GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team went 2-1 on the final day of the Blithe Memorial Duals to finish in third place at the tournament. The Blugolds fell to nationally ranked NAIA foe Campbellsville in the semifinals, but won twice in the consolation bracket to place third.

The Blugolds, ranked third in NCAA Division III, fell to Campbellsville, ranked seventh in the NAIA, 23-21, in the semifinals. However, they bounced back with wins over Saint Ambrose and Albion College to finish out their stay in Michigan.

UW-Eau Claire won four matches against Campbellsville. Top-ranked Tyler Fleetwood (Sr. - Fulton, Ill.) won by technical fall at 133, No. 5 Zach Sato (Jr. - Oswego, Ill.) won by pin at 149, No. 2 Jared Stricker (Jr. - Ashland, Wis.) followed with another pin at 174, and Cole Matulenko (Fr. - Libertyville, Ill.) upset the 11th-ranked wrestler in the NAIA by major decision at 197.

The semifinal defeat sent the Blugolds into the consolation semifinals, where they defeated Saint Ambrose 36-9. UW-Eau Claire won eight of the 10 bouts, with Jan Hernandez-Soto (Jr. - Minneapolis, Minn./Patrick Henry) and Matulenko winning by fall. Fleetwood and Sato won by technical fall, and No. 7 Niall Schoenfelder (Jr. - Antioch, Ill.) and Jackson Schichel (Sr. - Hastings, Minn.) won by major decision. Carter Schulz (So. - Rice Lake) and Jon Harvey (So. - Lake City, Minn./Lincoln) prevailed by decision.

The Blugolds defeated Albion 38-6 in the third-place match to wrap up the tournament. Sato, Stricker, Schoenfelder and Matulenko all won by fall. Fleetwood won with another technical fall, and Hernandez-Soto, Harvey and Schichel all won by decision.

UW-Eau Claire returns to action on Thursday, December 7, with a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) dual against UW-Whitewater. Wrestling begins at 7 p.m. at the McPhee Center.