MW WRESTLING: Gainey, Goodwin spark Minnesota West

PALATINE, Ill. — Minnesota West wrestlers Greg Gainey and Ben Goodwin won their weight classes during the first NJCAA Non-Scholarship Invitational at Harper College on Saturday.

At 160 pounds, Gainey improved to 17-7 this season. He pinned David Hughes (Harper College) in 1 minute during the quarterfinals, scored a 6-2 decision against Tyrell Martin (Ridgewater) in the semifinals and pinned Dominic Sipe (Rochester) in 1:44 to win the championship.

At 174, Goodwin, who is back in the Bluejays’ lineup after dealing with a shoulder injury, became 8-7 this season. He posted a 9-4 decision against Basil Lawson (Nassau) in the quarterfinals, recorded a 4-3 decision over Trevor Mahlum (Ridgewater) in the semifinals and won the title with a 2-1 decision against Garrett Miller (Rochester).

“It’s nice to see our results from this tournament, especially when when we’re competing against teams on our level,” Minnesota West head coach Bob Purcell said. “It was very exciting to be here.”

Three more Bluejays — Michael Tanner (4-13 at 149), Taylor Andrews (5-7 at 285) and Jadon Evans (5-13 at 157) — placed among the top six.

Tanner, who went 1-2 in the tournament, finished fourth after being pinned by Grant Kyllo (Rochester) in 2:54.

Andrews was pinned twice — in the quarterfinals and in the consolation semifinals — before earning a 7-2 decision against Scott Ammons (Triton) in the fifth-place bout.

Evans, who had a 1-2 tournament mark, was forced to default the fifth-place match to Anthony Herring (Nassau) after injuring a hip flexor muscle.

John Bush (4-14 at 125) and Jerrell Furguson (3-11 at 184) both dropped a pair of matches before being eliminated.

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