CLEVELAND, Ohio – Gardner-Webb had its best day on the mat this season at the 2017 Cleveland State Open, with one individual title and three runner up finishes part of six wrestlers who finished in the top four of their respective weight class.

Freshman Denton Spencer rolled to the individual championship at 141 pounds in dominant fashion. The former Camden County (Ga.) High standout has steadily improved this season and won his first three bouts on Saturday with pins.

Spencer took down Kent State's Cory Simpson in 4:55 and sat down Florida's Tyler Sage in 4:46. He followed with a pin in 3:54 of Ohio State wrestler Brendan Fitzgerald and out-fought Kent State's Tim Rooney in the semifinals – taking a 4-2 sudden victory (SV-1).

That put Spencer into the finals against Northwestern's' Yahya Thomas and Spencer captured a 6-3 decision to secure that weight class title for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

Spencer improved to 16-5 overall on the season with his Saturday blitz, and has now won 11 consecutive matches – dating back to the opening round of the Wolfpack Open. Nine of those wins have come by bonus points – five pins, three tech falls and a major decision.

Three other Gardner-Webb wrestlers advanced to the finals in their respective weights.

Tyler Marinelli was dominant at 157 pounds through four matches, starting off with a pin of Cleveland State's Ryan Montgomery in 3:35. He then put up double figures points in a 14-8 decision over Finger Lakes Prep wrestler Tanner Cook and shut out Eastern Michigan's Mason Kauffman (10-0) in the quarterfinals.

Marinelli cruised into the championship bout, posting a 16-0 tech fall of Virginia's Fred Green. Marinelli dropped a tough match in the championship matchup, however, losing a 4-3 decision to Finger Lakes' Fredy Stroker.

Brett Stein also pushed out to a 4-0 mark to get to the finals at 165 pounds, picking up a major decision (10-1) over Kent State's Jacob Spino to get started. Stein followed with consecutive decisions over wrestlers from Cleveland State and Maryland, before a medical forfeit in the semifinals allowed him to advance.

Stein wrestled hard in the title bout, but fell by 6-3 decision to Maryland's Patrick Gerish.

Heavyweight Lathan Bumgarner also advanced to the championship match at 285, taking a 4-2 decision over Kent State's Billy Bolia in the opening bout, advancing to the semifinals after a forfeit and pinning Central Michigan's Newton Smerchek in just 1:23.

The redshirt freshman and former North Gaston (N.C.) High star finished second, dropping a 5-2 decision to Kent State's Devin Nye in the finals.

Redshirt freshman Keegan Duncan also placed on Saturday, taking home third at 125 pounds. Duncan racked up low-scoring decisions over Central Michigan's Brock Bergelin (3-1) and West Virginia's Joey Thomas (3-0), before falling to Kent State's Jake Ferri in a 7-4 semifinals' decision.

Duncan wasn't discouraged, coming back to whip Michigan's Jack Medley, 8-2, in the third-place match.

Another Gardner-Webb freshman, Anthony Perrine, wrestled very well in a return to his home state – and region. The 2017 state champion from nearby Nordonia (Ohio) High finished fourth at 197 pounds.

Perrine started the day with three-straight wins, taking down Ohio's Nate Hall by a comfortable 10-3 decision, rolling to a 15-2 major decision over West Virginia's Hunter DeLong and outlasting Cleveland State's John Kelby (4-3) to move on to the semifinals.

Cornell's Ben Darmstadt pinned Perrine in the semis (2:11) and Michigan's Jackson Striggow captured a 10-0 major decision in the third-place match.

Gardner-Webb will break for Christmas and will get back on the mats at the 2018 Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Jan. 1-2).

125: Keegan Duncan (3-1) – 3rd Place
Keegan Duncan (GWU) dec. Brock Bergelin (CENT MICH); 3-1
Keegan Duncan (GWU) dec. Joey Thomas (WVU); 3-0
Jake Ferri (KENT ST) dec. Keegan Duncan (GWU); 7-4
3RD PLACE: Keegan Duncan (GWU) dec. Jack Medley (MICH); 8-2

133: Brandon Bright (2-2)
Brandon Bright (GWU) major dec. Dakota McCloskey (MT UNION); 13-3
Brandon Bright (GWU) major dec. Ryan Matthews (AKR); 13-2
Micky Phillippi (PITT) major dec. Brandon Bright (GWU); 14-3
Kyran Hagan (OHIO) dec. Brandon Bright (GWU); 3-1

133: Philip Anderson (3-2)
Philip Anderson (GWU) dec. Colton Landers (UTC); 10-4
Vito Aruiau (FLP) major dec. Philip Anderson (GWU); 21-7
Philip Anderson (GWU) pin Dakota McCloskey (MT UNION); 2:42
Philip Anderson (GWU) major dec. Scott Kiyono (UVA); 14-6
K.J. Fentermacher (PITT) dec. Philip Anderson (GWU); 10-5

141: Denton Spencer (5-0) – Champion
Denton Spencer (GWU) pin Cory Simpson (KENT ST); 4:55
Denton Spencer (GWU) pin Tyler Sage (FLA); 4:46
Denton Spencer (GWU pin Brendan Fitzgerald (OHIO ST); 3:54
Denton Spencer (GWU) dec. Tim Rooney (KENT ST); 4-2 (SV-1)
CHAMP MATCH: Denton Spencer (GWU) dec. Yahya Thomas (NW); 6-3

