Fairfield’s Austin Sherman brings home first collegiate tournament title
Junior Austin Sherman of Muhlenberg College won his first collegiate tournament this weekend. Sherman is from Fairfield. (Photo courtesy Muhlenberg College)
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Junior Austin Sherman (Fairfield Ludlowe) of Muhlenberg College came from behind in his final two bouts to win the 141-pound bracket at the Ned McGinley Invitational, highlighting a strong performance by the Muhlenberg wrestling team in its first tournament of the season.
It was the first career victory for Sherman, who earned his 50th career victory in a 5-4 win over Will Crisco of New York University in the championship match, thanks to a two-point takedown with 17 seconds left in the bout. Sherman trailed 4-1 but rallied with a pair of third period takedowns.
Crisco, a senior, is a Hand-Madison graduate. He won five bouts on Saturday for NYU, including a pair by technical fall and one by pin.
Sherman won his first three bouts on a technical fall and two decisions before running into trouble in his semifinal contest against a Wilkes Kyle Medrow. Sherman trailed 6-2 with less than a minute to go in the third period before catching his opponent in a cradle and pinning him with 42 seconds left.
Sherman beat Ahken Chu of Oneonta State in the quarterfinals, 8-6. Sherman was 28-16 a year ago for the Mules with five pins and earning a spot in the finals in two tournaments. He was third at the Centennial Conference tournament.
The Mules finished seventh in a strong field that included four teams that were ranked in the NCAA Division III top 20 in the final poll of 2017-18. Of the 22 Mules who competed, 15 won at least one bout, and seven won more than one.