EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — No. 16 Wisconsin turned in a dominant day on the mats at the Cougar Clash hosted by Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (SIUE). With 13 of the Badgers' top wrestlers competing in the Midwestern competition, seven UW wrestlers earned first-place finishes in their weight classes, while an additional three placed in the top three of the brackets.
"What a great day today! The guys performed at an extremely high level," said Wisconsin head coach Chris Bono. "They really connected to the areas we worked on all week. Some of them won their first collegiate tournament! Successful first semester! We are really excited to get back to work for the Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) and the Big Ten season. Love this team!"
True freshmen Dean Hamiti (165 pounds) and Braxton Amos (197) led the Badgers' top finishers, both collecting bonus-point victories across multiple matches. Hamiti won two of his three matches by fall — pinning Brown's Harrison Trahan in 2:54 and then later Northern Illinois' Izzak Olejnik in 6:43. He also scored a 12-0 major decision victory over SIUE's Cardeionte Wilson in the semifinals to advance to the first-place match against Olejnik. Teammate Amos earned three of his four victories on the day through tech falls — 18-1 over Little Rock's Brooks Sacharczyk, 18-2 over NIU's Matt Zuber and 24-7 to place first over SIUE's Ryan Yarnell.
Eric Barnett (125), Kyle Burwick (133), Joseph Zargo (141), Garrett Model (157) and Trent Hillger (285) joined their their fellow Badgers in finishing first overall at the tournament. Teammates Ethan Rotondo (133) and Chris Weiler (184) finished second overall, while Andrew McNally (174) finished third. Notably, Barnett and Rotondo met in a gritty battle for first place at 133 pounds that went to double overtime before seeing Burwick edge Rotondo in a 2-1 decision to claim the bracket's top spot.
Seven of the Badgers victories today were by pin. Joining Hamiti's two falls, Model, McNally, Tyler Dow, Weiler and Hillger all won matches by fall during the event.
Full results can be found below. All wrestlers competing at the Cougar Clash wrestled attached to Wisconsin.
Results
Eric Barnett - 125 pounds - 1st Place
- Quarterfinal: Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
- Semifinal: Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) over Jayden Carson (Little Rock) • Maj 9-0
- 1st Place Match: Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) over Bryce West (Northern Illinois) • Maj 13-5
Kyle Burwick - 133 pounds - 1st Place
Ethan Rotondo - 133 pounds - 2nd Place
- Quarterfinal: Ethan Rotondo (Wisconsin) over Max Dansereau (Bellarmine) • Maj 15-2
- Semifinal: Ethan Rotondo (Wisconsin) over Jaylen Carson (Little Rock) • Dec 3-2
- 1st Place Match: Kyle Burwick (Wisconsin) over Ethan Rotondo (Wisconsin) • TB-1 2-1
Joseph Zargo - 141 pounds - 1st Place
- Quarterfinal: Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) over Justin Bierdumpfel (Brown) • Inj. 5:00
- Semifinal: Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) over Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) • Maj 14-3
- 1st Place Match: Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) over Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) • Dec 6-4
Aidan Medora - 149 pounds - 5th Place
- Quarterfinal: Ricky Cabanillas (Brown) over Aidan Medora (Wisconsin) • Maj 8-0
- Cons. Round 1: Aidan Medora (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
- Cons. Semi: Joseph Bianchi (Little Rock) over Aidan Medora (Wisconsin) • TF 19-4
- 5th Place Match: Aidan Medora (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
Garrett Model - 157 pounds - 1st Place
- Quarterfinal: Garrett Model (Wisconsin) over Alec Rees (Northern Illinois) • Fall 6:27
- Semifinal: Garrett Model (Wisconsin) over Chase Tebbets (Little Rock) • Dec 6-1
- 1st Place Match: Garrett Model (Wisconsin) over Jack Bokina (Brown) • Maj 14-1
Cody Anderson - 165 pounds - 6th Place
- Quarterfinal: Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) over Cody Anderson (Wisconsin) • Maj 9-0
- Cons. Round 1: Cody Anderson (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
- Cons. Semi: Cardeionte Wilson (SIU Edwardsville) over Cody Anderson (Wisconsin) • Dec 9-3
- 5th Place Match: Harrison Trahan (Brown) over Cody Anderson (Wisconsin) • Maj 9-1
Dean Hamiti - 165 pounds - 1st Place
- Quarterfinal: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) over Harrison Trahan (Brown) • Fall 2:54
- Semifinal: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) over Cardeionte Wilson (SIU Edwardsville) • Maj 12-0
- 1st Place Match: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) over Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) • Fall 6:43
Andrew McNally - 174 pounds - 3rd Place
- Quarterfinal: Triston Wills (Little Rock) over Andrew McNally (Wisconsin) • Dec 9-6
- Cons. Round 1: Andrew McNally (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
- Cons. Semi: Andrew McNally (Wisconsin) over Kevin Gschwendtner (SIU Edwardsville) • Fall 6:40
- 3rd Place Match: Andrew McNally (Wisconsin) over Eric Beck (Bellarmine) • Maj 8-0
Tyler Dow - 184 pounds - 6th Place
- Quarterfinal: Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) over Sam Schroeder (Bellarmine) • Fall 6:43
- Semifinal: Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) over Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) • Fall 6:17
- Cons. Semi: Charlie Cadell (Bellarmine) over Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) • MFF
- 5th Place Match: Sergio Villalobos (SIU Edwardsville) over Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) • MFF
Chris Weiler - 184 pounds - 2nd Place
- Quarterfinal: Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) over Charlie Cadell (Bellarmine) • Fall 2:32
- Semifinal: Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) over Sergio Villalobos (SIU Edwardsville) • Maj 10-0
- 1st Place Match: Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) over Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) • Dec 8-4
Braxton Amos - 197 pounds - 1st Place
- Champ. Round 1: Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) over Brooks Sacharczyk (Little Rock) • TF 18-1
- Quarterfinal: Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) over Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) • TF 18-2
- Semifinal: Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) over Colin Jagielski (Northern Illinois) • Dec 6-0
- 1st Place Match: Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) over Ryan Yarnell (SIU Edwardsville) • TF 24-7
Trent Hillger - 285 pounds - 1st Place
- Quarterfinal: Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) over () • Bye
- Semifinal: Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) over Terrese Aaron (Northern Illinois) • Dec 7-4
- 1st Place Match: Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) over Josiah Hill (Little Rock) • Fall 3:46Â
