LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Freshman Abner Romero earned first place at 165 at the Mat Town tournament at Lock Haven Sunday, going 4-0 en route to clinching his first collegiate tournament crown. Fellow freshmen Monarchs Kevin Budock and Will Verallis placed third while Connor Frey grabbed fourth place.
Romero, a native of Clovis, California, picked up a 7-1 decision in the opening round before picking up a first period pin in the quarterfinals. After receiving a medical forfeit in the semis, Romero defeated Ray Bethea of Virginia, 4-0, to capture the title at 165.
Budock earned consecutive decision victories at 141 before falling to Lock Haven's Ronnie Perry, the eventual champion, in the semis. Budock, a native of Olney, Maryland, defeated Ryan Peters of Bufalo, 6-3, in the consolation semis before picking up a medical forfeit in the third place bout.
Will Verallis, a freshman from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, also grabbed third place at the tournament. Competing at 149, Verallis won four-straight matches in the consolations after dropping his first bout to notch a 4-1 finish on the afternoon.
At 184, Connor Frey turned in a 3-1 performance before medically forfeiting to finish in fourth place.
Full brackets from the Mat Town tournament can be viewed on FloArena.