WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.— The Montreat men's wrestling team took on a pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) newcomers Saturday evening in West Palm Beach, Fla. Squaring off against the St. Thomas University Bobcats and the Keiser University Seahawks, two teams receiving votes in the NAIA Men's Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the Cavaliers came up just a little bit short in both duals and dropped to 0-3 (0-3 AAC) on the season.
 
St. Thomas (2-1, 1-1 AAC) stormed out of the gates by tallying wins in the dual's initial four bouts. Behind a trio of pins and a narrow 5-4 decision, the Bobcats jumped out to a 21-0 lead on the Cavaliers; however, the Cavs were determined to try and dig themselves out of the early hole as exhibited by the squad's strong response.
 
Mohamed Ben Hafsia scored the initial points of the night for Montreat at 149 thanks to a pin in 4:14. Wrestling at 157, No. 9-ranked Taquel Young followed up Ben Hafsia's triumph with a victory of his own, defeating his foe with a 6-2 decision. Moments later, No. 23-ranked Easton Griffin closed the gap to 21-12 by pulling out a 7-5 overtime win at 165.
 
With the Cavaliers charging, St. Thomas made its stand at 174. Not only did the Bobcats earn a pin to move ahead 27-12, but the win also clinched the victory for STU with just two bouts remaining. Milosz Gargol (2:02) and Seth Williamson (2:16) notched pins at 184 and 197, respectively, but Montreat couldn't overcome the deficit as the Bobcats claimed the dual, 27-24.
 
Patrick Wlodyga got the Cavs off to a good start against Keiser in their second and final dual of the night. Wlodyga, a native of Byron, Mich., dominated his matchup at 125 and coasted to an 11-0 major decision. The Seahawks were undeterred, however, and they answered with a tight 7-6 decision and a pin to lead 9-4 after three bouts.
 
Ben Hafsia and Young picked up their second victories of the day during the ensuing bouts at 149 and 157, respectively. A native of Ben Arous, Tunisia, Ben Hafsia doubled up his opponent to the tune of an 8-4 decision. Young then put the Cavs back in front of the Seahawks, 10-9, with his 9-4 decision; however, the Montreat lead didn't last long as the hosts responded with an extended scoring streak to take over the dual.
 
Keiser (3-2, 3-1 AAC** 2-3, 2-2 AAC after forfeits) claimed the final five matchups of Saturday night's showdown, utilizing three close decisions and a pair of pins to pull away from the Cavaliers down the stretch. The Seahawks lost a point due to an unsportsmanlike infraction midway through the dual, but the hosts still won the conference clash over Montreat, 29-10.
 
The Montreat men's wrestling team hosts its first home duals of the season next Saturday as Truett McConnell and West Virginia Tech visit McAlister Gymnasium for a pair of AAC matchups. Start times have yet to be announced.
 
(RV) St. Thomas University 27, (RV) Montreat College 24
285         Jairo Caceres (St. Thomas University) over Grant Trotter (Montreat College) (Fall 0:47)
125         Stephen Moreno (St. Thomas University) over Patrick Wlodyga (Montreat College) (Dec 5-4)
133         JJ Contreras (St. Thomas University) over Tony Kuhn Jr. (Montreat College) (Fall 2:52)
141         Thomas Williams (St. Thomas University) over Nathan Alley (Montreat College) (Fall 2:26)
149         Mohamed Ben Hafsia (Montreat College) over Nicholas Dukes (St. Thomas University) (Fall 4:14)
157         #9 Taquel Young (Montreat College) over David Pierson (St. Thomas University) (Dec 6-2)
165         #23 Easton Griffin (Montreat College) over Daniel Garlin (St. Thomas University) (SV-1 7-5)
174         Christian Cobo (St. Thomas University) over Dalton Towe (Montreat College) (Fall 2:20)
184         Milosz Gargol (Montreat College) over Shemar Barthelus (St. Thomas University) (Fall 2:02)
197         Seth Williamson (Montreat College) over Estaban Hoyos (St. Thomas University) (Fall 2:16)
141         Extra: Braden Wharton (Montreat College) over Jaylan Claudio (St. Thomas University) (Dec 14-7)
 
(RV) Keiser University 29, (RV) Montreat College 10 after KU forfeits (RV) Montreat College 10, (RV) Keiser University 0
125         Patrick Wlodyga (Montreat College) over Kaluv Peterson (Keiser University) (MD 11-0)
133         Bryce Cockrell (Keiser University) over Tony Kuhn Jr. (Montreat College) (Dec 7-6); Cockrell forfeits and Kuhn Jr. receives a win
141         #12 Patrick Gould (Keiser University) over Nathan Alley (Montreat College) (Fall 2:14); Gould forfeits and Alley receives a win
149         Mohamed Ben Hafsia (Montreat College) over Carlos Bogan (Keiser University) (Dec 8-4)
157         #9 Taquel Young (Montreat College) over Brady Ellison (Keiser University) (Dec 9-4)
165         Adam El-Damir (Keiser University) over #23 Easton Griffin (Montreat College) (Dec 4-2); El-Damir forfeits and Griffin receives a win
174         Mitch Clark (Keiser University) over Dalton Towe (Montreat College) (Dec 3-1); Clark forfeits and Towe receives a win
184         Jared Tracey (Keiser University) over Milosz Gargol (Montreat College) (Fall 0:51); Tracey forfeits and Gargol receives a win
197         Hayden Malson (Keiser University) over Seth Williamson (Montreat College) (Dec 4-3); Malson forfeits and Williamson receives a win
285         #14 Earnest Johnson (Keiser University) over Grant Trotter (Montreat College) (Fall 2:47); Johnson forfeits and Trotter receives a win
149         Extra: Braden Wharton (Montreat College) over Brandon Lewis (Keiser University) (SV-1 7-5)
149         Extra: Tony Kuhn Jr. (Montreat College) over Kevin Quin (Keiser University ) (Fall 5:00)
165         Extra: Easton Griffin (Montreat College) over Shane Brakke (Keiser University ) (Fall 5:00)
174         Extra: Tyler McDonald (Montreat College) over Jared Tracey (Keiser University) (Dec 6-4)
197         Extra: Seth Williamson (Montreat College) over Harrison Wall (Keiser University ) (Fall 5:00)
*Keiser dropped a point due to an unsportsmanlike infraction*

***After it was determined Keiser University wrestled ineligible student-athletes, Montreat College received a 10-0 forfeit victory and moved to 1-2 both overall and in AAC action.