SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– Caden Howard won the championship in the 125-pound weight class at the Drury Open, hosted by the Panthers at Weiser Gym and the Mabee Gym on Saturday.
 
Howard, a freshman from Lenexa, Kansas, won the title at 125 pounds, winning four-straight matches, including two by Fall. He defeated Hector Gamboa from Avila by Fall in 2:35, then got past Nick Lindley from Lindenwood, 4-2. After pinning Austin Kegley from Lindenwood in 6:19, Howard won the championship with a win by Fall in 1:04 over Chris Busutil from Indian Hills Community College.
 
Drury's Trevor Christian won the consolation bracket at 157 pounds. The freshman from Lebanon lost his first match but responded by winning three straight. Christian picked up two wins by Major Decision, then defeated Connon Johnston of William Jewell 5-0 in the consolation finals.
 
"We are very proud of our individual performances," said Drury head coach James Reynolds. "Caden Howard came away with his first tournament championship along with some outstanding performance by some of our younger wrestlers. Hosting a tournament is a test of an organization, and we passed that test with an extremely well-run tournament with many hands helping. We are always grateful for the opportunities presented and are fortunate enough to share them with all the great people in our organization."
 
The Panthers compete again on Friday when they take on Central Oklahoma in a dual at 7 pm in Edmond, Oklahoma.
 
 
#MoreThanChampions