The Johns Hopkins University men’s wrestling team finished seventh at the 11-team Messiah Invitational in Grantham, Pennsylvania, where freshman Chris Qureshi won the 125-pound individual title in his first action with the team.
Johns Hopkins scored 65 points. Wisconsin-Eau Claire won the team title with 156 points, followed by Washington and Lee with 138.5, Messiah with 116.5, Brockport with 110 and Elizabethtown with 109.5.
Chris Qureshi Went 5-0 at 125 Pounds
Qureshi went 5-0 to become the first Johns Hopkins 125-pounder to win an in-season tournament since Paul Bewak won the Waynesburg Invitational during the 2014-15 season. Qureshi opened with a 12-6 decision over Andrew Perez of Ursinus before recording three consecutive bonus-point victories.
In the championship bout, Qureshi defeated top-seeded Robert Armstrong of Brockport, 10-4. Armstrong began the season ranked sixth in Region 2. Qureshi built a 7-0 lead with a takedown and four back points, added another takedown in the second period and held the advantage through the final period.
Johns Hopkins Records Two More Individual Finishes
Senior Freddy Pimental finished fourth at 149 pounds after going 5-2. Pimental recorded a technical fall, a major decision and two decisions, and advanced once by medical forfeit. Both of his losses came against Giosue Hickman of Washington and Lee, including a 13-5 result in the third-place match.
Freshman Zev Koransky went 5-2 in seven bouts and finished sixth. He recorded two technical-fall victories after opening the tournament with an 11-6 loss to eventual semifinalist Finn Bloomquist.
Junior Max Apsel went 3-2 at 141 pounds, while freshman Brody Bishop posted a 3-2 record at 157 pounds. Apsel recorded one pin and two decisions, and Bishop had two pins, including a 60-second fall against McDaniel’s Brendan Bowman in his first bout.
Blue Jays Produce 35 Bout Victories
Three other Johns Hopkins freshmen finished 2-2. Liam Qureshi recorded two wins by fall, Raul Rodriguez earned a major decision and a technical fall, and Will Merkle won twice by major decision.
Johns Hopkins entered 17 individuals in the tournament, and 16 won at least one match. The team recorded 35 bout victories, including 23 bonus-point wins. Among the three Centennial Conference schools in the field, Johns Hopkins finished behind sixth-place Ursinus and ahead of eighth-place McDaniel.
What’s Next for the Johns Hopkins University Men’s Wrestling Team
The Johns Hopkins University men’s wrestling team will return to competition at the Racich Rumble at Ursinus on Saturday, November 14.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Qureshi’s 5-0 run provided the top individual result for the Johns Hopkins University men’s wrestling team, while Pimental and Koransky added additional top-six finishes. The team also put 16 of its 17 competitors in the win column and recorded 23 bonus-point victories.
Johns Hopkins will carry that tournament performance into the Racich Rumble at Ursinus.
Source: Original report
