WESLEY THOMAS | Reporter
Lindenwood men’s wrestling, coming off a solid showing in the Maryville Kaufman-Brand Open, will be looking to build on that success on a much larger stage when the Lindenwood Open begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in Hyland Arena.
More than 600 wrestlers from over 40 different schools will compete at the tournament.
Teams such as Iowa State, University of Missouri, University of Oklahoma and Wisconsin are just a few of the Division I schools listed to compete. Five teams in attendance are rated in the Top 25 in Division I, including No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Missouri and No. 8 Iowa.
Among the Division II schools attending, five of them are ranked in the national polls, including No. 1 St. Cloud State.
Three of the top of junior colleges along with the top NAIA schools will also be competing Saturday.
Lindenwood will be rolling into the weekend on a high note after placing 15 of its athletes in their respective classes at the Maryville Kaufman-Brand Open, including six champions. Carlos Jacquez and Hunter Haralson both won their weight divisions along with Tanner Hitchcock who had a great outing in the 125 weight class in the freshman/sophomore division.
“This is the toughest event we have on the schedule, and it is a great event to have here at Lindenwood,” men’s wrestling head coach Jimmy Rollins said. “Carlos Jacquez, Hunter Haralson and Kyle Jolas are three guys coming off a nice opening weekend. We expect to have a good showing,”
The event allows coaches to gauge their team across all divisions, Rollins said.
“This event is one coaches circle on their calendar as one where kids get to prove what they have,” he said. “If you don’t come to the Lindenwood Open ready to wrestle, there is a good chance that it will be a painful day for you.”
Click through the slideshow to meet some of the Lindenwood athletes competing this weekend.
The event will be streamed live on flowrestling.com.
