COLLEGE WRESTLING: ATHENS GRADS WINTERS, HORTON AND TIOGA GRAD LAMB HELP RIT TO FOURTH PLACE AT NATIONAL DUALS (2022-01-09)

Valley Sports Report
LOUISVILLE — RIT, ranked 18th in the nation, finished fourth at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals this week, winning a pair of matches before falling to a pair of nationally-ranked teams.

The fourth-place finish marked RIT’s best finish at the NWCA National Duals, and the program’s first-ever appearance in the Final Four.

Athens grads Kaidon Winters was 3-0 at the National Duals, while Tioga grad Austin Lamb was 2-2, and Athens grad Chris Horton was 1-1. Newark Valley grad Josh Post was 1-2.

In the opening round of the 16-team tournament, RIT beat Averett University, 33-12.

Lamb scored a 57-second fall over Anthony Taylor at 165 pounds, while Horton lost via a second-period fall in his 141-pound match.

In the quarterfinals, RIT topped Coe College, 27-15.

Winters decked A.J. Patterson in 3:45 at 157 pounds, while Lamb forged an 11-4 decision over L.J.   Richardson at 165 pounds.

Post scored his only win of the day at 133 pounds, topping Lauden Edwards, 4-2.

In the semifinals, No. 5 Wabash topped RIT 24-16.

Winters forged a 13-2 major decision over Tyson Nisley at 157 pounds, while Horton beat Andrew Sinkovics, 8-3 at 141 pounds.

Lamb dropped an 11-7 decision to Kyle Hatch, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 165 pounds, while Post suffered a 19-2 technical fall lost to Blake McGee.

In the third-place match, No. 1 North Central bested RIT, 24-10.

Winters had one of RIT’s three wins, a 10-0 major decision over Cole Cervantes at 157 pounds.

Lamb dropped a 5-4 decision to Payton Geigner at 165 pounds, while Post lost 7-1 to Robbie Previn at 133 pounds.

Wisconsin-LaCrosse beat Wabash, 31-9, in the finals, after beating North Central, 21-16, in the semifinals.

The Tigers next travel on Saturday, Jan. 15 to Ithaca for the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championship for a 10 a.m. start, and to Castleton, Vt., for the Castleton Duals with an 11 a.m. start.

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IN PHOTO: Austin Lamb (left) and Kaidon Winters.