Sanchez Wrestles His Way to the Top at Sunshine Open

It was a trip worth taking for Nick Sanchez (Lima, Ohio / Bath), who traveled with the rest of the no. 4 Heidelberg College wrestling team to Lakeland, Fla. to compete in the Brute Sunshine Open hosted by no. 1 Augsburg College (Minn.). Sanchez bested the competition at the 141 pound weight class, beating top seeded Jason Adams from Augsburg 4-3 for first place. He defeated four other wrestlers on his way to the championship match, winning his first match by a technical fall, 19-3.
 
In the end, the Berg finished with 12 wrestlers having placed in the top six of their respective weight classes. This included four third place-winners, Jerrad Hoxie (Forest Hills, Mich. / Forest Hills) at 133, Zach Mizer (Canton, Ohio / Perry) wrestling 149, Matt Curley (Brecksville, Ohio / Lakewood) in the 157 spot, and Ryan Bowers (Lima, Ohio / Elida) who placed at heavy weight.
 
The Heidelberg grapplers traveled to Florida in hopes of competing against some of the best teams in the nation, and it only helped them prove how much they deserve the recognition they have been receiving thus far this season.
 
The men return to Ohio and Ohio Athletic Conference action on January 8 in a home match against Baldwin-Wallace College. The contest begins at 7:30 p.m. in Heidelberg’s Seiberling Gymnasium and admission is free to the public.