Purdue Results / Brackets / Photo Gallery
LAS VEGAS - Purdue's Ben Thornton and Kyle Ayersman each earned a spot on the podium at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational on Saturday. The Boilermaker duo placed seventh at 125 and 141 pounds, respectively, as the two-day tournament concluded at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Purdue last had two wrestlers place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational was 2010 when there were four Boilermaker placewinners. Thornton becomes Purdue's second 125-pounder to place at the tournament since Chris Fleeger won the title in 2002, while Ayersman is the first Boilermaker to place at 141 pounds.
Thornton finished seventh thanks to a medical forfeit from eighth-seeded Markus Simmons of Iowa State. In the consolation quarterfinals matchup with CSU Bakersfield's Sean Nickell, it was the Roadrunner posting a 13-2 major decision that sent Thornton to the seventh-place match.
The Boilermaker also received a medical forfeit in his first match Saturday, this one from the No. 2-seed Connor Schram of Stanford.
The redshirt sophomore had a 5-2 tournament, posting a pair of decisions and a major decision in addition to receiving the two medical forfeits. Wrestling in three tournaments this season, Thornton has placed just as many times. His record now stands at 17-6 and he has already surpassed his win total from last season.
Like Thornton, Ayersman captured seventh place by way of a medical forfeit from American's Jack Mutchnik. He began Saturday's competition with his second shutout of the tournament, blanking A.J. Jaffe of Harvard 4-0. Ayersman registered a first-period takedown and rode the period out and added an escape in the third for the win.
Northern Colorado's Timmy Box denied the Boilermaker in the consolation quarterfinals by handing the redshirt senior an 8-1 decision.
Ayersman's five wins in Las Vegas included two shutout decisions, two major decisions and the medical forfeit. His record stands at 12-6 in his final season.
Both Alex Griffin and Jacob Morrissey were bounced one match shy of placing. Cal Poly 157-pounder Colt Shorts defeated Griffin 5-2 with a takedown in the first, a reversal in the second and 3:14 of riding time. The loss brought him to 15-6 on the season as he closed out the tournament with a 3-2 record.
For the second time in as many meetings this season, Christian Brucki of Central Michigan handed Morrissey a major decision loss, 13-2, to deny him a place on the 174-pound podium. Morrissey owns an even record of 4-4 after the two-day tournament.
Purdue returns to West Lafayette for a two-week hiatus with the end of the semester. The Boilermakers will then travel to Edwardsville, Illinois, for their only dual of the month when they take on SIU Edwardsville at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 19.
Thornton, Ayersman Place at CKLV
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