The Keiser wrestling team faced a challenging slate of nationally ranked opponents on Thursday at the Fire Duals in Lakeland, Fla., squaring off against No. 3 Indiana Tech, No. 13 University of Providence, and (RV) Rochester Christian University. The Seahawks closed the day with a decisive 32–14 win over Rochester Christian after falling to two top-15 programs earlier in the event.
Keiser opened the day against No. 13 Providence, earning victories at 125, 141, and 184 pounds. Patrick Jones set the tone early with a 12–7 decision at 125, while Jake Wyatt provided a spark with a second-period fall at 141. Sam Libby continued his strong season with a 4–1 decision at 184. Despite those performances, Providence capitalized on bonus points throughout the lineup to secure a 36–12 team victory. In the second dual, Keiser took on No. 3 Indiana Tech, one of the nation's top programs. Libby again delivered a highlight moment for the Seahawks with a third-period fall at 184, but Indiana Tech controlled the remaining bouts to claim a 40–6 win.
The Seahawks closed the day with their strongest team performance against (RV) Rochester Christian, winning seven of ten bouts and securing a 32–14 victory. Keiser earned bonus-point wins in four consecutive matches from 165 through 197, with Julian Gonzales, Ronald Butler, Sam Libby, and Jett McCauley all picking up dominant technical falls. Patrick Jones and Josiah Fernandez added wins in the lower weights to help seal the dual.
No. 13 University of Providence 36, (RV) Seahawks 12
125: Patrick Jones decision over Boden Banta (12-7)
133: Kina`u McBrayer decision over Josiah Fernandez (7-5)
141: Jake Wyatt fall over Hunter Dyer (4:10)
149: Tristan Bremer fall over Joaquin Tanabe (5:25)
157: Hunter Hobbs fall over Phillip Antico (1:30)
165: Blaze Sumiye fall over Julian Gonzales (2:25)
174: Brady Ellison fall over Ronald Butler (6:46)
184: Sam Libby decision over Noah Poe-Hatten (4-1)
197: Brendan Lockart fall over Jett McCauley (6:47)
285: Ethan DeRoche decision over Daguy Massillon (4-0)
No. 3 Indiana Tech 40, (RV) Seahawks 6
125: Trevor Hisey decision over Patrick Jones (10-8)
133: Luke Rioux technical fall over Josiah Fernandez (18-0)
141: Conner Kimbrough technical fall over Jake Wyatt (22-5)
149: Mike Loney technical fall over Joaquin Tanabe (20-3)
157: Vinnie Abbey technical fall over Phillip Antico (21-4)
165: Jonathan Kervin technical fall over Julian Gonzales (17-2)
174: Michael Durham sudden victory over Ronald Butler (4-1)
184: Sam Libby fall over Landon Buchanan (5:31)
197: Nathan Critchfield fall over Jett McCauley (1:44)
285: Ian Clifford decision over Daguy Massillon (4-0)
(RV) Seahawks 32, (RV) Rochester Christian 14
125: Patrick Jones fall over Mario Orueta (5:00)
133: Josiah Fernandez decision over Cristian Rojas (10-3)
141: Nick Alayan fall over Jake Wyatt (3:49)
149: Dakota Quinlan major decision over Joaquin Tanabe (14-6)
157: Peyton Frederick major decision over Phillip Antico (21-11)
165: Julian Gonzales technical fall over Sebastian Prisbe (15-0)
174: Ronald Butler technical fall over Christian Preston (19-4)
184: Sam Libby technical fall over David VanDaele (15-0)
197: Jett McCauley technical fall over Nick Meli (16-0)
285: Daguy Massillon decision over Sawyer Kuenzer (4-2)
"We always talk about the fight and focusing on our effort over the outcome. The fight was there today, we just need it to be there for all seven minutes. These guys made a lot of good things happen and were in some really good matches against some of the top wrestlers in the country. We just have to keep working on finishing those matches to make sure we come out on top. I am very proud of how we bounced back today after two tough losses to go into the break with a win. These guys have earned some much-needed rest and time with their families. I am excited to get back to work with this group after the break and see what we can do in the second half of the year."
Keiser will return to action after the new year at the Hawk Classic Open on January 4 in Montgomery, Ala., with wrestling set to begin at 9:00 a.m.
Get the latest information on the team by following KeiserWrestling on Instagram and KeiserWrestling on X.
General athletic news can be found at KUSeahawks on Facebook, kuseahawks on Instagram, and kuseahawks on X.
