Tucker wins championship, wrestling team finishes in fourth-place at 46th Annual NCC Invitational

Junior Vince Tucker (Clio) captured the 141-pound championship, as the Olivet College wrestling team finished in fourth-place (out of 11 schools) today at the 46th Annual North Central College Invitational in Naperville, Ill. For his efforts, Tucker shared tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler honors with Johnny Dillon of Wabash. In addition to his championship, Olivet three third-place finishes, two fifth-place finishes and one sixth-place finish.

The host Cardinals captured the team championship with 157.5 points. Wabash was the runner-up with 119 points, followed by University of Wisconsin-Platteville with 111 points and the Comets with 84.5 points.

As the top seed at 141 pounds, Tucker won his first two matches by technical fall, 21-6 and 20-5. After winning the semifinal match by forfeit, he posted a 7-5 victory in the championship match.

Junior Adam Wilson (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) was third at 133 pounds. After receiving a bye in the first round, he recorded a first-period pin in the second and then recorded a 15-1 major decision win in the quarterfinals. Wilson lost his semifinal match 2-1 to the No. 1 seed. He bounced back to win his two consolation bracket matches, including 6-2 in the third-place match.

At 157 pounds, senior Ben Hitchcock (Montrose) placed third. The top seed, he won his first two matches, 6-4 and 10-3. In the semifinals, Hitchcock dropped a 2-1 decision in the semifinals. In the consolation bracket, he won twice, including 10-3 in the third-place match.

After losing his first match, junior Jim Neal (Marysville) came back with four straight wins in the consolation bracket to finish in third-place at 165 pounds. Three of the four wins were by major decision (16-4, 15-5 and 15-4). The other win was a minor decision, 2-1.

Wrestling for the first time this season, sophomore Steve Mena (Martin) placed fifth at 149 pounds. Freshman Josh Crawford (Birch Run) was fifth at 184 pounds. Senior Joe Bargerstock (Livonia/Churchill) finished in sixth-place at 197 pounds.

Olivet is now idle until after the holidays when it participates in the Midwest Classic Jan. 2-3 in Indianapolis, Ind.