DUBUQUE, Iowa - The 17th-ranked Loras College Duhawk men's wrestling team competed in the American Rivers Conference Championship against the No. 2 Wartburg College Knights on Friday night in the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center.

The Knights started the dual off hot, recording back-to-back technical fall wins at 125 and 133 lbs. The Duhawks, however, began battling in the following matches.

At 141 lbs, senior Jalen Schropp had a back-and-forth scrap with Wartburg's Kyler Romero, ranked No. 7 in the country. However, a late takedown secured a 6-3 decision victory for the Knights.

Sophomore Eric Kinkaid (149 lbs) also had an exciting match, exchanging leads with Charlie Dojan, who is ranked fifth-overall in his class. Yet, another late score for Wartburg grabbed them the win, this time by a score of 7-6.

The Purple and Gold got their lone win at 157 lbs. Senior Gabe Fiser kept his composure and scored when he had to, resulting in an 8-5 win and gaining Loras some team points.

At 165 lbs, one key position ultimately was the deciding factor. Sophomore Dustin Bohren got in on his opponent's legs late in the match. With both wrestlers close to being on their backs, the ref awarded Bohren's opponent with a takedown, causing chaos due to the controversy. The Knight's takedown ensured a close 4-3 victory.

Senior Zeb Gnida (174 lbs) kept things close with Zane Mulder, the No. 1 ranked wrestler at his weight, for majority of the match. However, it wasn't enough, as Wartburg claimed another win by a 7-2 decision.

The Knights won the final three bouts, a 7-0 decision at 184 lbs and two consecutive falls at 197 lbs and heavyweight to secure the A-R-C Championship, 38-3.

The Duhawks compete again and begin the postseason at the NCAA Lower Midwest Regional on Thursday, Feb. 29 through Friday, Mar. 1, at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.