Grantham, PA – The SUNY Brockport wrestling team opened the new season with a fourth place finish at the Messiah Invitational, scoring 119.5 points as a team.
 
The Golden Eagles saw nine wrestlers place top five or better on the day. This includes three second-place finishers in Trevor Middendorf, Robert Armstrong, and Nicolas Balella.
 
After a first-round bye in the 125 division, Robert Armstrong won three straight bouts to qualify for the first-place match. Highlighted by a 26 second pin in the second round and a 5-0 decision in the semis, Armstrong lost a 10-4 decision in the finals to place second.
 
Trevor Middendorf starts out his sophomore campaign with a second place showing at 133. After a major decision, 16-2, to start his day, Trevor added a pin in his second bout in 5:53. Decision victories of 2-1 and 9-7 put him in the first-place match, where he lost by fall in 4:47.
 
At 141, Nicolas Balella dominated his first four bouts on the way to the first-place match. He logged an 18-3 tech. fall, a 21-5 tech. fall, a 10-3 decision, and an 11-3 major decision. Balella's big day was halted with a 9-5 losing decision in the first-place match to take second place.
 
Brockport added a trio of fourth place finishes as well. Adrian Torres (125), Max Morrison (165), and Avery Bustamante (184) all placed fourth in their respective weight classes. Cael Stewart (125), Gabe Goss (149), and Mike Welsh (285) all placed fifth.
 
The Golden Eagles head to New Jersey next weekend to compete at the TCNJ Scramble. They will take on competition from Penn College, The College of New Jersey, and York College of Pennsylvania.