"Caleb wrestled really well," said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates. "We've come to expect that from him. He comes to wrestle every time he goes out there."
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Spates said the team continued to get better in some areas but still need to improve in some areas.
"It felt like there were some matches that were winnable that were left on the board," he said. "We cleaned up some things technically that we had been working on as far as finishing shots and getting to baseline defense."
The Cougars, 2-2 in dual meets, recorded four wins against ranked wrestlers so were able to help themselves in the national rankings and the ability to qualify for the national championships.
Next up for the Cougars is a pair of road Mid-American Conference dual meets. SIUE travels to Edinboro (Jan. 5) and Buffalo (Jan. 7).
"We had a tough start to the season, and that's not to say it's going to get any easier," added Spates.
Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Team Scores
1 Penn 125.5
2 West Virginia 100.5
3 Wisconsin 95.5
4 Michigan State 83.5
5 Illinois 77.0
6 Central Michigan 74.0
7 Virginia Tech 68.0
8 Northwestern 65.5
9 Harvard 62.5
10 Princeton 58.5
11 Arizona State 48.0
12 Franklin and Marshall 44.5
13 Cal Poly 44.0
14 Northern Illinois 41.5
15 California Baptist 41.0
16 Rutgers 39.5
17 Virginia 34.0
18 SIUE 29.5
19 Thomas More 28.0
20 George Mason 27.0
21 Purdue 26.5
22 Lehigh 26.0
23 Penn RTC 23.5
24 Cleveland State 23.0
25 North Carolina State 23.0
26 Buffalo 20.0
27 Rider 16.5
28 UW-Eau Claire 10.5
29 North Central 6.5
30 Michigan 4.5
31 Oregon State 4.0
32 Ohio State 3.5
33 Cornell 3.0
34 Hecox Team Benaiah 2.5
35 Missouri 2.0
36 Air Force 1.0
37 Omega Training Center 1.0
13 teams did not score
Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Results for SIUE
Men's 125
Davian Guanajuato
Champ. Round 1 - Elijah Griffin (California Baptist) won by fall over Davian Guanajuato (SIUE) (Fall 2:22)
Cons. Round 1 - Davian Guanajuato (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Davian Guanajuato (SIUE) won by major decision over Caelen Riley (Illinois) (Maj 16-5)
Cons. Round 3 - Davian Guanajuato (SIUE) won by decision over Mason Mills (West Virginia) (Dec 8-6)
Cons. Round 4 - Tristan Lujan (Michigan State) won by tech fall over Davian Guanajuato (SIUE) (TF 17-2)
Men's 133
Marcel Lopez
Champ. Round 1 - Marcel Lopez (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Marcel Lopez (SIUE) won by fall over Richie Koehler (Rider) (Fall 7:49)
Champ. Round 3 - Marlon Yarbrough (Virginia) won by decision over Marcel Lopez (SIUE) (Dec 6-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Marcel Lopez (SIUE) won by decision over Nicholas Kayal (Princeton) (Dec 2-0)
Cons. Round 5 - Hunter Leake (California Baptist) won by decision over Marcel Lopez (SIUE) (Dec 5-2)
Men's 141
Eric Almarinez
Champ. Round 1 - Jack Gioffre (Virginia) won by decision over Eric Almarinez (SIUE) (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Eric Almarinez (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Eric Almarinez (SIUE) won by tech fall over Jake Mann (Princeton) (TF 17-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Eric Almarinez (SIUE) won by major decision over Brady Hoshiho (California Baptist) (Maj 14-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Shannon Hanna (Unattached ) won by decision over Eric Almarinez (SIUE) (Dec 4-3)
Men's 141
Danny Martinez
Champ. Round 1 - Nico Nardone (Penn) won by decision over Danny Martinez (SIUE) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Danny Martinez (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Danny Martinez (SIUE) won by decision over Cole Solomey (Purdue) (Dec 5-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Danny Martinez (SIUE) won by decision over Felix Lettini (Wisconsin) (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Pat Phillips (Franklin & Marshall) won by tech fall over Danny Martinez (SIUE) (TF 17-0)
Men's 149
Caleb Tyus (7th)
Champ. Round 1 - Caleb Tyus (SIUE) won by tech fall over Jake Reicin (Illinois) (TF 16-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Caleb Tyus (SIUE) won by decision over Ryan Fleck (U. of Chicago) (Dec 7-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Caleb Tyus (SIUE) won by decision over Brock Herman (Ohio State) (Dec 6-0)
Quarterfinal - Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) won in sudden victory - 1 over Caleb Tyus (SIUE) (SV-1 6-3)
Cons. Round 6 - Caleb Tyus (SIUE) won by decision over Ryan Moore (Thomas More) (Dec 5-0)
Cons. Round 7 - Kannon Webster (Illinois) won by major decision over Caleb Tyus (SIUE) (Maj 16-2)
7th Place Match - Caleb Tyus (SIUE) won by decision over Sam Cartella (Northwestern) (Dec 4-1)
Men's 149
Caine Tyus
