GLENVILLE, WV – The Salem Tigers wrestling team faced off against the best in the Mountain East Conference this weekend at the 2026 MEC Wrestling Championships. Highlighted by a podium finish from Seth Thomas, the Tigers showcased resilience across multiple weight classes, finishing the tournament with several place-winners.
Thomas Captures Second Place at 165
The story of the day for Salem was Seth Thomas, who put together a dominant run to the finals in the 165-pound division. Thomas opened his tournament with a clinical 19-0 technical fall over Wheeling's Jake Taylor. He followed that performance with a gritty 1-0 decision over Cole Turner of Fairmont State in the semifinals to punch his ticket to the championship bout. While he ultimately fell to West Liberty's Jordan Watters, Thomas's second-place finish secured 13 team points for the Tigers.
Holt and Love Secure Fourth-Place Finishes
At 157 pounds, Seth Holt battled through the consolation bracket to earn a fourth-place finish. After an early setback, Holt rallied with a pin of Point Park's Jacob Kandis and advanced through the consolation semifinals via medical forfeit. In a hard-fought third-place match, Holt narrowly fell to Frostburg State's Alexander Blake in a 7-4 decision.
Iran Love also reached the podium at 197 pounds, placing fourth. Love started the day strong with a 7-2 decision over Jake Stephenson (Fairmont State). After a narrow loss in the semifinals, Love bounced back in the consolation rounds with a dominant 10-1 major decision over Nick McCarthy (Frostburg State) before dropping the third-place match to West Liberty.
Ristoff Claims Fifth with Opening and Closing Pins
Landon Ristoff provided fireworks at 184 pounds. He began his day with a 20-2 technical fall and capped it off in style in the 5th-place match, pinning Wheeling's Jordan Solis in just 32 seconds. Ristoff's efforts contributed 10.5 points to the team total.
Podium Notes
The Tigers saw additional points from several other wrestlers who fought their way onto the podium:
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Ethan Moore (125): Placed 6th, contributing 4.0 points.
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Elijah Hunter (141): Placed 6th, contributing 4.0 points.
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Mikey Lytle (285): Placed 6th in the heavyweight division, contributing 4.0 points.
Team Outlook
While the Tigers faced stiff competition from regional powerhouses like West Liberty and Glenville State, the performance at the MEC Championships provides a solid foundation for the program. With four wrestlers placing in the top five, Salem continues to show growth and competitive fire on the mats.
Final Team Points Contributed:
