INDIANAPOLIS – Gannon's Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) and Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) had a big first day of wrestling on Saturday in the Midwest Classic as they advanced to the huge Division II tournament's semifinals.
 
More than 40 teams are competing during the two-day tournament.
 
Means went 4-0 at 157 pounds, and Young went 3-0 at 149 pounds as both made the Final Four in their weight classes.
 
Gannon brought nine wrestlers to the tournament, but Means and Young were the only Golden Knights to stay in contention after the first day. Gannon's other seven wrestlers absorbed two losses to fall out of the tournament.
 
Means on a roll
 
Means continued his success at the Midwest Classic after winning the 149-pound weight division in 2021. He had the busiest day of any Gannon wrestler on Saturday.
 
Means, the No. 4 seed, wrestled four times, beginning with a fall in 1:38 in the preliminary round against Harley Boatwright of Bluefield State.
 
In the Round of 32, the redshirt senior claimed an 11-3 major decision over McKendree's Jacob Bornemann.
 
Means then topped nationally ranked Jack Haskin of Lake Erie 3-1 in sudden victory in the 2nd round. Means beat Haskin 6-4 a week earlier in GU's 27-12 dual win over LEC.
 
In the quarterfinals, Means (13-2) pulled out a 5-4 decision over Carter Noehre of the Colorado School of Mines.
 
Means will face top-seeded Noah Hermosillo of Adams State in the semifinals on Sunday. Hermosillo was the D-II national champion at 149 pounds last winter. Means beat Hermosillo 7-5 last year in the Midwest Classic quarterfinals.
 
Young reaches semifinals again
 
Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) advanced to the Midwest Classic semifinals for the second straight year. He made the Final Four in 2021 before settling for sixth place.
 
The graduate student was impressive on Saturday, recording falls in his first two matches. Young pinned Gregory Gasque of Coker in 52 seconds before stopping King's Demetri Teddlie in 6:41 in the second round.
 
Young secured a spot in the semifinals with a 5-2 victory over No. 6-seeded Jalen Spuhler of Wisconsin-Parkside in the quarterfinals. Young, the No. 3 seed, is now 13-2 on the year.
 
He will face Central Oklahoma's Brik Filippo in the semifinals. Means beat Filippo in the 149-pound title match last year.

 

Action ?? from the Round of 32 #GannonWrestling pic.twitter.com/dbIiT5zgze

— Gannon WRESTLING (@Gannon_MWR) December 17, 2022

 
Gannon's other competitors
 
Six of the other seven Gannon wrestlers had at least one win.
 
Chase McLaughlin (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown Area) (133 pounds) and Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (141 pounds) each won twice before bowing out of the tournament.
 
McLaughlin had a pin in the prelims and a tech fall in the first round of consolations but dropped a pair of two-point decisions.
 
Ryan won decisions in the first round and the first round of consolations, but he dropped 7-2 decision to top-seeded Zeth Brower of Lander in the second round. He then lost a decision in the third round of consolations.
 
Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) (125), Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (174), Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (184), and Eli Reese (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) (285) all went 1-2 on Saturday, while Marques McClorin (Meadville, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (165) finished 0-2.

The Golden Knights are in 14th place among 43 teams in the tournament.
 
Gannon results from Saturday:
 
125 pounds: Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) (1-2)
 
Champ. Round 1: won by tech fall over Noah Cantu (Indianapolis) 16-0
Champ. Round 2: lost to Logan Seliga (UNC-Pembroke) 2-0
Cons. Round 2: lost to Christian Mejia (McKendree) 5-0
 
133 pounds: Chase McLaughlin (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown Area) (2-2)
Prelim: won by fall over Collin Creach (Newman) 1:57
Champ. Round 1: lost to Byron Daubert (Pitt-Johnstown) 3-1
Cons. Round 1: won by tech fall over Tyler Krause (Colorado School of Mines) 16-0
Cons. Round 2: lost to Jackson Collins (Tiffin) 7-5
 
141 pounds: Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (2-2)
Champ. Round 1: won by decision over Ethan Hardy (Glenville State) 8-2
Champ. Round 2: lost to Zeth Brower (Lander) 7-2
Cons. Round 2: won by decision over Joshua Kincaid (Emmanuel) 12-9
Cons. Round 3: lost to Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) 6-2
 
149 pounds: Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (3-0)
Champ. Round 1: won by fall over Gregory Gasque (Coker) 0:52
Champ. Round 2: won by fall over Demetri Teddlie (King) 6:41
Quarterfinal: won by decision over Jalen Spuhler (UW-Parkside) 5-2
 
157 pounds: Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) (4-0)
Prelim: won by fall over Harley Boatwright (Bluefield State) 1:38
Champ. Round 1: won by major decision over Jacob Bornemann (McKendree) 11-3
Champ. Round 2: won in sudden victory over Jack Haskin (Lake Erie) 3-1
Quarterfinal: won by decision over Carter Noehre (Colorado School of Mines) 5-4
 
165 pounds: Marques McClorin (Meadville, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (0-2)
Champ. Round 1: lost to Augustus Dalton (Colorado Mesa) by fall, 0:59
Cons. Round 1: lost to Jackson Damenti (Colorado School of Mines) 9-2
 
174 pounds: Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (1-2)
Champ. Round 1: lost to Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado) 5-2
Cons. Round 1: won by decision over Judah Yates (Quincy) 8-5
Cons. Round 2: lost to Bret Heil (Maryville) by fall, 1:49
 
184 pounds: Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (1-2)
Champ. Round 1: won by decision over Bryce Westmoreland (Fort Hays State) 10-3
Champ. Round 2: lost to Caden Steffen (Southwest Minnesota State) by tech fall, 18-3
Cons. Round 2: lost to Kyle Daley (Limestone) 7-2
 
197 pounds: No Gannon wrestlers
 
285 pounds: Eli Reese (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) (1-2)
Prelim 1: lost to Tyler Doyle (Colorado Mesa) 7-5
Prelim 2: won by fall over Thomas Massengale (Drury) 4:02
Cons. Round 1: lost to Ty Petrey (Ashland) 6-5