By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
GOLDEN, Colo. – Fort Hays State competed at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open on Sunday (Feb. 10) hosted by Colorado School of Mines. Two Tigers placed as Jonathan Ball (149 pounds) and Mason Turner (133 pounds – Unattached) each earned third-place finishes.
Redshirt-freshman Jonathan Ball took home third-place honors in the 149-pound weight class. He received a bye in the first round before defeating Mason Hulse (Northern Colorado) with a 5-1 decision in the second round. Ball fell to Tommy Stager (Air Force Academy) in the quarterfinals in an 8-7 decision before fighting his way back on the consolation side of the bracket. Ball then rattled off four-straight wins with a technical fall (16-0) over N. Carrasco and pinning E. Alirez in 2:14 before earning the consolation championship title after two forfeits. Ball is now 19-9 on the season.
True freshman Mason Turner (Unattached) also took home third-place honors, but in the 133-pound weight class. Turner dropped his opening-round match to top seed Brandon Kile (Chadron State) by Injury (3:24) before fighting his way back on the consolation side of the bracket. Turner received a bye before rattling off four-consecutive wins with a major decision (12-2) over Reuben Arredondo (Northwest Kansas Tech), pinning Cameron Santiago (Northern Colorado) in 4:07, earning a forfeit victory and then defeating Jared Van Vleet (Air Force Academy) with a 12-7 decision in the consolation championship. Turner improved is overall record to 6-2 in his redshirt season.