WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.-The Hunter College wrestling team turned in one of its strongest tournament performances in recent memory at the Williams Open on Saturday, piling up 23 total victories and placing five wrestlers in the top six of their respective weight classes.
Freshman Alimkhan Guseinov highlighted the day by capturing the 197-pound championship, marking Hunter's first individual tournament title in a long stretch and the most podium placements recorded during head coach Pete Jacobson's tenure.
Guseinov dominated his bracket from start to finish. He opened the tournament with a 2:57 fall over Southern Maine's Peter Simone, then cruised to an 18-3 technical fall at the 6:57 mark against Cortland's Paul Harley in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Guseinov secured a 10-2 major decision over Norwich's Chris Folsom before closing out his day with a 12-7 decision over Kevin Rodriguez of Norwich in the championship finals to claim his first collegiate tournament title.
At 125 pounds, Muhamadu Konteh finished fourth after storming through his early matches. Konteh opened with a 17-2 technical fall over Southern Maine's Carter Noble and followed with a 12-9 decision against Springfield Tech's Marlon Andino to advance deep into the bracket.
Christopher Gliaos also placed fourth at 149 pounds, putting together a strong run with consecutive bonus-point wins en route to the semifinals. Gliaos earned a pair of major decisions, defeating Springfield's Kizen Semprum, 10-0, and Emmanuel's Ethan Martel, 12-4.
Sophomore Jayden Medina led Hunter with a team-high four victories on the day at 149 pounds, finishing in the top six. Medina opened with a 2:24 fall over Emmanuel's Austin Gamber, then posted a 15-0 technical fall against Aczel Reyes of Springfield Tech. In the consolation bracket, Medina added a 4:31 pin of Springfield's Seamus Hartnett and a 17-0 technical fall over Southern Maine's Josiah Miller to qualify for the fifth-place bout, which was not contested.
At 184 pounds, Naseer Johnson recorded three wins and also advanced to the fifth-place bout, which was not contested. Johnson edged Norwich's Joe Menkello, 9-8, before earning a 14-5 major decision over Springfield Tech's Tristin Stephens and a 7-1 decision against Southern Maine's Mason Hinshaw.
Additional highlights included freshman Oscar O'Donnell-Powell, who earned his first two collegiate wins at 174 pounds with falls over Southern Maine's Jalen Charles and Nate Ridgway. Fellow freshman Anthony Coccarelli picked up two victories at 157 pounds, pinning Division II Bridgeport's Joshua Alert at 4:56 and posting an 11-6 decision over Emmanuel's Lawrence Lanzilli.
Sophomores Martin Palomeque and Jack Kent each notched wins at 165 pounds, while junior Therrol Lafayette added a victory at 174 pounds to round out a productive day for the Hawks.
Hunter's lineup featured entirely first- and second-year wrestlers, with four of the five place finishers being freshmen, underscoring the program's continued growth at the Williams Open.
The Hawks return to the mat as they host Southern Virginia University in the Sportsplex at 1 pm on January 9th.
