CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Hunter Gamble took fifth place at the 2017 Southern Scuffle, one of the most impressive finishes in recent memory for a Gardner-Webb wrestler.

Gamble (McDonough, Ga. / Union Grove HS) dropped his semifinal bout to two-time defending national champion – and current top-ranked – Gabe Dean of Cornell early Monday, as Dean jumped out to an early lead and pinned Gamble at the 4:36 mark to advance.

Dean eventually took home another individual title at the Scuffle.

Gamble was awarded a win via medical forfeit in the fifth-place match, as No. 3 seed Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) was unable to go.

Gamble has risen in the national rankings since the start of the 2016-2017 season at 184 pounds and sits at 12-1 entering the meat of Gardner-Webb's dual schedule later this month.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will hit the road with a heavy schedule in late January, getting back on the mats at Campbell on January 20 (6:00 pm) to resume Southern Conference action.

Gardner-Webb will wrestle five dual matches on the road before returning home on Wednesday, February 1, against Duke (7:00 pm) in Paul Porter Arena.