POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. – The University of Montevallo wrestling team combined for 45 wins, 12 falls and seven tech falls at the Life U Open on Saturday, Nov. 23. The Falcons came away with four placers including two top-three finishes.
 
22 wrestlers represented the purple and gold across 12 different brackets. UM had one unattached wrestler.
 
Noah Smith came away with his highest finish so far in his freshman campaign with second place in the 133-silver bracket. Smith started with a medical forfeit to move to the quarterfinals where he earned his fastest fall of the season over Andrew College's Aiden Lipford in 34 seconds. In his semifinal bout, Smith won by a 15-4 major decision over Florida A&M's Gaetano Tedesco. The freshman from Wetumpka, Alabama now has 11 wins on the season including five pins.
 
Freshman Willie Cox placed for the second time this season for the Falcons as he came in third in the 285-silver bracket. Cox got his day started with a 17-9 major decision over Central Baptist Arkansas's Juan Luis-Tapia. He dominated Huntingdon's Tristian Williams in his second round match up with an 18-3 tech fall. Cox won his quarterfinal bout against King's Mateo Armendariz in a 6-5 decision with a take down with less than five seconds on the clock. In the third-place match, he won by forfeit. The Wetumpka, Alabama native now has eight wins on the season and is 3-0 in bouts ending in tech fall.
 
Nick Dempsey and Baxter Hoffman had four wins a piece on the day while this is Dempsey's and Hoffman's second time placing this season. Dempsey earned wins by a 15-0 tech fall, a 13-3 major decision, a fall in 2:35 and a win by forfeit in the seven-place match. Hoffman had wins of a pin in 1:34, a 9-5 decision, a fall of 44 seconds and a forfeit.
 
Tournament Information
WHAT: Life U Open
WHERE: Powder Springs, GA
WHEN: Nov. 23
 
Individual Highlights

• In the gold division 125-weight class, Colt Brown picked up three wins. Brown won by a 6-4 decision over Life's Tyree Henry, an 8-1 win against Limestone's William Finnarty and a medical forfeit.
• Carson Freeman won twice today including two decisions. Freeman won over Ellise Otting, 5-1, and over Cumberland's Tanner Willett, 8-6.
• Aiden Knight won against Montreat's Josh Mojica-Smith in a 10-2 major decision. Knight is now 2-0 in bouts ending in major decision's this season.
• Jeffery Tubbs picked up a win in the gold division 197-weight class with a 7-2 decision over Lander's No. 19 Marvelous Rutledge. This is Tubbs's first ranked win of the season.
• Daniel McEntyre was victorious twice with two dominate wins including his fastest fall of the season in 3:33 over Ayden Goodman of Montreat College and a 13-0 major decision over Ahmed Daoud.
• Noah Smith won three times today in route to a second-place finish in the 133-silver division. Smith's wins comprise of a medical forfeit, his fastest fall of the season in 34 seconds and a major decision win against Florida A&M's Gaetano Tedesco, 15-4.
• Chad Strickland picked up three wins today including a 19-1 tech fall, a 4-0 decision and a 17-8 major decision. Strickland now has 10 wins in the 2024-25 season.
• Austin Buird won his first bout of the season with a 2-1 decision over Kevin Salas.
• Kaden Brown had his hand raised for the 12^th and 13^th time this season with 22-5 tech fall over Nick Portis of Andrew College and a double overtime win over Hudson Andrews of Huntingdon.
• Nick Dempsey won four bouts at the Life U Open with a 15-0 tech fall, a 13-3 major decision, a pin in 2:35 and a forfeit in his seventh-place match. Dempsey is now 14-6 on the season.
• Alia Vickery picked up two bouts wins with an 8-5 decision victory over Seth Deperro of Huntingdon and a medical forfeit.
• Nathan Deaton came away with his first two wins of the season with a close 8-7 decision over Delvin Taylor in the first round. Deaton's second win came against David Bailey of Huntingdon where he earned his first pin for the Falcons in 1:56.
• Eason Martin wrestled as unattached and won three bouts at the open. Martin opened up the day with a fall in 1:41 over Andrew College's Trent Gormady. He would win by a 17-2 tech fall over Syler Weber of Liberty and would picked up his second pin of the day against Logan Haseley of Mount Olive in 6:09.
• Savian Graham won twice including a fall in 2:57 over Jatavious Williams of Andrew College and a 16-1 tech fall over Diontae Smith of Mount Olive. Graham is 4-0 in falls and 4-1 in tech falls this season.
• Baxter Hoffman placed for the second consecutive open as he won four bouts by a fall in 1:34, a 9-5 decision, a fall in 44 seconds and a forfeit victory. Hoffman would finish sixth in the silver division 184-weight class.
• Dalton Wainwright would win over Grant Lawter of Lander with a 4-2 decision.
• Rhett Walters won twice at the open with victories over Nick Keim in a 1:05 fall and an 8-5 decision over Zac Smith of Life.
• Willie Cox came in third in the silver division 285-weight class with wins of 17-9 major decision, an 18-3 tech fall, a 6-5 decision and a forfeit in his third-place bout.
• Sam Euceda-Torres won his sixth and seventh bouts of the season with a 17-2 tech fall and a 4-2 decision.
• In his first action of the season, Jaxon Hudgins picked up his first win and fall of the season as he pinned Grayson Starrett in 1:04.

 
UP NEXT
The Falcons will next back in action at the Midwest Classic that will take place in Indianapolis, IN, on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.