MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (November 17, 2021) - The St. Thomas University (STU) Wrestling team (0-1, 0-1 MSC) hangs tough against no. 4 Southeastern University (3-0, 1-0 MSC) in the first home dual of the season from the Fernandez Family Center. The Bobcats fell 29-18 to open Mid-South Conference play. 

St. Thomas picked up four individual wins, two via pin and two via decision. The match started on the 174 weight class.

Jessiah Garcia-Contreras got the momentum going and put the Bobcats on the board first with a comeback late third period pin in the 197-bout.

Caio De Almeida followed the momentum and won the heavy weight class (285) by decision. All the points came in the third period, De Almedia grabbed a late escape and takedown in the final 15 seconds to take the 5-2 victory picking up ride time.

As the match flipped to the middle weight classes, Tyler Khawly-Orta continued to be a star on the mat with a six-point win by decision. Khawly-Orta collected five takedowns and an escape to pick up the 11-5 win in the 141-bout.

David Pierson picked up the final team points with a pin in the 149-bout a minute and a half into the second period.

Christian Espinoza was four seconds away from forcing an overtime match after getting a late takedown that tied the it up at four all, but could not hold the Fire wrestler down as they gathered the late escape to take the 5-4 win in the 165 weight class.

The team collected seven escapes, two reversals, and nine takedowns on the match.

Final Results

174: Coleman Bryant (SOEA) over Joe louis (St.Tom) (Fall 0:19)

184: Trillyon Fils-Aime (SOEA) over Jeshua Castillo (St.Tom) (Fall 1:30)

197: Jessiah Garcia-Contreras (St.Tom) over Drew Bowker (SOEA) (Fall 6:27)

285: Caio De Almeida (St.Tom) over Caleb Hardeman (SOEA) (Dec 4-2)

125: Trevor Borom (SOEA) over DJ Perez (St.Tom) (Fall 4:59)

133: Xavier Williamson (SOEA) over Nick Foster (St.Tom) (TF 19-3 7:00)

141: Tyler Khawly-Orta (St.Tom) over Ethan Gustilo (SOEA) (Dec 11-5)

149: David Pierson (St.Tom) over Maxwell Kauffman (SOEA) (Fall 4:22)

157: Izac Martinez (SOEA) over Gianni Guerriero (St.Tom) (Dec 5-0)

165: Wyatt Kirkham (SOEA) over Christian Espinoza (St.Tom) (Dec 5-4)

Up Next

St. Thomas will head out to the Life Open on Saturday, November 20 in Marietta, Ga. for their next competition.