James Holloway and Dr. Deb Beutler

WVU Tech wrestling finishes third at Jeff Breese Invite

1/3/2026 5:48:00 PM

WASHINGTON, Pa. — WVU Tech wrestling delivered a strong team performance Saturday at the Jeff Breese Invitational, finishing third out of five teams with 79.5 points at Washington and Jefferson College.

Sophomore Troy Harris led the way for the Golden Bears, capturing the 141-pound championship with two dominant wins to secure first place and 12 team points. Harris opened the day with an 8–0 major decision over Lucas Tirpak of Arcadia before closing the title run with a fall in 2:30 against Braxton Stewart, also of Arcadia.

WVU Tech added two runner-up finishes, beginning with senior Alexander Tempus at 184 pounds. Tempus advanced to the finals with a 15–0 technical fall over Bethany's Caleigh Moon before dropping the championship bout to Washington and Jefferson's Vitali Daniels. Jeremiah Chinyere-Okiyi II also placed second at 133 pounds, earning back-to-back technical falls before falling in a close 8–6 decision to Arcadia's Aamire Gaskins in the final.

Freshman Curtis Smith continued his strong early-season progression with a third-place finish at 165 pounds. Smith collected three wins, including a major decision and a technical fall, to score nine points for the Golden Bears.

WVU Tech saw four additional wrestlers place fourth or better, with Blayson Jordan (133), William Stricklin (197) and Max Underwood (285) each finishing fourth, while Jathan Roby added a fifth-place result at 133 pounds. Freshman heavyweight Adams S. Turpin-Abdulrazaaq Jr. and William Vila (157) both recorded individual wins despite not placing.

As a team, the Golden Bears finished just 1.5 points behind second-place Arcadia, continuing a stretch of competitive performances against regional opposition as the season progresses.