Wheaton, Ill. – The Nebraska Wesleyan wrestling team made their presence known at the prestigious Pete Willson Invitational hosted by Wheaton College this weekend. Competing against some of the top programs in the region, the Prairie Wolves battled hard, with standout performances highlighting their efforts.
The tournament featured a stacked field, with Wisconsin-Eau Claire taking the team title with 150.5 points, followed by Wisconsin-Whitewater (142.5) and Wisconsin-La Crosse (112.5). Nebraska Wesleyan finished 20th overall with 27 points.
How It Happened
Jared Gallub led the charge for the Prairie Wolves in the 141-pound weight class. Gallub, a senior, fought his way to a sixth-place finish, earning crucial team points along the way. He started his Friday with a decisive 11-4 decision. Gallub then faced a tough opponent in #3 Mark Samuel of Roanoke, falling by decision (7-1) in the quarterfinals. In the consolation bracket, Gallub bounced back with a 15-11 decision over Zander Payne of the University of the Ozarks before dropping a close 4-3 decision to Desmond Diggs of Mount St. Josephs in the fifth-place match.
At 125 pounds, Quinton Chavez represented NWU. Ontiveros opened with a pin over Donovin Fields of Elmhurst (2:00), but fell in the next round to eventual champion and fourth nationally ranked Jalen Dunson of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In the consolation bracket, Chavez battled hard winning two more matches, but was eliminated in a hard-fought match against Fred Luchs of Rhode Island College.
Emilio Chavez competed in the 174-pound weight class, showing flashes of potential. Chavez started with a tough loss to Austin Brass of Messiah College but rebounded with a pair of falls over Garrett Boyd of Wheaton and Zach Pribyl of Concordia-Moorhead in the consolation bracket. His run ended in the next round with a loss to Aiden Ashburn of John Carrol.
Up Next
The Prairie Wolves will look to build on this experience as they prepare for their Senior Night dual next Wednesday against Buena Vista. Action kicks off at 7:00 p.m. in Snyder Arena
