FINDLAY, Ohio – The Salem Tigers wrestling squad traveled to Ohio this past weekend to test their mettle against the elite of the region at the NCAA DII Super Regional III. Facing a gauntlet of nationally-ranked opponents from programs like Tiffin, Grand Valley State, and Ashland, the Tigers fought through the brackets to secure several individual victories and a podium finish.
Love Secures Top-Five Finish
The weekend's standout performance came from Iran Love in the 197-pound division. Love displayed remarkable consistency and grit, finishing the tournament in 5th place and contributing 9.0 team points to the Salem total.
Love's road to the podium included:
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Champ. Round 1: A controlled 6-3 decision over Ronnie Thomas of Findlay.
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Cons. Round 3: A dominant 18-6 major decision over Gavin Hardister of Davis & Elkins.
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5th Place Match: A clinical 10-3 decision in a rematch against Ronnie Thomas to secure his spot on the podium.
Despite a heartbreaking sudden-victory loss (7-4) in the consolation semifinals, Love's resilience in the placement match highlighted the competitive spirit of the program.
Gritty Performances in the Consolation Rounds
While Love led the scoring, several other Tigers notched important wins in one of the country's toughest regions:
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165 lbs: Seth Thomas provided a spark for the Tigers, earning 2.5 team points. His highlight of the tournament was a lightning-fast pin in the second consolation round, where he defeated Liam Young of Davis & Elkins by fall in just 1:08.
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184 lbs: Landon Ristoff added 1.5 team points to the Salem tally. Ristoff advanced through the consolation bracket with a shutout performance, earning an 8-0 major decision over Bluefield State's Landon Marquis.
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141 lbs: Elijah Hunter nearly pulled off an opening-round upset, falling in a narrow 6-5 decision to Bret Minnick of Tiffin in a match that went down to the wire.
Tournament Summary
The regional tournament served as a benchmark for the young Tigers squad. While many faced early exits against high-seeded opponents—including tech fall losses for Ethan Moore (125), Seth Holt (157), and Clayton Downs (174)—the experience of competing in Findlay provides a vital foundation for the program's off-season.
With Love's podium finish and multiple bonus-point wins from Thomas and Ristoff, the Tigers continue to establish their presence in the NCAA Division II wrestling landscape.
