Wrestling team wins team title at Mid-States Conference Tournament

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. -- Boosted by two individual champions and six runner-up finishes, the Olivet College wrestling team won the team title at the 2011 Mid-States Conference Tournament, hosted by Manchester (Ind.) College. At the conclusion of the tournament, Olivet's Brandon Brissette was named the Mid-States Conference Coach of the Year and Jeff Therrian was selected as the Assistant Coach of the Year.

The Comets had 102.5 points, followed by College of Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio) with 80.5 and Trine (Ind.) University with 77.5. Wabash was fourth with 52, and the host Spartans were fifth with 33.5.

Freshman Gage Pederson (Hastings) took first-place at 149 pounds. He beat Trine's Nick Odom, 6-3, in the semifinals and then shutout Mt. St. Joseph's Joseph Conroad, 4-0, in the championship match. Also winning was senior Jim Neal (Marysville) at 184 pounds. He started the day by pinning Mt. St. Joseph's Dillon Burk in 46 seconds. Neal then posted back-to-back 13-5 major decisions in the semifinals and finals. He beat Trine's Jason Alber in the championship match.

Finishing in second were freshman Henry McKeown (Bellevue/Olivet) at 125 pounds, sophomore Kam Olsen (Kentwood/East Kentwood) at 133 pounds, senior Justin Jaynes (Richmond) at 165 pounds, freshman Jeff Holm (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) at 174 pounds, junior Justin Leonard (Webberville) at 197 pounds and sophomore Jake Ceslick (Alpena) at 285 pounds.

For Olivet's second-team, freshman Robbie Bidlingmaier (Chesterfield Twp./Anchor Bay) won the 133-pound title and was the recipient of the Most Falls in Least Amount of Time Award. He pinned each of his three opponents in a total time of 3 minutes, 39 seconds.