Senior Alex Camargo defeated two of the nation’s top wrestlers in leading the Kent State wrestling team to a season-opening fourth-place finish at the Oklahoma Gold Showcase.

Camargo won his second straight title at the meet, winning the 184-pound weight class. Camargo defeated two nationally-ranked opponents during the meet. First he knocked off No. 7 ranked Justin Dyer of Oklahoma 9-4 in the semifinals and then defeated Rudy Medini, No. 9 of Rutgers, 6-2, in the finals.

By winning a bracket that had five nationally-ranked wrestlers in it, Camargo was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

“Alex did an outstanding job today, winning a difficult bracket with relative ease,” head coach Jim Andrassy said in a press release. “He did not get taken down in any of his four matches.”

The Flashes won two other weight classes as well. Junior Aaron Miller won at 174 pounds, while sophomore Kurt Gross and junior Jason McGee both reached the finals at 157 pounds but did not wrestle each other.

Overall, nine Flashes finished in the top six. The Flashes were without two of their top wrestlers as junior Drew Opfer and senior Jason Bake are both out until at least December.

Junior transfer Chad Sportelli began his Kent State career by finishing third in the 125-pound weight class. His only loss was to No. 2 ranked Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma. Freshman Eric Chine finished fifth at 174 pounds, junior Ardian Ramadani was fourth at 197 pounds and redshirt freshman Jermail Porter and junior Willie Leonard finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the heavyweight bracket.

Oklahoma, ranked second in the nation in all major polls, took the team title with 170 points.

The Golden Flashes will return to upstate New York on Saturday, Nov. 19, for the Body Bar Invitational hosted by Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

– Joey Simon