MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of Montevallo wrestling team kicked off the 2025 year with 26 wins, seven falls and six tech falls at the Hawk Classic Open hosted by Huntingdon College. The Falcons came away with three placers, all of which were sixth place finishes.
14 wrestlers represented the purple and gold across nine different brackets. UM had one unattached wrestler.
Daniel McEntyre had his best outing of the season and placed for the first time in his collegiate career as he won sixth in the 125-weight class. McEntyre went 4-2 on the day including a four-bout win streak. The sophomore picked up his first win of the open with a 5-2 decision over Huntingdon's Hinds Duncan. He followed up with a dominant 16-0 tech fall over Orlando Hernandez of Emory & Henry, his first tech fall as a Falcon. McEntyre defeated Huntingdon's Nicholas Nguyen in a tightly contested 2-1 decision. His final victory came against Ty Ferguson of Lyon College in a 10-3 decision. The Woodstock, Georgia native now has seven wins on the season including three decisions, one major decision, one tech fall and two pins.
Chad Strickland earned his first placement of the season as he went 4-2 on his way to a sixth-place finish in the 141-weight class. He started his day with two victories as he pinned Shmuel Sam Tabak of Lyon College in 2:56, his first fall of the season, and he defeated Syncere Jones of Florida A&M in a 11-4 decision. Strickland would pick up a tech fall win over Truett-McConnell's Johnathan Pope and would earn his last win of the day over
Austin Buird in an 8-4 decision. The Wetumpka, Alabama native now has 15 wins on the season including 4-0 in tech falls and 1-0 in falls.
Sam Euceda-Torres placed for the first time in his collegiate career as he picked up three wins on his way to a sixth-place finish in the 197-weight class. Euceda-Torres was dominant in his wins which included two falls and a major decision. The freshman started his open with his fastest fall of the season over Huntingdon's Jacob Clark at 1:55. His second win would come against Spencer Fields of Truett-McConnell where he pinned him in 1:54, one second faster than his previous season best. Euceda-Torres would win by a 17-5 major decision over Kentucky Wesleyan's Cameron Baker. The Slidell, Louisiana native now has 10 wins in the 2024-25 season including a 3-0 record in major decisions and four falls.
Tournament Information
WHAT: Hawk Classic Open
WHERE: Montgomery, AL
WHEN: Jan. 4
Individual Highlights
- Daniel McEntyre placed for the first time in his collegiate career with a sixth-place finish in the 125-weight class. McEntyre went 4-2 including a four-bout win streak by a 5-2 decision, a 16-0 tech fall, a 2-1 decision and a 10-3 decision.
- Kaden Brown picked up two tech fall victories with a 17-2 win over Julian Anthony of Andrew College and a 19-2 win over Huntingdon's Thomas Gammill. Brown is an impressive 5-0 in tech falls.
- Austin Buird won three times on Saturday including his second fall of the season over Karter Watson of Montreat College in 3:28, a 16-0 tech fall over Julian Anthony of Andrew College and a medical forfeit victory. Buird is now 4-4 on the season.
- Chad Strickland won four times today for the Falcons which earned him a sixth-place finish in the 141-weight class. Strickland won a decision twice (22-4 and 8-4), by tech fall (20-4) and by fall (2:56).
- Colton Sullivan was victorious over Kentucky Wesleyan's Caden Moore in a 11-5 decision. Sullivan now has six wins this season.
- Alia Vickery won twice today including a high-scoring, 21-11 major decision over Jayden Draper of Andrew College. Vickery's second win came in a medical forfeit against Unattached Pierce Pennington.
- Cole Sykes picked up two convincing wins as he pinned Tim Dunn of Andrew College in 38 seconds. His second win came against Eason Martin in a 14-6 major decision.
- Eason Martin wrestled as unattached and won two bouts by major decision. He defeated Huntingdon's Thomas Seglio and Jabare Holmes 10-0 and 17-7, respectively.
- Baxter Hoffman won over Huntingdon's Kevin Shaw in a 19-4 tech fall. This was Hoffman first tech fall victory of his collegiate career.
- Dalton Wainwright picked up two wins at the open including a 4-0 decision over Liam Selhorst of Lyon College and a pin over Baxter Hoffman in 2:16. This was Wainwright's first fall of his collegiate career. He is also 4-1 in decisions this season.
- Rhett Walters won by fall over Micah Woods of Huntingdon in 1:36. Walters now has five pins in the 2024-25 season.
- Sam Euceda-Torres picked over three victories and his first placement as a Falcons as he won sixth in the 197-weight class. Euceda-Torres won by fall twice in 1:54 and 1:55, he followed up with a 17-5 major decision.
UP NEXT
The Falcons will step back into Conference Carolinas duals as they take on King University and Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 8 at 4:00 p.m. CT. The duals will take place in Mary Mars Gymnasium on the campus of Lincoln Memorial.
