Warriors Earn Pair of Runner-Up Finishes at Friends Open

WICHITA, Kan. – Midland University took part in the Friends University Open on Saturday inside Hartman Arena, competing against a strong field that featured wrestlers from across the NAIA, NCAA, and junior college levels. The event was divided into two divisions—Elite and Amateur—with the Warriors earning two runner-up finishes in the Elite division.

Leading the way for Midland were Nate McDonald (184) and Zeph Sivels (285), who both advanced to championship matches in their respective brackets.

McDonald opened his tournament with a bye before collecting three straight decisions over Jason Bowers (Friends), Kolton Kammeyer (Doane), and Cameron Johnson (Central Oklahoma) to reach the finals. He finished as the runner-up after being pinned by Ottawa's Julian Gorring in the title bout.

Sivels also posted an impressive run to the championship at heavyweight. After receiving a first-round bye, he earned a fall over Devon Lolar (Saint Mary), followed by a sudden victory win against Amad Soufi (Missouri Baptist) and a 6-1 decision against Emmett Bivens (Wayland Baptist) in the semifinals. He ultimately placed second following a decision loss to Koen Mattern of Hastings in the final.

In other Elite division action, Dylan Atherton (125) and Zion Amerson (149) each picked up early wins before being eliminated in the consolation rounds.

In the Amateur division, Treyton Tweton (197) turned in a solid performance, advancing deep into the consolation bracket after recording three falls on the day, including pins of Brandon Townsell (Arizona Christian) and Joel Arias (Northwestern). Hunter True (141) and Francisco Duran (165) also competed for the Warriors, each securing at least one victory in their respective brackets.

Midland will return to action next week at the Loosbrock Duals on Friday and the Benedictine Open on Saturday. Both events will take place in Atchison, Kansas, on November 7-8.