Gardner-Webb Assistant Darrius Little Places Seventh At 2015 Las Vegas/Asics U.S. Open
May 23, 2015 | Wrestling
LAS VEGAS – Gardner-Webb assistant coach Darrius Little earned his place as one of the elite wrestlers in the nation with a seventh-place finish at the 2015 Las Vegas/Asics U.S. Open in early May.
Little, who recently finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Runnin' Bulldogs, posted a 4-2 mark in the 61 kilogram weight class – faring very well against some of the world's best in the process.
The Thomasville, N.C., native and former NC State All-American earned a bye in the opening round and earned a decision over former Gardner-Webb assistant coach Connor Beebe in his first bout.
After losing to Team USA member and former Ohio State standout Reece Humphrey, Little bounced back, defeating Juan Archuleta via 14-4 tech. fall. He dropped a match to Coleman Scott, but defeated Kyle Hutter, 6-3, in the seventh-place match to finish on a high note.
Little, who helped Gardner-Webb to one of its top overall seasons in his first year on Daniel Elliott's staff, totaled 102 career wins as a student-athlete at NC State. A three-time NCAA qualifier, Little also starred at Thomasville (N.C.) High – going 48-1 with a state title as a senior.
