By: Nick Pope
MARIETTA, Ga. — The Life University men's wrestling team delivered an outstanding performance at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship, securing multiple individual titles and claiming the team championship.
The Running Eagles dominated the two-day tournament hosted in the Eagles' Nest, amassing 210 points to outpace Southeastern (184 points) and Reinhardt (155 points). St. Thomas (122 points) and Keiser (67 points) rounded out the top five.
After the tournament, the AAC named Omi Acosta the AAC Coach of the Year, Jesse Perez was crowned the AAC Wrestler of the Year, while Thaddeus Long and Jesse Perez swept the Wrestler of the Tournament awards.
Life U's success was led by several champions, including Thaddeus Long (133 lbs), Bret Minor (149 lbs), Steven Villalobos (157 lbs), Tre Morrisette (174 lbs), Jesse Perez (184 lbs), and Khalil Abdushshakur (197 lbs). Other top placers included Fabian Padilla (2nd, 157 lbs), Kendall Norfleet (2nd, 184 lbs), and Earnest Johnson (2nd, 285 lbs).
Thaddeus Long (133 lbs) kicked off his tournament with a quick fall in 51 seconds before rolling through his bracket with a major decision and a tech fall, finishing with a 13-4 major decision in the finals.
At 149 lbs, Bret Minor dominated with two tech falls, including a 16-1 victory in the championship bout over Southeastern's Mario De La Torre. Pat Gould, also competing at 149 lbs, fought back from a quarterfinal loss to secure third place with a major decision and a forfeit victory.
At 157 lbs, Steven Villalobos put on a commanding performance, earning two first-period pins before an injury default victory over teammate Fabian Padilla in the finals.
At 174 lbs, Tre Morrisette controlled his bracket, scoring a tech fall and major decision before claiming the title with a huge 4-2 upset over St. Thomas' Kris Ketchum. Alexander Couto joined him on the podium, placing third with a 16-10 decision in the consolation finals.
At 184 lbs, Jesse Perez proved unstoppable, securing two pins and a tech fall before being awarded first place via forfeit over teammate Kendall Norfleet.
At 197 lbs, Khalil Abdushshakur made an emphatic statement, earning a first-period pin before defeating Reinhardt's John Lovett and then securing the championship with a 10-2 major decision.
In the 285 lbs division, Earnest Johnson powered through to the finals with a pin and a 5-0 decision before ultimately finishing second. With only two allocated spots in the AAC, Johnson went on to battle for true second with a thrilling sudden victory win over Terrell Phillip to conclude the AAC Tournament.
With another dominant performance in the books, the Running Eagles now set their sights on the 68th Annual NAIA Tournament in Wichita, Kansas, where they will send 12 wrestlers to compete for national titles.