Champ. Round 1 - Caine Tyus (SIUE) won in tie breaker - 1 over Michael Gioffre (Virginia) (TB-1 3-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Caine Tyus (SIUE) won by major decision over Braden Stauffenberg (Michigan State) (Maj 9-1)
Champ. Round 3 - Eligh Rivera (Princeton) won by decision over Caine Tyus (SIUE) (Dec 6-4)
Cons. Round 4 - Andy Troczynski (Penn) won by decision over Caine Tyus (SIUE) (Dec 4-0)
Men's 157
Brock Woodcock
Champ. Round 1 - Brock Woodcock (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) won by decision over Brock Woodcock (SIUE) (Dec 17-12)
Cons. Round 2 - Brock Woodcock (SIUE) won by tech fall over Jorden Johnson (SIUE) (TF 19-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Brock Woodcock (SIUE) won by tech fall over Tj Schierl (Ohio State) (TF 21-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Brock Woodcock (SIUE) won in sudden victory - 1 over Joseph Roberts (Illinois) (SV-1 9-4)
Cons. Round 5 - James Harrington (Harvard) won by fall over Brock Woodcock (SIUE) (Fall 3:14)
Men's 157
Jorden Johnson
Champ. Round 1 - Chase Saldate (Michigan State) won by fall over Jorden Johnson (SIUE) (Fall 1:50)
Cons. Round 1 - Jorden Johnson (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Brock Woodcock (SIUE) won by tech fall over Jorden Johnson (SIUE) (TF 19-0)
Men's 165
Bradley Gillum
Champ. Round 1 - Rafael Hipolito (Virginia Tech) won by tech fall over Bradley Gillum (SIUE) (TF 20-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Bradley Gillum (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Hunter Mays (Lehigh) won by major decision over Bradley Gillum (SIUE) (Maj 11-3)
Men's 174
Antonio Torres
Champ. Round 1 - Antonio Torres (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Hayden Pummel (Northern Illinois) won by tech fall over Antonio Torres (SIUE) (TF 16-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Antonio Torres (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Marty Larkin (Michigan State) won by tech fall over Antonio Torres (SIUE) (TF 15-0)
Men's 174
Dominic Lopez
Champ. Round 1 - Dominic Lopez (SIUE) won by decision over Paul Pierce (George Mason) (Dec 5-4)
Champ. Round 2 - Cael Valencia (Arizona State) won by major decision over Dominic Lopez (SIUE) (Maj 16-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Dominic Lopez (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Evan Canoyer (Cornell) won in sudden victory - 1 over Dominic Lopez (SIUE) (SV-1 8-5)
Men's 174
Hayden Trezek
Champ. Round 1 - Hayden Trezek (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - DeAndre Nassar (Cleveland State) won by decision over Hayden Trezek (SIUE) (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Paul Pierce (George Mason) won by major decision over Hayden Trezek (SIUE) (Maj 11-1)
Men's 184
Deron Pulliam
Champ. Round 1 - Deron Pulliam (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Shane Liegel (Wisconsin) won by decision over Deron Pulliam (SIUE) (Dec 4-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Deron Pulliam (SIUE) won by tech fall over Wyatt Haynes (U. of Chicago) (TF 26-6)
Cons. Round 3 - Misha Lomboy (Michigan State) won by decision over Deron Pulliam (SIUE) (Dec 2-1)
Men's 184
Aaron Cramer
Champ. Round 1 - Connor Collins (UW-Eau Claire) won by decision over Aaron Cramer (SIUE) (Dec 8-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Aaron Cramer (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Adrien Cramer (Central Michigan) won by decision over Aaron Cramer (SIUE) (Dec 5-3)
Men's 197
Nick Nosler
Champ. Round 1 - Nick Nosler (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Luke Stout (Princeton) won by tech fall over Nick Nosler (SIUE) (TF 19-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Nick Nosler (SIUE) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Damion Schunke (Arizona State) won by decision over Nick Nosler (SIUE) (Dec 12-8)
Men's 197
Ryan Yarnell
Champ. Round 1 - Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) received a bye
Champ. Round 2 - Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) won by decision over Cole Matulenko (UW-Eau Claire) (Dec 8-2)
Champ. Round 3 - Michael Beard (Lehigh) won by tech fall over Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) (TF 18-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) won by decision over Sean Carroll (Northern Illinois) (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 5 - Sungyup Ryu (Illinois) won by decision over Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) (Dec 7-3)
Men's 285
Bryson Buhk
Champ. Round 1 - Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly) won by fall over Bryson Buhk (SIUE) (Fall 4:24)
Cons. Round 1 - Bryson Buhk (SIUE) won by decision over Logan Marissal (Harvard) (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 2 - John Stout (Penn) won by major decision over Bryson Buhk (SIUE) (Maj 15-2)