Brackets       Team Scores

The UW-Parkside wrestling team had a balanced attack in scoring 127 points which was tops out of 22 teams at the annual two-day Midwest Classic, hosted by the University of Indianapolis over the weekend. The wrestling Rangers had one champion, two second place finishers, one third, fifth, sixth and seventh place finisher and two eighth places. Parkside had a comfortable margin over runner-up Newberry College, which finished with 117.5 points.

A total of nine of the 22 teams are ranked in NCAA Division II including Newberry, which is No. 2. The team was second at nationals last season.

Freshman Matt Gille was crowned champion in the 165-pound weight class for the Rangers, who will likely climb from their current ranking of No. 8 in the nation. He pinned Josh Whitelock of Newberry in the finals, after winning previous bouts by a pin in 3:35 along with decisions of 10-5 and 5-1.

Cody Zimmerman (125) and Craig Becker (149) earned runner-up spots in the 32nd annual event. Zimmerman won by scores of 8-0, 7-1 and 4-2 before getting edged by Arsenia Barsksdale of Adams State in the finals, 7-5. Becker made his way to the championship match by winning 14-1, 16-1, 3-1 and 7-5. He was pinned by Mitch Smith of West Liberty State in the finals.

Luke Haag (184) finished in third place. He won by scores of 6-2 and 6-4 before dropping a 6-2 decision. He rebounded to defeat Phil Witt of Central Missouri in the third place match.

Other Ranger places included Luke Rynish (174), fifth; Dillon Bera (157), sixth; Jon Treml (197), seventh; and Brandon Kircher (133) and Mike Migawa (141), eighth. 

This is the third time UW-Parkside has won the event, with the last crown coming in 1983. The Rangers have been runner-up seven times including last season.

See what the Kenosha News had to say: http://www.kenoshanews.com/mystuff/gille_leads_uwp_to_title_in_indy_7064747.html

The Rangers will take part in the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 9-10. Wrestling gets under way at 9:00 a.m. each day. The final home meet of the season is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 7:00 p.m. versus UW-Stevens Point.