EVANSTON, Ill. -- Redshirt freshman Emilio Saavedra, who entered the tournament as the No. 13 seed, became ODU’s second-ever Midlands Champion after scoring a takedown 18 seconds into the second sudden victory period to defeat Northern Iowa’s No. 18 Josh Alber, 4-2 2OT, in the 133 lb. final Wednesday night. The Monarchs finished in seventh place out of 38 teams with 63.5 points, as four Monarchs placed in the top eight in their respective weight classes.
“We are extremely proud of Emilio Saavedra,” head coach Steve Martin commented. “He wrestles very hard, gets his opponents tired and breaks them.