Final Results
Nick Rodriguez (Toledo, Ohio/Clay H.S.) and
Will Speight (Bedford, Ohio/Bedford H.S.) each posted runner-up finishes for Lourdes on Saturday at the Missouri Valley Invitational held inside Burns Athletics Complex in Marshall, Mo.
As a team, Lourdes finished the two-day event in 12
th place in a field of 45 schools with 77 points, just 5.5 points shy of a top-10 finish. Grand View won the team title with 192 points while Life finished runner-up with 157 points.
"Two runner-up finishes are not what we hoped for, but I'm still very proud of the way that Speight and Rodriguez competed today," head coach
Dock Kelly III said afterwards. "They are both elite competitors and they are going to be a factor at the national tournament in a few weeks."
Rodriguez, ranked sixth in the NAIA entering the tournament at 125 pounds, opened his day defeating seventh-ranked Austin Franco of Cumberlands (Ky.) in the semifinals. He jumped out to a 14-3 lead before pinning his foe 49 seconds into the final period. Rodriguez then faced 11
th-ranked Brody Gee of Saint Mary (Kan.) in the title bout. Gee scored a 17-6 major decision over the Gray Wolf sophomore, handing Rodriguez his first loss of the season (14-1).
Speight, ranked second in the country, registered a pair of first period takedowns in the semifinals against 10
th-ranked Isaiah Morales of Menlo on his way to a 10-4 decision. Speight's undefeated season came to an end in the championship match as well, dropping a 4-0 decision to fifth-ranked Kyle Homet of Life. Speight is now 17-1 on the season.
"We will rest and recover from this trip and then we'll get ready for Cleary on Thursday," Kelly concluded.
Lourdes returns to Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference action on Thursday evening as the Gray Wolves visit Howell, Mich. to face Cleary. The opening bout is set for 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School.
