The Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets wrestling team placed ninth this past weekend when they traveled to Washington & Jefferson College to compete for the W&J invitational. They also had two placers with seniors Josh Kuslock and Colby Morris taking fifth and first place respectively.

“This weekend I was very happy. Having two placers and a champion, I am very pleased overall with how we did this weekend going in there and putting ourselves on notice,” said Head Coach Aaron McKinney.

The Jackets were led by 174-pounder Morris who was the only member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference to be an individual champion. He won his first match by disqualification, then picked a 20-6 major decision in the next round. Morris then pinned McDaniel’s Dalton Pearl in the semi-finals and then brought home the championship, defeating third-seeded Eli Crum of Lycoming in overtime 14-11.

“I think there’s only one good word for my performance and that would be unsatisfied,” Morris said.

Senior Josh Kuslock started fast in his first action of the season, picking up two 15-0 technical falls in his first two matches. He then dropped his quartefinal match against Colton Stoneking, putting him in the consolations. Kuslock then bounced back with another technical fall over Saint Vincent’s Tyler Debnar. Kuslock finished off his day with two more technical falls to secure fifth place.

The freshmen class had good representation at the invitational, with freshman Gavin Novak picking up his first collegiate win with a pin at 125 pounds. Brayden Barbao earning two victories at 157 pounds, with one being a pin in the consolations. The freshmen rounded out at 184 with Jacob Wilson and Jesse Orbin both having 3-2 records with Wilson having two pins and Orbin having a technical fall. Three of their combined four losses were by four points or less.

“I thought I did not put my best wrestling on the mat. I was out of shape coming from football. This week we are really hitting the ground running with conditioning. Saturday should be a different me,” Orbin said.

The junior class was also represented well at the tournament with 157 pounder Seth Evans going 2-2 with a technical fall and Ayden Bishoff picking up a 16-2 major decision in the consolation round.

The only sophomore that was action in this past weekend was 141-pounder JT Hollyfield who lost his first match but, bounced back to win two consecutive matches in the consolation rounds.

The next time the Jackets will be in action is Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse in the Waynesburg Duals where they will face Averett College, Lycoming College and Shippensburg University. Wrestling will start at 11 a.m.