141: Dallas Roemer (1-2)
Dallas Roemer (GWU) dec. Kyle Hennig (CLEV ST); 5-4
Jacob Newhouse (KENT ST) major dec. Dallas Roemer (GWU); 11-0
Anthony Brito (APP) dec. Dallas Roemer; 7-2

141: Landon LoAlbo (1-2)
Landon LoAlbo (GWU) dec. Anthony Brito (APP); 3-1 (SV-1)
Nick Henneman (KENT ST) pin Landon LoAlbo; 1:38
Jonathan Millner (APP) dec. Landon LoAlbo (GWU); 10-5

149: Austin Reames (0-2)
Ben Lamantia (MICH) tech fall Austin Reames (GWU); 16-0
Dallas Bulsak (PITT) tech fall Austin Reames (GWU); 18-0

149: Joby Armenta (3-2)
Joby Armenta (GWU) dec. Jensen Lorea (EDIN); 6-0
Nick Steed (OHIO) dec. Joby Armenta (GWU); 9-3
Joby Armenta (GWU) dec. Riley Barth (PITT); 4-0
Joby Armenta (GWU) dec. Chris Matzke (EDIN); 5-4
Kody Komara (KENT ST) major dec. Joby Armenta (GWU); 12-3

157: Tyler Marinelli (4-1) – 2nd Place
Tyler Marinelli (GWU) pin Ryan Montgomery (CLEV ST); 3:35
Tyler Marinelli (GWU) dec. Tanner Cook (FLP); 14-8
Tyler Marinelli (GWU) major dec. Mason Kauffman (EMU); 10-0
Tyler Marinelli (GWU) tech fall Fred Green (UVA); 16-0
CHAMP MATCH: Fredy Stroker (FLP) dec. Tyler Marinelli (GWU); 4-3

165: Evan Schenk (2-2)
Joe Accousti (APP) dec. Evan Schenk (GWU); 3-1
Evan Schenk (GWU) dec. Braxton Cody (NW); 9-5
Evan Schenk (GWU) pin Conner Homan (MT UNION); 4:34
Dominick Petrucilli (UTC) tech fall Evan Schenk (GWU); 17-1

165: Josh Walker (1-2)
Josh Walker (GWU dec. Jacob Henderson (CLEV ST); 7-4
Patrick Gerish (UMD) pin Josh Walker (GWU); 0:51
Kolin Leyrer (EMU) dec. Josh Walker (GWU); 6-1

165: Brett Stein (4-1) – 2nd Place
Brett Stein (GWU) major dec. Jacob Spino (KENT ST); 10-1
Brett Stein (GWU) dec. Georgio Poullas (CLEV ST); 9-4
Brett Stein (GWU) dec. Idris White (UMD); 7-6 (TB-2)
Brett Stein (GWU) medical forfeit Benjamin Schram (ODU)
CHAMP MATCH: Patrick Gerish (UMD) dec. Brett Stein (GWU); 6-3

174: Jacob Reames (0-2)
Taylor Cahill (CLAR) pin Jacob Reames (GWU); 1:38
Jake Lanning (BUF) pin Jacob Reames (GWU); 0:45

174: Christian Maroni (1-2)
Christian Maroni (GWU) dec. Anthony Pedro (BROWN); 5-4 (TB-1)
Ryan Ferro (OH ST) dec. Christian Maroni (GWU); 6-5
Garrett Sutton (MICH) dec. Christian Maroni (GWU); 8-3

184: Cole Graves (1-2)
Dakota Geer (EDIN) pin Cole Graves (GWU); 1:41
Cole Graves (GWU) dec. Chris Morrow (CLEV ST); 3-1
Cameron Caffey (MICH ST) dec. Cole Graves (GWU); 4-2

197: Anthony Perrine (3-2) - 4th Place
Anthony Perrine (GWU) dec. Nate Hall (OHIO); 10-3
Anthony Perrine (GWU) major dec. Hunter DeLong (WVU); 15-2
Anthony Perrine (GWU) dec. John Kelby (CLEV ST); 4-3
Benjamin Darmstadt (CORNELL) pin Anthony Perrine (GWU); 2:11
3RD PLACE: Jackson Striggow (MICH) major dec. Anthony Perrine (GWU); 10-0

197: Kenny VanVorst (1-2)
Kenny VanVorst (GWU) major dec. Sean Mullican (WVU); 12-1
Jacob Woodley (OKLA) tech fall Kenny VanVorst (GWU); 21-0
Cole Nye (MICH ST) tech fall Kenny VanVorst (GWU); 18-0

285: Lathan Bumgarner (3-1) – 2nd Place
Lathan Bumgarner (GWU) dec. Billy Bolia (KENT ST); 4-2
Lathan Bumgarner (GWU) forfeit Quinn Miller (UVA)
Lathan Bumgarner (GWU) pin Newton Smerchek (CENT MICH); 1:23
CHAMP MATCH: Devin Nye (KENT ST) dec. Lathan Bumgarner (GWU); 5-2

285: Jackson Price (2-2)
Jackson Price (GWU) dec. Robert Scherer (UVA); 8-4
Chase Singletary (OH ST) pin Jackson Price (GWU); 2:45
Jackson Price (GWU) dec. Jackson Ross (MICH ST); 6-3
Nick Jenkins (CENT MICH) dec. Jackson Price (GWU); 5-2