Cal College Wrestlers Open Season with Two Titles, Place Four at Ben McMullen Open

After more than 20 months off the mat in a rebuild phase, the Calumet College Crimson Wave traveled to Muskegon, Michigan this past weekend for the Ben McMullen Open at Muskegon Community College. Six Cal College wrestlers competed, coming away with two champions, one third place finish, and one sixth place finish, with a combined 17-7 record on the day. 

"This is a good start to our season, but it's just a start," said head coach Tom Molony of his first-year team. "Four of our guys today are fresh out of high school or have no college wrestling experience. The other two guys [Adame and Boles] each have one year of junior college, but haven't been on the mats since 2019 and 2020, respectively."

Competing unattached at 125 pounds, Carleton "CP" Perry (Freshman--Indianapolis, Indiana/Warren Central) dropped his first match, also his first college match, 4-3 to eventual bracket champion Alex Cantu from Muskegon Community College.

"CP was the best guy in the bracket," said Molony. "He froze up in his first college match against a very good kid, and didn't do some really basic things he knows he needs to do, which would have given him that match. He also learned that riding time is a difference maker at the college level. 

Perry, after losing his opener on a riding time point, went on a tear through the backside of the bracket by winning four straight matches, scoring two major decisions and a fall along the way."

Freshman Nathan Berta (Channahon, Illinois/Minooka HS) went 5-0 on the day, scoring bonus points in every single match with a first period technical fall, a major decision in the semi-finals, and three first period pins, including one in the finals at 1:05.

"Nathan Berta was on a mission today," Molony stated. "He scored that technical fall in 1:30 of the first period, but was looking for the pin the whole way. We made a slight adjustment to that after the match, and the results speak for themselves."

At 165 pounds, Jeivan Ross (Freshman—Indianapolis, Indiana/Warren Central) earned four falls, three in the first period, on his way to the second weight class title of the day for the Crimson Wave.

"Ross is a great kid with a unique style, and a deep bag of technique," Molony stated. "Competing is where Ross is at his best, and he really showed up today."

Ross's final match took place against a highly decorated wrestler from Illinois. Up 20-11 in the third period, Ross executed a text book lateral drop at the edge of the mat to score his fourth consecutive fall in four matches.

"The young man Ross wrestled in the finals is very good, and very tough," stated Molony. "He has a year of college wrestling under his belt already, and will likely be vying for All-American honors at the junior college level. This was a pretty dominating, hard-fought, feel-good win for Jeivan."

Ricardo Adame (Sophomore—Madera, California/Madera South/Fresno Community College), wrestling unattached, and competing for the first time since fall 2019, went 2-2 on the day at 184 pounds, finishing in the top six. His two losses came to the wrestlers who finished second and third in the bracket.

"Ricky knows that he is at the wrong weight class right now, so it's a matter of weight and lifestyle discipline with him, not wrestling," Molony opined. "We are lucky to have him here, but he needs to commit to himself that he is going to make the necessary changes to be where he wants to be—and where we expect him to be—come February and March."

Also competing unattached this past weekend at 184 pounds for the Crimson Wave was Noah Boles (Sophomore—Minooka, Illinois/Minooka HS/Joliet Junior College). Boles, a national qualifier while at Joliet, went 2-2 on the day in his first outing since 2020. 

"The same thing I said about Ricky Adame goes for Noah Boles," Molony said. "His skill-level is immense, but he needs to commit to the lifestyle that will make him much better than a wrestler with a .500% record. He knows this."

David Madriz-Chavez (Sophomore—East Chicago, Indiana/East Chicago Central) also competed on the day as an unattached wrestler.

"David is coming back to school and the sport after a long layoff," Molony stated. "He is improving rapidly, and we are re-establishing him in some key positions. He will turn these results around pretty quickly."

The Crimson Wave travel this coming Saturday to Tiffin, Ohio and Tiffin University to compete at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open.

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