Hunt voted Mid-South Wrestler of the Week

Cumberland junior Zeke Hunt was voted the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday after winning the title at 174 this past weekend in the CU Open.

The Dacula, Ga., native posted four wins to take the top spot at 174, starting with a 6-0 Decision against Lindsey Wilson’s Rhodes Bell. He then pinned Shorter University’s Jared Rector at 4:53 and Sean Bateman from the University of the Cumberlands at 1:15. In the finals Hunt, ranked 12th nationally, won a 1-0 Decision over Lindsey Wilson’s third-ranked Jameel Bryant.

Hunt has compiled a 22-9 overall record this academic year with tournament titles at the Patriot Open in November and the Cumberland Open as well as a second-place finish in The Citadel Open. He has won seven consecutive matches headed into Tuesday night’s dual against 11th-ranked University of the Cumberlands at CU’s Dallas Floyd Recreation Center. 

Shirley, Gonzalez, Hunt lead dual victory

Zeke Hunt and Jacob Shirley both pinned their opponents and Michael Gonzalez won by Technical Fall, leading 18th-ranked Cumberland to a 23-16 victory over No. 11 University of the Cumberlands in wrestling action Tuesday night at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center.

Hunt, ranked 12th nationally at 174, made quick work of Sean Bateman with a pin at 1:10, while Shirley posted the best win of the night for the Bulldogs with his pin of UC’s sixth-ranked Zack Barkett at 4:15. Those two victories gave the Bulldogs an almost insurmountable 23-5 lead heading into the final three matches.

Cumberland started on a good note, with senior Eddie Ortiz posting a 4-2 Decision over Grant Burkhalter at 125, but UC’s Javier Carbahal registered a 19-3 Technical Fall at 133 over Richard Williams.

CU’s Jake Williams, ranked fifth in the country, gave the Bulldogs the lead for good with his 6-1 Decision at 141 over Calob Perkins, and Gonzalez scored a 17-0 Tech Fall win at 157 versus Jacob Stephens.

The most exciting match of the evening came at 197, where UC’s seventh-ranked Fred Byars took an eary lead on Aric Fernandez, but the CU freshman battled back to knot the score at six in the third period. But Byars escaped and scored again in the final minute for a 9-6 Decision.

Eddie Bernal posted an 18-2 Technical Fall win against David Capers at 184 and 13th-ranked Vince Pezzuto won an 8-2 Decision versus Tyler Smith in the heavyweight class for UC’s other points.

Cumberland will head to the Mustang Open in Conway, Ark., this Saturday.