LEBANON, Tenn.— The Montreat wrestling team competed at the Cumberland Open in Lebanon, Tenn. on Saturday, delivering strong individual performances that saw many Cavaliers advance deep in their respective weight-class brackets. Of the twelve athletes who wrestled for Montreat, three maneuvered their way into the semifinal round, while an additional five Cavaliers reached the quarterfinals.
 
Braden Wharton, a native of Hickory, N.C., was one of the three Cavaliers to progress to the semifinals. After a first round bye in the championship bracket at 133, Wharton pinned his second-round foe from Brewton-Parker in just 56 seconds. Then, in the quarterfinals, Wharton squeezed out a 7-6 decision to get past an opponent from Reinhardt University. Wharton suffered his first defeat in the semifinal round, a 9-6 decision, and then saw his day end in the consolation semis with a narrow 5-4 decision.
 
Taquel Young, who ranks No. 14 in the NAIA in the 157-lb. weight class, joined Wharton in making a run to the semifinals. Young started out with a few big victories, winning via pin (1:30) in his opener and claiming a 9-0 major decision over an opponent from the University of Alabama in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Young seized victory with a 9-4 decision. In the semifinal round at 157, Young dropped an 11-6 decision to fall into the consolation bracket. There, he fell by medical forfeit to conclude his day.
 
The final semifinalist for Montreat on Saturday was Dalton Towe. Wrestling at 165, Towe utilized a pin (3:27) and 7-0 decision to launch himself into the quarterfinals. Towe then pushed himself into the semifinal round via an 8-3 decision. In the semifinals, Towe was pinned in 2:51 by the No. 13-ranked wrestler in his weight class. Towe also dropped his consolation semifinal matchup via pin (1:20).
 
Five other Cavaliers reached the quarterfinal round before their Cumberland Open campaigns came to a close. Mohamed Ben Hafsia utilized a bye and a 19-7 major decision to catapult himself deep into the Open 141 bracket. After falling via a 12-4 major decision in the quarterfinals, he bounced back in the fourth round of the consolations to claim a 9-4 decision. Ben Hafsia's outing ended in the fifth round of the consolation bracket with a 7-5 sudden defeat.
 
Wrestling at 157, Branson Bennett won back-to-back 4-3 decisions to sneak into the quarterfinal round. It was there that he lost on an 18-0 tech fall, and his day ended after being pinned in 4:07 in the fourth round of the consolation bracket.
 
Easton Griffin advanced to the quarterfinals in the Open 165 thanks to a first-round bye and a second-round pin (3:59). Griffin was defeated in the quarterfinal round on a 10-0 decision, but he bounced back and eked out a 5-4 decision. Griffin's outing came to a close in the fifth round of the consolation bracket by medical forfeit.
 
Ben Austin, in similar fashion to Griffin, qualified for the quarterfinals following a bye and a pin (5:52). Austin dropped his quarterfinal bout on a 3-0 but rebounded with a 3-1 decision win over an opponent from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in the consolation bracket's fourth round. Austin's day then ended in the following round via pin (1:56).
 
The final Cavalier to reach the quarterfinals at the Cumberland Open was Tyler McDonald. Wrestling at 174, McDonald reached the quarterfinal round after an opening bye. While suffering defeat via pin (0:53) to end his run in the championship bracket, McDonald did seize an 8-2 decision victory over an opponent from Georgia Southern in the consolation bracket's second round. McDonald was pinned (1:31) in the third round of the consolation bracket.
 
For a full list of Montreat's official results at the Cumberland Open, click here.
 
The Montreat wrestling team hosts the first of its three remaining home duals on Wednesday against the No. 2-ranked Life University Running Eagles. Matches are slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium.