NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Duhawks.com) - The Loras wrestling team saw their struggles continue on Saturday at the Gator "Boots" Duals, dropping each of their three duals. Sophomore Dayton Olson went 2-0 on the day, along with recording a forfeit victory to lead the Duhawks.

Loras vs. No. 18 UW-Whitewater
The Duhawks opened against 18th-ranked UW-Whitewater and six points thanks to a forfeit by the Warhawks at 125#. UW-Whitewater responded by taking the next seven matches and gathered a stranglehold on the dual. Senior Malcolm Watson stopped the streak at 197#, defeating Bowen Wileman, 9-3. At heavyweight, freshman Quin Gilliam lost in sudden victory, 6-4. At final count, UW-Whitewater claimed victory, 33-9.

Loras vs. Elmhurst
In the second dual, Loras went toe-to-toe with Elmhurst and just like in their first dual, started out on the right foot with six points by Olson. This time, it was a pin 68 seconds into the bout, rather than a forfeit. The Bluejays responded in convincing fashion, taking each of the remaining nine bouts to win the dual, 30-6.

Loras vs. Heidelberg
Looking to cap their Gator "Boots" Duals trip with a win, Loras jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Heidelberg, thanks to wins from Olson and sophomore Michael Triplett. The Princes responded with two wins of their own, winning at 141 and 149. Sophomore Jimmy Davis got the Duhawks back on track with a convincing 12-0 major decision at 157 to take a 10-6 lead. Two wins by decision and a pin for Heidelberg erased the advantage Loras had gained heading into the 197 bout. There, Watson won 8-2 over Gage Finegan, narrowing the gap to 18-13 with one match to go.  With time ticking down at 285#, Gilliam took a shot on Heidelberg's John Eckroth, but good defense from Eckroth kept Gilliam at bay to hold on for the 3-2 win.

Up Next
Loras' next competition will be the Pat Flanagan Open on Jan. 9 inside the Graber Sports Center.