By MATMEN, Friday, 11:20 a.m.
NEW ORLEANS — Pace returned to Florida with three top-6 finishes in the two-day 2022 Trey Culotta Invitational, hosted by Brother Martin HS.
The Patriots were 18th out of 28 teams in the IBT event, with 86.5 points as a team. Brother Martin won the title with 386 points, with Tennessee’s Christian Brothers second at 293.5.
Seven Pace wrestlers competed in the event, which gave place finishes to everyone in each weight class. Three of those Patriots — Maeson Otwell (138, 5th), Jordan Baxter (160, 6th) and Trenton Goodale (220, 6th) — reached the top 6 individually.
Otwell (10th-2A) was 3-1 and was 2nd in Pool A at 138 on Wednesday, with two pins and a major, and his only loss to a wrestler who did not compete in Thursday’s flighted bracket. After a 7-1 win over the Pool D champ and 35-match winner from McAdory (AL) in the quarters, Otwell lost by third-period tech fall to eventual champ Jack McDonald of Liberty Christian School (TX). After an overtime loss, 6-4, in the consi semis, Otwell took down Brother Martin’s Matthew Meyer, 6-4, in the fifth-place match, with takedowns in the second and third period, only allowing a late reversal with victory largely in hand.
Baxter (16th-2A) also was 3-1 in pool play at 160, taking 2nd in Pool D with two pins and a second-period 15-0 tech fall, with his only loss to the eventual 4th-place finisher from Woodward Academy (GA). In the championship flight, Baxter lost by third-period TF to the eventual champ from Montgomery Catholic (AL) in the quarters, but then took a forfeit victory in the first round of consis. He then lost by fall to Woodward in the consi semis and did not contest the fifth-place match.
Goodale was 2-1 in Pool A at 220, with a pin and a 4-0 decision, with his only loss by tech fall to the eventual champion from Paducah Tilghman (KY). He then drew the tournament runnerup from Vestavia Hills (AL), falling by a 6-1 count in the quarters. He took a forfeit win in the first round of consis over another Tilghman wrestler, but did not compete after that, finishing sixth.
Pace is now off until next week’s Pace Duals on Thursday (Matmen will have a preview on this that will release on Wednesday evening).
Rankings are per https://kabrawrestling.com/rankings/class-2A
Results from the two-day tournament can be found HERE.
North Florida Matmen 