Muskegon Jayhawks Crown Five Champions at MCCAA Individual Tournament.
Kuhn Wins Freshman of the Year Honors; Jayhawks Crowned Dual Series Champions
MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Community College (MCC) wrestling finished second this weekend, hosting the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Individual Wrestling Tournament, finishing 5 points behind tournament champion, Southwestern Community College. The Jayhawks saw an impressive five wrestlers climb to the top of the podium, capturing individual conference titles in front of an energetic home crowd.
Leading the charge for Muskegon was Colin Kuhn (133 lbs), who put on a clinic with two consecutive pins to secure his title. Kuhn's fastest fall of the day came in just 1:38 during the semifinals. He was joined in the winner's circle by teammates Payton Paguada (141 lbs), who secured a fall in his championship match, Alex Hicks (184 lbs), Andrew Baldwin (197 lbs), and heavyweight Ian Barynas (285 lbs), who capped off the day with a commanding 11-0 major decision victory.
Championship Performances
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133 lbs: Colin Kuhn (28-2) – Won by fall (3:58)
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141 lbs: Payton Paguada (21-6) – Won by fall (2:33)
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184 lbs: Alex Hicks (21-8) – Won by decision (7-5)
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197 lbs: Andrew Baldwin (14-4) – Won by decision (9-3)
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285 lbs: Anton Barynas (21-5) – Won by major decision (11-0)
Runners-Up:
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125 lbs: Jack Guerrero (22-2) – Lost a 7-6 heartbreaker in the final.
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149 lbs: Jacob Gillison (14-11) – Secured a pin in the semifinals to reach the title bout.
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165 lbs: Zephyr Fegley (14-12) – Advanced to the finals with a dominant 17-0 technical fall.
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174 lbs: Trevor Streeter (8-8) – Secured second-place honors.
Third Place:
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157 lbs: Caden Brown (15-13)
"I'm actually encouraged," said the MCC head coach, Cody Carpenter. "We had four or five starters out of the line-up today. I'm happy some of our backups had a chance to compete at home, and they fought hard. Certainly, we want to win the conference, but we have some guys who are nicked up, and we chose to rest them. I feel like some rest and recovery will pay off in two weeks at the national qualifier."
Colin Kuhn-Freshman of the Year
Colin Kuhn was the unanimous choice for Freshman of the Year, voted on by the head coaches in the conference. Kuhn ran his record to an impressive 28-2 on the season.
Jayhawks Recognized at Dual Champs
The Jayhawks were undefeated in the conference this year, and were presented the the Dual Meet Trophy on Saturday.
Team Points Summary
The Jayhawks' collective performance resulted in a significant haul of team points, fueled by the aggressive style of wrestling that led to multiple falls and technical falls throughout the day.
|
Wrestler |
Weight |
Place |
Team Points |
|
133 |
1st |
15.0 |
|
|
141 |
1st |
15.0 |
|
|
197 |
1st |
13.0 |
|
|
Anton Barynas |
285 |
1st |
13.0 |
|
184 |
1st |
11.0 |
|
|
149 |
2nd |
10.0 |
|
|
165 |
2nd |
9.5 |
|
|
125 |
2nd |
7.0 |
|
|
174 |
2nd |
7.0 |
|
|
157 |
3rd |
4.0 |
The Jayhwks will return to action in two weeks when they host the Great Lakes District at the HWC. Wrestling will begin at 11am on Sunday, February 22. Top wrestlers will advance to the NjCAA nationals.
