LAKELAND, Fla.— The Montreat men's wrestling team had nine participants at the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Wrestling Championships in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday. Due to three placements and 16 individual wins, the Cavs placed fifth of 12 teams thanks to 52.0 team points.
 
Seth Williamson notched the highest finish of any Cavalier on the day as he made a run to the third-place bout in the 197-lb bracket. After a first-round tech fall triumph and a decision loss in the quarterfinals, Williamson collected a trio of consolation victories, capped off by an upset 12-1 major decision over No. 17 to notch four wins. He eventually placed fourth and earned 15.5 team points for the Cavs.
 
Dalton Towe also tallied a placement with a 4-2 record. The Avery, N.C. native lost his initial matchup but rebounded to win three straight in decisive fashion. Utilizing a major decision, a decision and a pin in 2:36, Towe landed in the consolation semifinal match at 174. Following an 11-6 defeat, Towe claimed fifth and 12.5 team points with a pin in the fifth-place bout.
 
Braden Wharton and Coy Reid each also wrestled in their respective fifth-place matches. Wharton used a pair of tech fall triumphs to place sixth at 149, and Reid went 1-3 with a tech fall victory to conclude sixth at 133. The former registered 8.0 team points and the latter contributed 6.5.
 
Caleb Johnson-White and Branson Bennett both earned 2-2 records on the day. Johnson-White pinned two opponents to amass 5.5 team points at 165. Meanwhile, Bennett won two decisions to total 1.5 points in the 157-lb bracket.
 
Alex Chester grabbed the other individual win for the Cavaliers, pinning his first opponent in the consolation bracket at 149 to score 2.5 team points.
 
For all of the results from the 2023-24 AAC Championships, click here.
 
Men's wrestling looks to earn a wild card to the NAIA Championships, which are slated to take place in Wichita, Kan. from Feb. 29 through March 2.