MacKiernan wins Wildcat Open to lead Wrestling

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island - Jack MacKiernan dominated the competiton at the Wildcat Open held by Johnson & Wales University on Sunday, January 28, winning the 174-pound weight bracket to lead the American International College wrestling team.

MacKiernan's first two bouts were short-lived; he defeated Rhode Island College's Roel Johnson with a pin at the 2:00 mark and did the same to his teammate Yuilcal Cruz at the 2:29 mark to reach the final. There, he faced Roger Williams University's Michael Forte, and though Forte scored the first takedown, it was all MacKiernan from there, as he reversed right into a set of moves that scored him six nearfall points. He chose bottom for the second period and quickly reversed again, executing two more moves that netted a pair of four-point nearfalls, earning the win by technical fall, 18-3, at 4:41.

Joshua Nieroda also placed at 174; he lost an 11-0 major decision to the Coast Guard Academy's Truman Noble, but bounced back with a lighting-quick 19-second pin of Roger Williams' Luke Raisanen. He followed by pinning Cruz at the 2:20 mark of the first period to earn fourth place.

Aaron Morocho earned three wins at 141; he defeated Coast Guard's Dan Williams in an 8-5 decision before dominating Aiden Tak of New York University 20-2 for a technical fall. He then knocked off Owen Roche of Rhode Island College 14-9 in a high scoring match before being defeated by Robert Rerras of the Coast Guard to end his day.

Alfred Macneill also snagged two wins at 165, defeating NYU's Josh Heisey 9-6 and pinning David Ras of Roger Williams at 1:36, while Hayden Gaudette scored a win, 10-0, over Shane Raymond in the heavyweight bracket.

The team returns to action Friday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Norwich University for a dual meet.