CEDAR FALLS – Three Cyclones earned top-three finishes at the UNI Open over the weekend. Redshirt freshman Carson Powell (174 pounds) and true freshman Blayne Briceno (149 pounds) each had runner-up finishes for the Cyclones at their respective weights. True freshman Daniel Woiwor took third at 165 pounds.
Powell finished the tournament 3-1, dropping a 5-1decision in the championship match to South Dakota State’s John Nething II. The Ankeny, Iowa, native’s three wins included a 16-0 tech fall over South Dakota State’s Brady Ayers, a 7-1 win over Minnesota State’s Darick Vancura and a 9-3 win over Missouri’s Parker VonEgidy in the semifinals.
Competing unattached for the Cyclones, Briceno went 4-1 en route to his runner-up finish, picking up a 18-0 tech fall over Missouri’s Herman Travis and a 20-8 major decision over Michigan State’s Nick Trimble. Briceno was pitted against Missouri’s Drake Houdashelt, who is ranked No. 3 nationally by InterMat, in the the title bout where he fell 13-3. The Simi Valley, Calif., native improved his record to 13-4 on the season. Briceno has placed in all three tournaments he’s wrestled in this season.
Woiwor went 3-1 on the day competing unattached, with his only loss coming in the semifinals to No. 9 Zach Toal of Missouri. Toal beat Woiwor 8-1 and it was the only match in the tournament he did not win by fall. Woiwor, a native of wrestling rich Apple Valley, Minn., defeated UNI’s Curt Mass 8-5 in the consolation championship.
