Pete Willson Wheaton Invitational

Wheaton, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team finished second at the Pete Willson Wheaton Invitational Saturday afternoon. The Eagles totaled 109.5 team points while Lindenwood University (Mo.) took first with 131.0. UW-Parkside placed third (102.5) followed by the University of Indianapolis, Ind. (100.5) and University of Mount Union, Ohio (92.5) to round-out the top-five. A total of 32 teams competed.

UW-L had six wrestlers place in the two-day tournament, including Bebeto Yewah who captured the 141-pound division. He went 5-0 in the tournament, including a 10-4 win over second-seded Matthew Irwin of Indianapolis in the title match. Yewah, the top seed at 141-pounds, opened with a win by fall (4:00) over Brian Lewis of UW-Whitewater followed by a technical fall (22-7, 5:44) over Heidelberg University's (Ohio) Chris Osborn.

In the quarterfinals, Yewah beat eighth-seeded Josh Malave of Mount Union by major decision (16-3) and defeated fifth-seed Derrick Weller of Lindenwood by decision (10-6) in the semifinals. 

The Eagles' Billy Mayer finished second at 285-pounds while Matt Mauseth was third at 149. Adam Sheley (133), Cory Ferguson (165) and Mike Schmitz (174) all placed fifth for UW-L. 

Mayer, seeded third at 285-pounds, went 4-1 overall, falling to top-seed Mark Corsello of Elmhurst College (Ill.) by decision (4-1) in the title match. Mayer defeated Colton Zody of Ohio Northern (10-0), Derick Hesson of Mount Union (9-5), Cale Harter of Case Western Reserve, Tenn. (fall, 1:05) and seventh-seeded Jerry Knapp of Heidelberg (8-3) to advance to the title match.

Mauseth, the fourth seed at 149, finished 6-1 in the two-day tournament. He won his first two matches, defeating Nick Grimm of Elizabeth College, Pa. (technical fall, 26-10) and Dave Edwards of UW-Parkside (12-4). After a loss to fifth-seeded Jake Strausbaugh of Wabash, Ind. (12-8) in the quarterfinals, Mauseth finished the tournament with four wins. He defeated Josh Wengerter of Milwaukee School of Engineering, Wis. (technical fall, 25-10, 6:28), eighth-seeded Kevin Shadrach of Mount Union (6-4), received a forfeit victory over third-seed Nazar Kulchytskyy of UW-Oshkosh before a win over seventh seed Cameryn Brady of Manchester, Ind. (13-7) in the third-place match.

Sheley and Schmitz both finished 4-2 to their fifth-place finishes while Ferguson went 5-2.

Matt Cole (125-pounds) and JR Lewis (157) were both 2-2 overall while Tony Piechowski (184) lost his only two matches.

UW-L returns to action Sunday, February 6 at Augsburg College (Minn.) starting at 2 p.m.