Jessie Orbin, sophomore at Waynesburg University, claimed victory in the 184-pound weight class at the Washington & Jefferson Invitational.

“My mindset is what sets me apart from the competition. I wanted the win, and I didn’t plan on losing,” Orbin said. “Having my teammates around me to celebrate after the win helps keep me going through the season.”

Orbin finished the day 4-0, earning a tech fall and a pin to reach the semifinals. He defeated nationally ranked Eli Crum of Lycoming, 8-4, and pinned Joey King of Thiel in the finals.

“The most difficult part of this tournament was my semifinal match,” Orbin said. “Eli from Lycoming is a tough opponent, and I face him again this weekend, which excites me because those bigger matches are always exciting to wrestle.”

As for the team, Waynesburg finished tenth out of 13 teams at the event. Junior JT Hollyfield and sophomore Austin Fleming each earned one win by pinfall in the 157 and 285-pound weight classes respectively, with fleming earning his first collegiate victory, while freshman Ryland Parker went 3-2 in the 125-pound bracket, taking wins by decision, medical forfeit tech fall to also earn his first three collegiate wins.

Aydan Bishoff, a senior at Waynesburg, recorded two wins over Washington & Jefferson wrestlers, showing promise for future PAC matchups. He finished sixth in the 197-pound class.

Senior Seth Evans rounded out the team with a 3-1 day, finishing third in the 157-pound class. He won two matches by pin to advance to the semifinals but lost in a tight decision. Evans then earned bronze with a 9-8 victory over Raymond Worsen of Pitt-Bradford.

“It’s not what I wanted. I thought the semifinal match was very winnable against someone I’ve wrestled before,” Evans said. “But continuing to trust what I’ve worked on and what I’ve worked on with the other guys will give me the push I need toward the end.”

As a leader in his final season, Evans believes Orbin’s success is contributing to the team’s overall improvement.

“He’s had two ranked wins this year, both against opponents that Colby Morris wrestled last year, and had tight matches against.That’s not a shot at Colby, but a testament to Jessie’s dominance,” Evans said. “It’s fun having someone like that on the team, knowing that regardless of what’s going on, someone great is representing this team and school.”