ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Men's Wrestling put together an impressive showing at home at the Oaks Open while showcasing their depth in the lineup, highlighted by a championship performance from senior Jeramiah Steele and four placements.

RESULTS

Tournament Placements
After coming off a successful senior night the night before, Jeramiah Steele opened the tournament with a decision victory over Caleb Rivas of Cal Poly SLO to punch his ticket into the semis. The senior followed with a dominant 16-7 major to secure his spot in the championship bout and earned first place after a gritty 7-2 showcase.
 
At 165, freshman Quentin Harding made a statement by opening the tournament with a blanking 16-0 technical fall in the second period to advance directly into the finals. In the championship bout, Harding battled into sudden victory but just fell short, earning a second-place finish.
 
At 197 pounds, junior Juan Carlos Escutia put together one of the most aggressive performances of the tournament. Recording a fall and a technical fall to reach the semifinals before dropping a tough bout. Not backing down, he responded with another fall in 4:47 to advance to the third-place bout, where he capped off his tournament with a 17-6 major to secure bronze.
 
Heavyweight Emmit Mercado showcased resilience throughout the tournament winning three straight matches that all required extra wrestling. Mercado opened with a 2-1 decision, followed by a 7-4 sudden victory win in the quarters. IN the semis, he edged out a 3-2 tiebreaker to advance to the first-place bout. After a grueling run, Mercado finished as tournament runner-up at 285lbs.
 
Also competing at heavyweight, Cole Steketee rebounded in a big way after falling in his first bout Steketee stormed through the backside of the bracket with four consecutive wins, three of which came with bonus points to earn a spot in the consolation finals. Steketee ultimately placed fourth after falling in the third-place bout.
 
Up Next
The Oaks will now prep to take on Bay Area neighbors and MPSF rivals San Francisco State for the final dual of the season in the Don Nasser Family Plaza on February 12^th at 7PM.