Headlee said. “But I think [our guys] pretty much responded, and hopefully we have a good week of practice this week and are ready to move on.”

Headlee said the athletes that competed Saturday did well. Junior Jake Evans won the heavyweight title, finishing 5-0 on the day. Throughout Evans’ title run, he became Waynesburg University’s all-time winningest wrestler, passing former teammate and 2017 graduate Filippo Crivelli’s record of 121 victories.

Going into the conference championships, the two-time defending PAC champion has an overall career record of 125-17, and is 38-3 this season.

“That’s pretty amazing – [Evans has] had a great career here,” Headlee said. “His goal is to be a national champ and he’s working really hard at it. I think if he had a good tournament he can be right there with all those guys…so we’re hoping that he takes it one tournament at a time from here on out: hopefully he wins PAC’s, then hopefully wins regionals and then gets to nationals and has a good tournament.”

According to Headlee, Evans is at the top of his game. If he makes it to the regional and national tournaments, he will see several familiar faces from both the past and current seasons. Headlee thinks Evans will meet up with those top competitors with a chip on his shoulder.

“You can just tell…I think he’s wrestling as well as he ever has right now,” Headlee said. “I think he’s pushing the pace really well in the matches and he believes that no one can stay up with him with his pace. That is what he does, he wears guys down and he’s quick and he’s taking really good shots right now.”

Evans wasn’t the only Yellow Jacket that found success.

Freshman Dillion Charlton finished sixth in the 165-pound weight class, after finishing 4-2. Headlee acknowledged Charlton’s improvement throughout the season, and against one specific opponent.

“I was really pleased with [Charlton],” Headlee said. “I thought he wrestled really well, back side. He lost a tough one. He got pinned twice by the same guy, [Tanner] Walker from Muskingum [University], earlier in the year and then came back and lost to him in overtime this time, so that shows [he’s] improving and getting better.”

Junior Nick Kusich also finished in sixth place in his respective weight class, at 184 pounds, after finishing 3-2.

“[Kusich] hadn’t been wrestling and had been out, so having him back and wrestling and placing for us was good also,” Headlee said.

Headlee said having Kusich back and having the other wrestlers – who are mostly underclassmen – doing well puts the team in a good position going into the PAC Championships.

“Pretty good, I think,” Headlee said on how the underclassmen have stepped into larger roles. “And that’s what we’re looking for as we head into the PAC’s – since we can put two guys in a weight class – we really think those guys can place as well and can help us. If they place then it means someone on the other teams aren’t placing, so that means it’s more for us and take away from their point [total].”

The ‘next man up’ mentality is something Headlee says his team focuses on from the beginning of the season.

“That’s kind of why we use [the underclassmen] all year and we talk about at the very beginning how important it is for everybody to believe in their stuff and practice hard because they never know they’re going to be in the lineup.”

The Yellow Jackets will look to defend their 2017 PAC title Saturday when they host the PAC Championships at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. The event will start at 11 a.m.