The Keiser University wrestling team opened the 2026 portion of its schedule Saturday at the Hawk Classic Open in Montgomery, Alabama, competing against a deep field of collegiate and unattached wrestlers. The Seahawks were led by strong individual performances from Gunner Musilunas and Rocco D'Ascoli, who each earned top-five finishes in their respective brackets, while several others picked up quality wins and mat time to begin the new year.
Musilunas battled his way to a fifth-place finish at 125 pounds with four wins on the day, while D'Ascoli put together an impressive consolation run at 184 pounds to claim third place. Jake Wyatt also added a sixth-place finish at 141, and Derrique Mytial rebounded through the consolation bracket with multiple bonus-point victories at 133.
- Rocco D'Ascoli (184) turned in one of the strongest performances of the tournament, placing 3rd with 13.5 team points. After an opening-round setback, D'Ascoli battled through the consolation bracket with three straight wins, including a fall and a major decision, before closing the day with a 12–6 decision in the third-place match.
- Gunner Musilunas (125) placed 5th, posting a 4–2 record and scoring 14.0 team points. Musilunas opened the day with three straight victories, including two falls and a quarterfinal pin, before rebounding in the placement match with a dominant 17–4 major decision to secure a top-five finish.
- Jake Wyatt (141) finished 6th, earning 8.0 team points on the day. Wyatt advanced to the semifinals after a first-round fall and a narrow decision in the quarterfinals, showcasing resilience and toughness against a deep field.
Champ. Round 1 – Loss by decision to Jager Ferguson (Unattached), Dec 4-2
Cons. Round 1 – Bye
Cons. Round 2 – Loss by fall to Caleb Wright (Life U – NCWA), Fall 3:39
Champ. Round 1 – Won by fall over Elijah Pate (Montreat College), Fall 0:56
Champ. Round 2 – Loss by fall to Larry Rhodes (Bluefield State), Fall 0:45
Cons. Round 2 – Loss by decision to Quentin Benjamin (Unattached), Dec 5-1
Gunner Musilunas | 4–2 | 5th Place
Champ. Round 1 – Won by fall over Barrett Bridgmon (Montevallo), Fall 1:45
Champ. Round 2 – Won by decision over Caleb Wright (Life U – NCWA), Dec 8-6
Quarterfinal – Won by fall over Noah Krauss (Unattached), Fall 2:48
Semifinal – Loss by decision to Larry Rhodes (Bluefield State), Dec 4-2
Cons. Semi – Loss in sudden victory to Caleb Wright (Life U – NCWA), SV-1 11-8
5th Place Match – Won by major decision over Ahmed Daoud (Rome), Maj 17-4
Champ. Round 1 – Zac Bosken (Reinhardt) won by major decision, Maj 13–1
Cons. Round 1 – Bye
Cons. Round 2 – Win by tech fall over Brandon Rodgers (NA), TF 19–1
Cons. Round 3 – Win by decision over Eaiden Neal (Reinhardt), Dec 15–14
Cons. Round 4 – Win by fall over Daniel McEntyre (Unattached), Fall 1:52
Cons. Round 5 – Karter Stiffler (Unattached) won by decision, Dec 13–8
Champ. Round 1 – Win by fall over Caleb Benton (Truett McConnell), Fall 2:17
Quarterfinal – Win by decision over Kameron Stiffler (Unattached), Dec 12–11
Semifinal – Mauro Michel (Life University) won by fall, Fall 0:36
Cons. Semi – Louis MeHaffey (Montreat College) won by medical forfeit, MFF
5th Place Match – Mikai Brinson (Unattached) won by medical forfeit, MFF
Champ. Round 1 – David Panone (Unattached) won by fall, Fall 0:46
Cons. Round 1 – Bye
Cons. Round 2 – Win by decision over Tigran Grigoryan (UCF), Dec 11–6
Cons. Round 3 – Samuel Favaza (Louisiana Tech) won by fall, Fall 5:29
Champ. Round 1 – Bye
Champ. Round 2 – Badesire Lubala (Stone Mountain) won by decision, Dec 11–9
Cons. Round 2 – Win by injury default over Aiden Schenck (Schreiner), Inj. 0:00
Cons. Round 3 – Johnnie Nabors (Unattached) won by fall, Fall 0:53
Champ. Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal – Tre Morrisette (Life University) won by tech fall, TF 21–6
Cons. Round 2 – Win by decision over Cooper Bachman (Emmanuel), Dec 2–0
Cons. Round 3 – Win by fall over Jason Andrews (Life U – NCWA), Fall 0:21
Cons. Semi – Win by major decision over Brock Johnson (Huntingdon), Maj 10–2
3rd Place Match – Win by decision over Spencer Fields (Truett McConnell), Dec 12–6
Zach Knowles | 0-2
Champ. Round 1 – Russell Fickett (UCF) won by decision, Dec 9–2
Cons. Round 1 – Bye
Cons. Round 2 – Calvin Roberts (Bluefield State) won by fall, Fall 4:07
Head Coach Cole Manion praised the team's growth and early-season performance:
"It was a great tournament today to start the new year for Keiser wrestling. There was solid competition across all divisions, including NAIA, NCAA Division II, Division III, and NCWA, which gave us the opportunity to see teams we don't face very often. We had a lot of bright spots today, like Derrique Mytial coming back from a 14–2 deficit to win 15–14, which took a lot of heart. Rocco D'Ascoli lost his first match and battled all the way back to a third-place finish with a win in the consolation finals over a returning national qualifier. Jake Wyatt and Mako Musilunas also came up big for us today, finishing sixth and fifth, and both had some gutsy wins. We did a lot of good things, but there are still areas where we can improve, and that starts this week in practice. Go Seahawks."
Seahawks will return to dual action on Thursday, Jan. 9, traveling to Montreat, N.C., for a 1:00 p.m. dual against Montreat College.
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