Tournament Website
WHEATON, Ill. - The Elmhurst College wrestling team placed fifth at the prestigious Pete Wilson Invitational hosted by Wheaton College.
The Bluejays totaled 86.5 points to place fifth, finishing just 3.5 points behind fourth-place finisher North Central College. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside captured the team title with 175.5 points. Heidelberg University finished second (108.5 points) and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished third with 92 points.
Four Bluejays placed among the top-eight in their respective weight class.
Mark Corsello was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Mark Corsello was named the tournament's "Most Outstanding Wrestler" after winning the individual title at 285 pounds. In a rematch of last year's NCAA Championship match, Corsello scored a thrilling 5-4 victory over defending national champion Dan Laurent of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Laurent led Corsello 3-2 and had a riding time advantage in the final period, but was called for stalling twice in the final minute. The two points gave Corsello a 4-3 lead on the scoreboard but essentially tied the match when factoring in Laurent's riding time point. With Laurent in control, the two grapplers went off the mat setting up a restart with 3.6 seconds left. Corsello earned a dramatic escape just before the final horn to earn the extra point and score the 5-4 win.
Corsello defeated Lynn Panko, the seventh-ranked wrestler in NCAA Division II, 4-3 in the semifinals. He finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record and remains unbeaten on the season.
Jake Denhof placed third at 133 pounds after finishing with a 4-1 record. Denhof advanced to the semifinals before falling 11-3 to North Central's Nathan Fitzenreider. Denhof bounced back from the loss by pinning Indianapolis' Ethan Harris in 1:45 to advance to the third-place match. Denhof defeated UW-Parkside's Brandon Kirchner 12-7 in the consolation championship match.
Charlie Curran added a fourth-place finish for the Bluejays at 149 pounds. Curran breezed into the semifinals, before falling to Case Western's Isaac Dukes. He rebounded from the loss to blank Indianapolis' David Lopez 5-0 in the consolation semifinals. Curran placed fourth after he was forced to medically forfeit the third-place match.
Dan Hamilton added a sixth-place finish at 157 pounds. Hamilton finished the tournament with a 5-3 overall record. He advanced the consolation semifinals before falling to top-seeded Jesse Milks of Wisconsin-Platteville 4-3. Hamilton dropped the fifth-place match to Trine's Kyle Long.
Elmhurst will compete for the CCIW Championship on Thursday, February 11.