MARSHALL, Mo.— The Montreat College men's wrestling squad braved the impending inclement weather on Friday and Saturday to compete at the Missouri Valley Invite, hosted by Missouri Valley College, in Marshall, Mo. With 10 participants spread out across seven different weight classes, the Cavaliers combined for 18 wins and 38.0 team points, good for a tie for 26^th out of 41 programs.
 
Briar Cliff (Iowa) registered one more point than Montreat, while the Cavs accrued 4.5 more points than Baker (Kan.). Grand View (Iowa) won the Missouri Valley Invite with 132.5 points.
 
A pair of Cavaliers did well enough on Friday to garner additional opportunities on Saturday. Freshman Boedi Kirkland proved to be the only undefeated Montreat wrestler during day one. The Catawba, N.C. native won all four of his bouts Friday, surging through the 149-lb weight class. Kirkland started the invitational with a 4:55 pin. From there, he accumulated a 9-8 decision and a 17-3 major decision to move right into the quarterfinals. Another pin, this time in 5:34, advanced Kirkland to Saturday's semifinal round.
 
While Kirkland experienced his first two losses of the weekend on Saturday, he finished his time on the mat with an exclamation point. Dropping a 12-9 decision in the semifinals and a 15-7 major decision in the consolation semis, Kirkland dug deep and bounced back emphatically in the fifth-place bout. Already the program's single-season wins record holder, Kirkland added one more to his tally to close out a 5-2 tournament run. The first-year Cavalier delivered an 11-3 major decision victory against the NAIA's No. 18-ranked wrestler at 149, claiming fifth place over the Indiana Tech student-athlete.
 
Kane Bryson, another freshman, captured four wins, including a ranked victory, during his trek in the 125-lb weight class bracket. Bryson started off his tournament with a tight 14-11 decision defeat to the seventh-ranked wrestler in the NAIA. From there, the Canton, N.C. native fired off four straight triumphs.
 
Back-to-back decisions, 8-2 and 8-1, set Bryson up for a battle with the nation's 21^st-ranked wrestler from St. Thomas (Fla.). It took less than three minutes for Bryson to pin down his opposition and advance to the next round of the consolation bracket. Another pin catapulted Bryson into Saturday, where he ultimately wrapped up his weekend with an 8-1 decision loss to the No. 11-ranked competitor at 125.
 
Johnatan Argueta also picked up a ranked win while going 3-2 during his five bouts. After being pinned by the No. 25-ranked foe at 285, Argueta fired off three consecutive triumphs. The Jonesville, N.C. native tallied a 3-1 decision before pinning the NAIA's No. 18-ranked wrestler from Indiana Tech in just 2:09. Another swift pin, this time in 32 seconds, rounded out Argueta's victories. He dropped a close 4-1 decision to conclude his tournament journey.
 
Two Cavs notched 2-2 records at the Missouri Valley Invite, with Sam Gosnell doing so in the 125-lb weight class and Dylan Hogan doing the same at 174. Gosnell opened his weekend with a 17-2 tech fall defeat to the 16^th-ranked competitor in the nation. Back-to-back pins in 3:41 and 3:00 propelled Gosnell to a bout versus another ranked opponent. There, the freshman lost a 10-2 major decision to the No. 24-ranked wrestler.
 
Meanwhile, Hogan alternated wins and losses, beginning his weekend with a victorious pin in 4:34. A 15-3 major decision loss to the 17^th-ranked foe ultimately led to Hogan's next matchup, where he secured an 11-6 decision. The Bushkill, Pa. native ended his run after being pinned in just under two minutes.
 
Josh Mojica-Smith and Louis Mehaffey each picked up a win in their respective weight classes. Facing three unranked foes at 174, Mojica-Smith went 1-2. His lone victory was an 8-2 decision. Mehaffey also seized a decision triumph, utilizing an 11-10 scoreline during a bout at 141 to go 1-2 on the weekend.
 
For a look at results from the Missouri Valley Invite, click here.
 
The Montreat College men's wrestling team dives back into dual action on Thursday, Jan. 29 against the University of Pikeville Bears. Bouts are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.