ABILENE, TX – A new era of McMurry University Athletics officially arrived at Kimbrell Arena on Wednesday night, as the Men's Wrestling team hosted Schreiner University in the program's first-ever home dual meet. While the experienced Mountaineers took the team victory 39-15, the War Hawks gave the electric home crowd plenty to cheer about, highlighted by a thunderous pin from
Ruben Perez and a gritty decision victory by
Tyler Gardner.
The Turning Point: Middleweights Rally
After Schreiner built a significant lead through the lower weight classes, the War Hawks found their footing in the middle of the lineup.
Tyler Gardner (165 lbs) stopped the momentum for the visitors, securing the first contested home victory in program history. In a high-scoring, offensive battle, Gardner outlasted Schreiner's Nick Holloway to earn an 18-11 Decision, putting the War Hawks on the board and igniting the bench.
Building on that energy,
Ruben Perez (174 lbs) delivered the highlight of the night. Perez controlled his match against Aiden Schenck before securing the fall at the 4:17 mark. The pin brought the Kimbrell Arena crowd to its feet and pulled the War Hawks closer in the team score.
Thomas Olivarez (184 lbs) added six more points to the McMurry tally via forfeit, capping a run of three straight weight-class victories for the War Hawks.
Battling the Mountaineers
Schreiner proved to be a tough test for the inaugural squad, using falls and forfeits in the lower weights to build an insurmountable lead. Despite the score, several War Hawks showed resilience. Major Watz (149 lbs) battled into the third period before falling, and
Adrian Cavazos (157 lbs) faced a tough Technical Fall loss against a seasoned opponent.
Head Coach
Lance Brown spoke on the significance of the night: "Tonight was about more than the final score; it was about establishing a culture and wrestling in front of our home fans for the first time. The energy in Kimbrell was outstanding. I'm proud of how Gardner fought for that win and the explosion we saw from Perez to get the pin. We have things to work on, but we showed tonight that we can compete and win matches in this conference."
Match-by-Match Results
Schreiner University 39, McMurry University 15
- 125: Jose Salinas Nava (SU) def. Aaron Micheals (McM) (Fall 3:47)
- 133: Austin Saxon (SU) wins by Forfeit
- 141: Jaylon Simon (SU) wins by Forfeit
- 149: Jason Sanchez (SU) def. Major Watz (McM) (Fall 6:48)
- 157: Aaron Aragon (SU) def. Adrian Cavazos (McM) (TF 21-5 4:03)
- 165: Tyler Gardner (McM) def. Nick Holloway (SU) (Dec 18-11)
- 174: Ruben Perez (McM) def. Aiden Schenck (SU) (Fall 4:17)
- 184: Thomas Olivarez (McM) wins by Forfeit
- 197: James McDaniel (SU) def. Jose Cordova (McM) (MD 10-2)
- 285: Austin Cooley (SU) def. Yahiya Said (McM) (Fall 1:50)
Up Next
The War Hawks continue their inaugural season on the road this Friday, November 21, traveling to Tishomingo, Oklahoma, to face Murray State College.
