GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence men's wrestling program placed sixth at the National Dual Meet Championships on Saturday.

In the opening dual versus #13 Cumberlands, freshman Boden Banta started things off for the Argos with a 5-1 victory over Elijan Valencia.

The Argos would drop the matches at 133 and 141 but would answer with three straight victories with #20 Cade White defeating Ty Lehman in SV-2, #1 Pig Hobbs defeated #16 Brice Coleman 8-2, and Aden Graves pinned #21 Rider Trumble to give the Argos a 15-9 lead.

Following wins from the Patriots at 174 and 184 to tie the match at 15, freshman Brady Armstrong defeating Lane Kiser 15-12 to put UP ahead by three, and freshman Gabe Finley pinned Jovon Howe to secure the Argos 24-15 victory.

In the fifth-place match versus #5 Southern Oregon, the Argos trailed 18-0 early, but at 157 #19 Irish Furthmyre defeated #11 Dylan Straley 14-7 and at 165 Graves defeated #17 Cole Zoller to bring the match within 12.

The Argos would fall at 174 and 197, and despite junior Noah Poe-Hatten defeating Ethan Miller at 184 and #10 Ethan DeRoche defeating Sebastian Echeverria at 285, UP fell to #5 Southern Oregon 29-12 to finish in sixth place.

The Argos will be back in action Tuesday, Jan. 20 when they host #24 MSU-Northern. Wrestlers will begin at 6:00 p.m. in Great Falls, Mont.

RESULTS: UP 24, CUKY 15
125: Boden Banta (UP) dec. Elijah Valencia (CUKY), 5-1
133: Riley Bettich (CUKY) dec. Blake Woolsey (UP), 7-3
141: #16 Eli Peyton (CUKY) pinned Koen Shigemoto (UP), 3:29
149: #20 Cade White (UP) SV-2 Ty Lehman (CUKY), 3-3
157: #1 Pig Hobbs (UP) dec. #16 Brice Coleman (CUKY), 8-2
165: Aden Graves (UP) pinned #21 Rider Trumble (CUKY), 6:09
174: #8 Weston Melvin (CUKY) dec. #21 Brady Ellison (UP), 8-3
184: #24 Derrick Bannister (CUKY) dec. Noah Poe-Hatten (UP), 4-2
197: Brady Armstrong (UP) SV-1 Lane Kiser (CUKY), 15-12
285: Gabe Finley (UP) pinned Jovon Howe (CUKY), 5:20

RESULTS: SOU 29, UP 12
125: #8 Isaac Hampton (SOU) dec. #11 Kobi Johnson (UP), 3-0
133: Zachary Keinonen (SOU) pinned Na'u McBrayer (UP), 4:44
141: Tyler Rhue (SOU) maj. dec. Koen Shigemoto (UP), 11-0
149: Providence Medical Forfeit  
157: #19 Irish Furthmyre (UP) dec. #11 Dylan Straley (SOU), 14-7
165: Aden Graves (UP) dec. #17 Cole Zoller (SOU), 3-1
174: #12 Braylin Ruchti (SOU) maj. dec. Hunter Meinzen (UP), 11-2
184: Noah Poe-Hatten (UP) dec. Ethan Miller (SOU), 5-1
197: Carson Gooley (SOU) pinned Brady Armstrong (UP), 0:20
285: #10 Ethan DeRoche (UP) dec. Sebastian Echeverria (SOU), 7-3