Howes’ Four Wins Headlines Men’s Wrestling’s Weekend Near Wichita

PARK CITY, Kan. – Avila men's wrestling weathered its first full weekend of the 2023-24 campaign, taking on (RV) Embry-Riddle in their first true dual test of the season on Friday night before sending more than a dozen wrestlers to compete across two divisions at Friends' Falcon Invite in Hartman Arena on Saturday.

After the Eagles obliterated William Woods to begin dual season last weekend in Mabee Fieldhouse, Avila faced Embry-Riddle from Arizona on Friday night at Valley Center High School in a matchup of two squads called the Eagles that were receiving votes in the NAIA preseason poll. Both squads won four matches that were contested, but two forfeit victories going the way of ERAU gave them 12 points, the true difference in what ended as a 31-18 defeat for Avila.

ERAU won the first three contested matches of the night Friday along with a forfeit win to race out to a 22-0 lead in team points early before Avila found its footing on the back half of the dual. Decision wins for Logan Johnson (157) and Jake Callahan (165) got Avila on the board, and then both Daryus Webb (184) and Gavin Howes (285) won by pin to more than keep Avila in the dual, although Embry-Riddle managed to hold on for a 31-18 team victory.

Only a few hours later, Avila hit the mats at Hartman Arena for the Falcon Invite, which this year had a field large enough to split into two tiers, "amateur" and "elite." In the amateur division, Terrell Carter-Williams led the way with a pair of victories, and Sullivan Ruiz picked up his first win as an Eagle as well.

In the elite division, Howes was the headliner, winning each of his first three matches of the day – two by decision and one by pin – to advance all the way to the title match, where he was ultimately pinned by Grand View's Greg Hagan, the preseason No. 1 wrestler in the weight class. Still, it's a defeat of the highest quality for Howes, who finished the whole weekend 4-1 and finished second at heavyweight in his first open event as an Eagle.

Elsewhere, Jacob Ramirez (149) won a pair of matches in his first open as an Eagle, and Ryan McNeel (133), Logan Johnson (149), Jake Callahan (165), Blake Becker (197) and Nathan Coley (285) all won one apiece.

Up next, Avila men's wrestling will head up to Des Moines, Iowa to compete in Grand View's annual open this coming Saturday, November 11. Details on how to watch will be posted when they are available; you can also follow all the match scores live on TrackWrestling.