LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 2-ranked Wartburg wrestling team opened competition at the 2020 NWCA National Dual Meet Championships Friday, Jan. 10, earning wins over No. 22 Millikin University and No. 7 Baldwin Wallace University to advance to the semifinal round of the 24-team bracket.

The Knights downed ranked teams for the second and third time this season to advance to the NWCA semifinals for a 12th consecutive appearance in the tournament. 

Wartburg, the tournament's No. 2 seed, received a first-round bye and began with a dual versus Millikin Friday morning. The Orange & Black won six of 10 bouts, including the top-ranked 184 Kyle Briggs' seventh pin of the season. 

The quarterfinals spared no dramatics as the Knights found themselves down 6-0 against the Yellowjackets heading into the 141 weight class. A Brady Fritz pin at 141 tied up the match, but BWU won the next two to claim a 14-6 lead. A one-minute pin from Max Forsyth and Briggs' 15th win of the season tied up the match again, at 17-17. Baldwin Wallace went up 20-17 with a decision heading into the final bout of the dual, in which Wartburg responded with a thrilling 12-4 major decision at from the heavyweight transfer from Southgate, Mich., Jordon Brandon to earn the one-point victory, 

ROUND 1
 
No. 2 Wartburg College 25, No. 22 Millikin University 18
125 – Joey Rivera (Millikin) over Noah Padilla (Wartburg); Dec 13-7 (0-3)
133 – Joe Pins (Wartburg) over Nick Sablan (Millikin); TF 16-0 (5-3)
141 – Zayren Terukina (Wartburg) over Sean McKenna (Millikin); Maj 12-4 (9-3)
149 – Brady Fritz (Wartburg) over Peter McCusker (Millikin); Maj 8-0 (13-3)
157 – Shea Hartzler (Wartburg) over Tristan Birt (Millikin); SV-1 3-1 (16-3)
165 – Bradan Birt (Millikin) over Max Forsyth (Wartburg); Dec 7-3 (16-6)
174 – Paul Calo (Wartburg) over Jake Tisza (Millikin); Dec 6-0 (19-6)     
184 – Kyle Briggs (Wartburg) over Taylor McGiffen (Millikin); Fall 1:39 (25-6)
197 – Logan Hagerbaumer (Millikin) over Isaiah Cox (Wartburg); Fall 5:48 (25-12)           
HWT – Frank Tomaskovic (Millikin) over Omar Begic (Wartburg); Fall 4:30 (25-18)
 
QUARTERFINALS
 
No. 2 Wartburg College 21, No. 7 Baldwin Wallace University 20
125 – Jack Stanley (Baldwin Wallace) over Brady Kyner (Wartburg); Dec 3-0 (0-3)
133 – Charles Nash (Baldwin Wallace) over Owen Mcclave (Wartburg); Dec 5-2 (0-6)
141 – Brady Fritz (Wartburg) over Tanner Mchugh (Baldwin Wallace); Fall 1:24 (6-6)
149 – Stanley Bleich (Baldwin Wallace) over Brock Rathbun (Wartburg); Dec 5-3 (6-9)
157 – Dalton Leightner (Baldwin Wallace) over Martine Sandoval (Wartburg); TF 23-6 (6-14)
165 – Max Forsyth (Wartburg) over Benjamin Hooff (Baldwin Wallace); Fall 1:00 (12-14)
174 – Lucas Salmon (Baldwin Wallace) over Paul Calo (Wartburg); Dec 7-4 (12-17)           
184 – Kyle Briggs (Wartburg) over Doug Byrne (Baldwin Wallace); TF 18-3 (17-17)
197 – Zeckary Lehman (Baldwin Wallace) over Kobe Woods (Wartburg); Dec 8-3 (17-20)      
HWT – Jordon Brandon (Wartburg) over Jarod Miller (Baldwin Wallace); Maj 12-4 (21-20)

Up Next
Wartburg, now 8-0 overall, will face No. 3 Wabash College (6-0) tomorrow in the semifinals at 11 a.m. (ET).