Senior Chris Healy (Jasper, IN/Jasper) finished second, while Phu Hong (SR/Indianapolis, IN/Lawrence Central), Drew McCoy (SR/Greenfield, IN/New Palestine), and Will Clarke (SO/Indianapolis, IN/North Central) added seventh place finishes to pace Wabash to a 12th place team finish at the 2005 Midwest Wrestling Classic at the University of Indianapolis.
Healy won his first three matches at 174 pounds. He defeated Pat Healy from SIU-Edwardsville in the opening round, pinning him 1:20 into the match. A 10-1 major decision against Brady Hakeman from Upper Iowa and a 3-2 win over West Liberty State's Tom Clark set up the championship match.
That match would be between Healy, ranked third in the nation in Division III and seeded second in the tournament, against Ashland's Tommy Bauer, ranked number one in the nation at 174 pounds in Division II and seeded number one. Bauer came out on top in the finals, defeating Healy 6-4 while handing the Wabash wrestler his first loss this season in 21 tries.
Hong finished 4-2 at 125 pounds for the weekend, rebounding to win three straight matches after a loss in the opening round. A 5-4 defeat in the semifinals sent him to the seventh place match, where he defeated Steve Austin from Mount St. Joseph's 12-6.
McCoy went 3-2 at 149 pounds, winning two matches after an 8-4 loss to number one seed Jason Roush. McCoy came back with a 10-2 major decision over Wes Hall from the University of Indianapolis, then defeated Cole Landuyt from Bethel 6-3. A third round loss put McCoy in the seventh place match, winning by forfeit.
Clarke was also 3-2 in the classic at 184 pounds. He won his first match by major decision (14-4) over Mount St. Joseph's Nick Randolph before losing in the quarterfinals. A 16-1 victory in the second round of the wrestle-backs came just prior to a 6-5 tiebreaker loss to Upper Iowa's Phil Burschuk, setting up a 3-2 win in the finals against Paul Sorenson from Manchester to earn a seventh place finish.
Wabash scored 45.5 points in the tournament. The Little Giants will wrestle in the Bud Whitehill National Duals at Lycoming College this weekend.