Wrestling team takes team title at Mid-States Conference Tournament

The Olivet College wrestling team took first-place today at the 2006 Mid-States Conference Tournament, which was hosted by the College of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Comets, ranked No. 10 in the latest NCAA Division III rankings, had 145 points to finish 3.5 points ahead of the host Lions.

Olivet crowned two individual champions in senior Ryan Newberry (Grand Junction/South Haven) at 184 pounds and junior Jeff Wright (Escanaba) at 197 pounds. Newberry finished the day with two wins, and Newberry had three wins.

Sophomore Aaron Stewart (Dansville) moved up one weight class and was the runner-up at 285 pounds. The Comets also had four wrestlers place third. They included senior Kefentse Mandisa (Westland/John Glenn) at 133 pounds, freshman Phil Goodrich (Union City) at 141 pounds, senior Eric Bryan (Fremont, Ind.) at 165 pounds and senior Mike Andrews (Swartz Creek) at 174 pounds.

Senior Mike Daubenmeyer (Macomb/Lutheran North) was fourth at 157 pounds. Freshman 125-pounder Steve Jando (New Lothrop) and senior 149-pounder Tyler Goodnight (Midland/Bullock Creek) were sixth.

Olivet is back in action Saturday, Feb. 18, when it competes at the 2006 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional meet. The regionals are being hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Action gets under way in the Veale Center at 9 a.m.