CORBIN, Ky. – The University of Pikeville men's wrestling team competed at the Pepsi Patriot Open on Saturday at Corbin Arena, with Chase Price and Luke Arthur leading the Bears with top-six finishes.
Competing in the Open Division at 174 pounds, Price secured a fifth-place finish after putting together a strong run through the championship bracket. Price opened the tournament with a 3-2 decision victory by disqualification over Marian's Gage Eckles before earning a 4-2 decision over Cumberlands' Corbin Melvin. He continued his run with a 10-2 major decision against Briar Cliff's Ethan Gregg to advance to the championship semifinals.
After falling in the semifinal, Price moved to the consolation bracket, where he dropped a match to Cleary's Julius Polk. He bounced back in the fifth-place match, earning the victory by forfeit over Cleary's Jamari Powell to secure fifth place.
Arthur finished sixth in the FR/SO Division at 141 pounds. After receiving a first-round bye, Arthur earned a fall in 1:38 over New College of Florida's Daniel Birriel Jr. He followed that performance with a 6-3 decision over Briar Cliff's Brayden Kreikemeier in the championship quarterfinals. Arthur advanced to the championship semifinals before falling to Georgetown's Corban Nance. Medical forfeits in the consolation semifinals and fifth-place match ultimately gave him a sixth-place finish.
Several other Bears picked up victories throughout the tournament. George Lemaster recorded a 16-0 technical fall over Lindsey Wilson's Hussein Ali in the FR/SO Division at 165 pounds, while Brandon Didat opened the Open Division at 125 pounds with a 14-1 victory over Truett McConnell's Tate Thomas.
The Bears also saw Cedric Stewart, Bryce Looney and Lincoln Griffith compete in the FR/SO Division, while Ethan Croom and Hayden Canady represented UPIKE in the Open Division. In the double-elimination format, each wrestler was eliminated after suffering two losses.
The Bears return to the mats on Nov. 8, traveling to Franklin Springs, Ga., to compete in the Georgia Open, hosted by Emmanuel University.
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