Wrestling | 11/7/2015 10:56:00 PM

LINDSBORG, Kan. – The Newman wrestling season started strong with Tyler Mies and Heath Gray taking first place at the Swede Open, hosted by Bethany College on Saturday (Nov. 7). Garett Whitson took third.
 
Mies, a sophomore from Andale, Kan., went 4-0 today to win the 149 lb. class. He started with a tech fall (16-0) win over Sean Taborsky of Barton CC. After that he got back-to-back major wins. Mies started with a 16-2 major decision over Brandon Archuleta of Bethany. To make the championship bout, he won by a 16-5 major decision over Willie Fox of York College. In the finals, he defeated Jacob Ekster of Missouri Valley.
 
Gray, a freshman from Chandler, Okla., won the 174 lb. class in his first collegiate event. He also went 4-0 today. Gray started with a close 5-4 decision win over Jamie Shawver of Oklahoma City. He then rolled to a tech fall (19-4) win over Devon Baker of Barton CC. In the semifinals, Gray again won by a close decision, 12-11, over Nathan Shipley of Fort Hays State. Gray used a pin at 5:51 over Riley Boomer of MVC to take first in the 174 lb. class.
 
Whitson, a freshman from Emporia, Kan., went 5-1 on the day to take third place. He started with a 4-1 win over Seth Johnson of MVC. Whitson then suffered his only loss to Joshua Lopez of York by a pin at 1:45. After the loss, Whitson rolled to four straight wins. He defeated Justin Dyer of York by a fall at 4:41 and then won by an 8-3 decision over Abel Villa Moreno of Bacone College. A win over Tyler Dryden of FHSU put Whitson in the third place match, a rematch with Lopez. Whitson defeated Lopez this time by a 13-4 major decision.  
 
The Jets are back in action next Saturday (Nov. 14) at the Maryville Kaufman-Brand Open in St. Louis, Mo. The event starts at 9 a.m.