PELLA, Iowa – Dickinson State men's wrestling tested itself against a deep, nationally competitive field Saturday at the Central Under Armour Invitational, competing across both the Gold and Silver divisions inside Kuyper Athletic Complex. The Gold Division featured many of the nation's top NCAA Division III and NAIA wrestlers, while the Silver Division provided additional depth and development opportunities for the Blue Hawks.
Dickinson State's most productive performances came from the upper weights and select Silver Division entries, with several wrestlers advancing to placement matches and earning bonus-point victories along the way.
Gold Division Highlights
At 184 pounds, Jack Simons turned in the Blue Hawks' top Gold Division finish, placing fifth. After an opening-round loss, Simons responded with a strong consolation run that included a tech fall and a medical forfeit before closing the tournament with a 17-5 major decision over Wartburg's Zach Weidler in the fifth-place match. His effort accounted for 12 team points.
The 197-pound bracket saw both Donivan Giangregorio and Charlie Larsen reach placement matches. Giangregorio rebounded from an early disqualification loss to secure a major decision in the consolation semifinals before finishing sixth. Larsen followed a similar path, answering a first-round setback with a pair of pins in the consolations to also place sixth. Together, the duo provided consistent scoring in one of the tournament's deepest weight classes.
At heavyweight, Connor Bleymeyer added another sixth-place finish for Dickinson State. Bleymeyer recorded a first-period fall in the consolation semifinals to advance to the placement round, finishing the day with two pins and 6.5 team points.
Elsewhere in the Gold Division, Daniel Reza picked up a sudden-victory win in the 149-pound bracket, while Wyatt Engwicht earned a first-round fall in the consolations at 125. Marcus Mireles added a tech fall at 141, and multiple Blue Hawks battled through challenging opening-round matchups against nationally recognized programs.
Silver Division Standouts
Dickinson State saw several wrestlers push deep into the Silver Division brackets, led by Tucker Fiene at 157 pounds. Fiene advanced to the semifinals with a fall over Central's Chase Bremmer and finished fourth overall, collecting 11 team points.
Gavin Engwicht mirrored that performance at 165 pounds, reaching the semifinals with a first-period pin before also placing fourth. Easton DeJong followed suit at 184 pounds, earning a fall in the quarterfinals and finishing fourth after reaching the third-place match.
At 197 pounds, Herby Hinojosa delivered the team's highest Silver Division placement, taking third after bouncing back from early losses to earn a medical forfeit victory in his final bout.
Looking Ahead
The Blue Hawks head to Havre, Mont. to face Montana State University-Northern in a dual on Firday, Jan. 9th at 7:00 PM
