Linton, Fernandez lead CU at Lone Star Duals

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Cody Linton and Aric Fernandez each posted four victories and Steven Sandefer, Jake Williams, Michael Gonzalez, Jacob Shirley and Zeke Hunt all recorded three wins apiece, leading Cumberland’s wrestling team on Saturday at the Lone Star Duals.

Linton registered the biggest triumph of the day with a 2-0 Decision over Bacone College’s No. 7 Chris Perry at 184. The Bulldogs posted a 28-9 team win over 20th-ranked Bacone. The Winters, Calif., native pinned Wayland Baptist’s Miguel Tovar at 4:55, won a forfeit against the University of Texas and then pinned Central Baptist College’s John Lopez at 2:25.

Fernandez won by Fall at 6:22 over Wayland Baptist’s Jacob Stock at 197, posted an 8-6 Decision versus Bacone’s Vincent Opuiyo and pinned Michael Mahoney from Texas at 1:12 and Central Baptist’s Joel Deere at 1:09. Williams won his first match by Fall at 6:26 over WBU’s Chris Hart at 141 and registered an 11-9 Decision versus Bacone’s Tyler Klinkhammer before pinning CBC’s David Overy at 4:42.

Sandefer dropped a 4-3 Decision to Wayland Baptist’s John Mark Avila at 149, but posted a 6-1 Decision against Bacone’s Omari Mackey, won by Technical Fall, 16-0, versus UT’s Max Gore and pinned Central Baptist’s Jacob McKenna at 2:34. Gonzalez claimed an 8-5 Decision versus WBU’s Bernie Gonzalez at 157 but dropped a 6-4 Decision to Bacone’s 15th-ranked Arnol Arroliga. He rebounded with a 10-2 Major Decision against Texas’ Jordan Hildreth and won by Fall at 2:57 over CBC’s Cullen Frazier.

Shirley pinned Wayland Baptist’s Chris Hunt at 2:28 at 165 and Bacone’s Michael Duran at 4:37 before winning by Fall over Central Baptist’s Austin Gonzalez at 0:22. Hunt lost his first match, an 8-4 Decision, to WBU’s second-ranked Jose Alvarez, but came back with a 12-0 Major Decision against Bacone’s Alvaro Zermano and pinned CBC’s Jacob Jesper at 2:32 along with a Forfeit versus Texas.

CU will host the Cumberland Open this Saturday at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center and will take on the University of the Cumberlands in a dual match at home at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at the DFRC.