The University of Chicago wrestling team won their first dual meet this season against Elmhurst College. 

Winning seven of 10 matches, the Maroons captured the victory with a final score of 31–9. The meet started out in Elmhurst’s favor with the Bluejays winning two of the first three matches, with their one loss being due to forfeit. However, Maroons came back with a vengeance. 

Second-years Grant Morrison (149 lbs.), Steve Bonsall (157 lbs.), Kahlan Lee-Lermer (157 lbs.), and Nick Carola (174 lbs.), and third-year Jason Lynch (184 lbs.) gathered five wins in a row to give the Maroons a dominating lead. Lee-Lermer and Carola each won their matches under major decision, with respective scores of 14–4 and 12–1. Lynch’s match ended with a technical fall, as he crushed his adversary with a score of 18–1. After ceding one more match to Elmhurst, first-year Maroon heavyweight Will Hare shut out his opponent 7–0 and sealed the win for the Maroons. 

This victory is also a sign of hope for the future, as three of the 10 Maroon wrestlers were first-years and several more were coming off serious injuries in the previous season. 

The UChicago wrestlers themselves were satisfied with their performance. “The team went in expecting a close meet since we had lost to Elmhurst by a small margin last year,” third-year John Jayne said. “But, our hard work this year must have paid off as we dominated the meet and won 31–9.” It was truly a meet that could propel this squad into a great season.

The Chicago wrestling team hopes to continue this success at the Concordia Invitational in Wisconsin this Saturday. Along with the Maroons, the tournament features some great teams, including the host team, Concordia University. This opponent is coming off a difficult 28–19 loss in a dual meet versus Lakeland University. However, Concordia, and the rest of the teams in this competition, will present quite the challenge for Chicago. 

Despite this daunting opposition, the entire Maroon squad is working hard to make themselves a competitor in this meet. The team has talent across all weight classes. If situations go their way, this wrestling team could come back from Wisconsin with a trophy in their hands.