CLEVELAND - The No. 4 ranked UIndy wrestling team opened their season at the Bob Del Rosa Open in Cleveland, OH this weekend, with three Greyhounds winning their respective weight classes.

Reigning National Champion, Derek Blubaugh won in the 197 class, Jackson Hoover in 157, and UIndy newcomer Jake Niffenegger in 141.

INS & OUTS
Blubaugh cruised to a title in 197 with four decisive victories, in which he won by a combined score of 54-5, including a 15-0 win in the championship bout over Cleveland State's Joey Lyons. This is the second straight year in which Blubaugh has won the 197 weight class at this event. 

Hoover endured a tougher route to the 157 title, after receiving a first round bye, he battled against Mercyhurst's Max Stedeford in a closely fought 16-13 win for Hoover. Hoover then won 10-0 in his quarterfinal bout, before taking down Mike Zacur 4-2 in the semis. His final bout was a tightly contested 11-10 win which Hoover won over Connor Saylor, another Cleveland State wrestler.

Niffeneger, a recent junior transfer from Mercyhurst, had similar results to Blubaugh in his first three matches, winning by a lopsided combined score of 54-12 en route to the championship bout against Spire Academy's Brogan Fielding. Niffeneger won a closer contest against Fielding 5-2, earning his first title as a UIndy Greyhound.

The Hounds also earned two second place finishes to go along with their three titles, Tanner Tishner, the Indiana native, earned a runner-up finish in the 133 class, falling to West Virginia's Mason Kernan 7-5 in the championship. Freshman, Noah Clouser, also recorded a runner-up finish in his first event for UIndy, after being edged out by John Caroll's Bear Horgan in the championship.

Gavin Garcia and Nathan Conley both earned a shared 3rd place title in 149, after both found their way to the third place bout against each other.

Shane Bates placed fifth in 165 after dropping only one match all day to Cleveland State's Tate Geiser, who won the 165 class title, and Aiden Petersen had a strong showing as well with a fifth place finish over Mentor High's Liam Lloyd in 184.  

UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will head out next weekend to Findlay, OH, where UIndy will look to continue its strong overall team performance at the Findlay Open.