Ohio went into its last tournament of 2019 following a victory over West Virginia just over one week prior.
Nine Bobcats wrestled at the 57th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Sunday and Monday, including Shakur Laney, who had the best performance for Ohio at the Hoffman Estates in Chicago. Alec Hagan and Zac Carson also represented themselves well in the tournament.
Laney defeated his first three opponents but lost to his next two. He was set to wrestle against Wisconsin’s Tristan Moran for fifth place in the 141-pound weight class but won automatically when Moran had to forfeit for medical reasons. Despite finishing in fifth, Laney still made it to the semifinals of the Midlands and boosted his season’s resume significantly with his performance.
Hagan was the only other Bobcat to place in the tournament, finishing eighth in the 149-pound class. Hagan finished the tournament 5-3, and he won five straight matches after losing his first to Jacob Butler of Oklahoma.
While Carson didn’t place in the tournament, he was the only other Bobcat to participate on the second day, representing the 157-pound weight class. Carson won his first two matches of the tournament, but he fell to his final two opponents.
Ohio’s next event will be a dual meet against another Midlands participant, Oklahoma. The Bobcats will host the Sooners on Jan. 5 at 3 p.m.
