Millikin Men’s wrestling starts hot, winning 45-6 against Westminster, a duel that had Millikin almost sweeping the opposing team as a whole.
Millikin’s first match ended in a loss by a fall, giving Westminster a 0-6 lead. After the first loss, Millikin took over, winning every match. However, it is important to note that Westminster had only five wrestlers active today, so some points were due to forfeits.
Millikin’s next match was a close one. Charlie Armstrong won by decision, 15-10, over Henry Warfel in the 133 lb weight class, allowing Millikin to cut the lead in half, 3-6. This is a match Armstrong believed he should have won by a wider margin.
“It feels great, like I said, just a little disappointed in myself, but tomorrow is a new day,” Armstrong said. “[I’ll] work out the kinks from the first match, and hopefully smooth sailing from there.”
The next match took us to the 141 lb weight class, where Nathan Barbee won by a major decision, winning 15-5 over Drake Schmidt. This is a match that allowed Barbee to get his first win under the Big Blue.
“It feels amazing; it’s what I work for,” Barbee said. “I didn’t come here to slack. I came here to win.”
Following a forfeit from Westminster, Millikin’s Chase Mirelez won by a major decision, 11-1, holding his opponent, who is ranked 5th in his region, to only 1 point.
“I think it went pretty great,” Mirelez said. “I think I dominated the whole time. I gave up maybe a point; that kid was supposed to be pretty tough. He’s regionally ranked 5th.”
The final match of the day followed Michael Hutchinson. Hutchinson shut out his opponent, winning 9-0.
Hutchinson is looking to compete in his first full season after battling injuries.
“It went well,” Hutchinson said. “I dominated. I’m really blessed to have been taught the things I have been taught.”
Even after the win, the players are still locked in and believe there is much more to improve on going forward.
“We’re not looking past anybody this year; we’re just getting after it,” Hutchinson said. “Some of us may not have won the way we wanted to win today, but we’re going to figure it out, and we’re going to win the way we want to win next week.”
Coach Ryan Birt was very vocal about the improvements needed to compete throughout the year and agreed with the players, saying they have a lot to improve on.
“[I’m] always happy to come out with a win, but [I’m] just a little frustrated with how we performed,” Birt said. “Some things we like to hold ourselves accountable for were a little sloppy. We realize it’s the first meet of the year, but we have a higher standard than this. Practice is going to be a lot of fun for me and them next week, so we’re excited.”
Overall, Millikin’s Big Blue wrestling team is locked and ready to compete this year and has big dreams for the season. The team is also very grateful for the fans and university support.
“Millikins is a down-to-earth place,” Birt said. “I love being here, I love coaching here, [and] I love my athletes. The administration is doing a great job at putting wrestling on a stage here. Everybody roots for everybody.”
Millikin’s next event will be on Saturday, November 8th, and will host the Millikin Open Tournament. They are looking to build on the dominance from this duel and maintain it throughout the season.
