CORBIN, KY – The Lindsey Wilson men's wrestling team opened its season with an ninth-place finish at the Pepsi Patriot Open on  Saturday at Corbin Arena.

The Blue Raiders tallied 119.5 points to place ninth while Adrian Ayala captured the title in the 141-pound bracket.

Ayala (No. 5 at 141 pounds)  started his tournament with an 11-3 major decision over Trey Allen from Rio Grande (Ohio). He then took down fellow Blue Raider, Drake Montelongo, in a 7-1 decision. Ayala defeated  Maddox McArthur from Reinhardt (Ga.) in the semifinals with a 4-2 decision. In the finals, he earned a 4-3 decision over  Kaden Brown of Montevallo (Ala.). Ayala secured a takedown at 0:25 in the first period. He an escape in the second period . This would be enough for Ayala to be crowned the champion at 141 lbs.

Cory Cannan (No. 14 at 184 pounds) finished in second place in the 184-pound open division. Canaan secured back-to-back major decision victories after beating Sebastian Hutchinson, from Midway (Ky.), 13-0, followed by beating David VanDaele from Rochester Christian (Mich.) 12-4. Cannan's quarter-final bout was against Southeastern's (Fla.) August Batson, a match that Cannan would win in sudden victory, 4-1. Cannan's semifinal victory was an 11-0 major decision victory against Logan Heckert from Cumberland (Tenn.). Canaan fell by a 9-6 decision to Sam Libby from Keiser (Fla.) in the championship round. 

Emmanuel Celestine (No. 22 at 157 pounds) finished in third place in the 165 lb. open division. He opened his tournament with an 8-6 decision over Cumberland's (Tenn.) Billy Tate and earned a 20-4 tech fall over Siena Heights' (Mich.) Lee Borders. Celestine dropped an 8-4 decision to Marian's (Ind.) Braden Gets (No. 21 at 165 pounds) in the quarterfinals. Celestine then rattled off four straight victories in the consolation brackets to finish third. He recorded back-to-back pins over Pate Eastin of Rio Grande and Lody Cheatham of Campbellsville (Ky.) After a forfeit in the consolation semifinals, he earned an 11-10 decision over Bellarmine's Luke Leclerc in the third-place match.

Stanford Thompson was the lone Blue Raider to place in the freshman bracket. Thompson finished sixth at 197 pounds and opened his tournament with a third-period pin of Brewton-Parker's Brandon Lively. He then earned a 17-2 tech fall over Campbellsville's Jake Heady in the quarterfinals. Thompson then dropped his next three matches to finish in sixth. 

The Blue Raiders men's wrestling team will be in action next on November 8 for the  Miliken Open in Decatur, Illinois.