Wrestling 11/8/2026 5:44:00 PM

15 Wrestlers Place at Averett Cougar Open

DANVILLE, Va. – Gavin Duran, RJ Robinson, Caleb Close, and Isaiah Taylor all took first place at the Averett Cougar Open on Sunday afternoon, headlining a group of 15 total placers for American University wrestling.

Notable

The sophomore Duran followed two decisions with pins in the semifinal and first place match to finish atop the podium at 149, the first two pins of his career.
Robinson racked up 36 points in two matches to reach the 184-pound final and win by medical forfeit. The sophomore is now 5-0 on the year.
It was a dominant day for Close at 197, who pinned all four opponents. He holds American's fastest fall of the season after taking care of James Battugla of Marymount in just 31 seconds.
The freshman Taylor wrestled for a 20-point technical fall in the first round, then pinned Lynchburg's Jayden Cuevas of Lynchburg in the quarterfinal. His toughest match came in the semifinal round, scoring an escape, takedown, and a late stalling point to defeat The Apprentice School's Jalen Terry Winston 8-7.
AU teammates Austin Craft and Max Herman met in the final at 174 pounds, but they did not wrestle to make the match a no contest. The same result was reached between Kaden Milheim and Gavin Cohen at 165.

125

Champ. Rd. 1 - Caleb Haney (Noke Wrestling RTC) pin Dysen Gould (AU), 4:30
Cons. Rd. 1 - Nathanael Singleton (Pin To Win) dec. Dysen Gould (AU), 13-11
Champ. Rd. 1 - Jaelyn Carlyle (Marymount) major dec. Kaleb Ambrose (AU), 14-6
Cons. Rd. 1 - Kaleb Ambrose (AU) pin Oliver Henderson (High Point), 7-0
Cons. Rd. 2 - Caleb Haney (Noke Wrestling RTC) major dec. Kaleb Ambrose (AU), 20-6

133

Champ. Rd. 1 - Coen Bainey (AU) pin Giancarlo Rodriguez, 7-0
QF - Coen Bainey (AU) tech. fall Aiden Arnold, 18-2
SF - Coen Bainey (AU) tech. fall Hunter Jauregui (AU), 15-0
Finals - Ryan Paul dec. Coen Bainey (AU), 7-2
Champ. Rd. 1 - Ellis Kirsch (AU) tech. fall Alexei Hidalgo, 19-2
QF - Ellis Kirsch (AU) pin Ayden Sumners, 3-0
SF - Ryan Paul dec. Ellis Kirsch (AU), 12-6
Cons. SF - Anthony Cage dec. Ellis Kirsch (AU), 12-6
5th Place - Ayden Sumners (Marymount) M FOR Ellis Kirsch (AU)
Champ. Rd. 1 - Hunter Jauregui (AU) pin Giulio Fabriziani, 4-4
QF - Hunter Jauregui (AU) dec. Anthony Cage, 2-0
SF - Coen Bainey (AU) tech. fall Hunter Jauregui (AU), 15-0
Cons. SF - Hunter Jauregui (AU) dec. Ayden Sumners, 5-1
3rd Place - Hunter Jauregui (AU) pin Anthony Cage, 3-0

141

Champ. Rd. 1 - Blake Boyer (AU) major dec. Georgios Sezenias, 11-1
QF - Sammy Gantt dec. Blake Boyer (AU), 12-5
Cons. Rd. 2 - Blake Boyer (AU) major dec. Bryce Bruns, 16-2
Cons. Rd. 3 - Blake Boyer (AU) major dec. Cody Bui, 11-0
Cons. SF - Leonardo Perdomo dec. Blake Boyer (AU), 14-4
5th Place - Trajan Pannell (Noke Wrestling RTC) M FOR Blake Boyer (AU)
Champ. Rd. 1 - Max Rosen (AU) pin Gary English, 7-0
QF - Max Rosen (AU) tech. fall Jalen Danko, 17-2
SF - Sammy Gantt dec. Max Rosen (AU), 14-8
Cons. SF - Max Rosen (AU) pin Trajan Pannell, 3-0
3rd Place - Leonardo Perdomo dec. Max Rosen (AU), 7-1
Champ. Rd. 1 - Sebastian Bonachea (unattached) tech. fall Adan Magnas (AU), 17-2
Cons. Rd. 1 - Cody Bui dec. Adan Magnas (AU), 16-3

149

Champ. Rd. 1 - Gavin Duran (AU) dec. Josh Brezac, 5-0 SV
QF - Gavin Duran (AU) dec. Matthew Krail, 8-3
SF - Gavin Duran (AU) pin Noah Cuic, 3-0
Finals - Gavin Duran (AU) pin Cameron Gue, 11-0

165

Champ. Rd. 1 - Gage Owen (AU) major dec. Jonathan Burns Jr., 12-2
QF - Gage Owen (AU) pin Warren Carter, 12-3
SF - Kaden Milheim (AU) dec. Gage Owen (AU), 8-4
Cons. SF - Gage Owen (AU) major dec. Taven Williams, 16-2
3rd Place - Gage Owen (AU) pin Carmine McDaniel, 3-0
Champ. Rd. 1 - Gavin Cohen (AU) pin Thomas Newman, 6-1
QF - Gavin Cohen (AU) pin Joshua Estrada, 3-0
SF - Gavin Cohen (AU) major dec. Matthew Nye, 19-8
Finals - Gavin Cohen (AU) vs. Kaden Milheim (AU), NC
Champ. Rd. 1 - Kaden Milheim (AU) major dec. Taven Williams, 9-1
QF - Kaden Milheim (AU) pin Hayden Smith, 9-1
SF - Kaden Milheim (AU) dec. Gage Owen (AU), 8-4
Finals - Kaden Milheim (AU) vs. Gavin Cohen (AU), NC

174

Champ. Rd. 1 - Austin Craft (AU) pin Frank Lukanich IV, 11-0
Champ. Rd. 2 - Austin Craft (AU) dec. Joe Zereini, 11-4
QF - Austin Craft (AU) dec. Hunter Hohman (AU), 10-3
SF - Austin Craft (AU) major dec. Mike Byrne, 11-1
Finals - Austin Craft (AU) vs. Max Herman (AU), NC
Champ. Rd. 1 - Hunter Hohman (AU) BYE
Champ. Rd. 2 - Hunter Hohman (AU) pin Carl Trinidad, 7-0
QF - Austin Craft (AU) dec. Hunter Hohman (AU), 10-3
Cons. Rd. 4 - Hunter Hohman (AU) pin Parker Nicols, 9-2
Cons. Rd. 5 - Hunter Hohman (AU) major dec. Owen Cherry, 13-4
Cons. SF - Hunter Hohman (AU) major dec. Ian Ray, 12-1
3rd Place - Hunter Hohman (AU) dec. Mike Byrne, 11-10
Champ. Rd. 1 - Liam Packer (AU) pin Jackson Fulcher, 7-0
Champ. Rd. 2 - Ashton-Michael Ritz dec. Liam Packer (AU), 2-1
Cons. Rd. 2 - Frank Lukanich IV M FOR Liam Packer (AU)
Champ. Rd. 1 - Max Herman (AU) BYE
Champ. Rd. 2 - Max Herman (AU) dec. Kairyn Hall, 15-9
QF - Max Herman (AU) dec. James Mahoney, 8-3
SF - Max Herman (AU) dec. Ian Ray, 5-4
Finals - Max Herman (AU) vs. Austin Craft (AU), NC

184

Champ. Rd. 1 - RJ Robinson (AU) tech. fall Carson Owens, 20-4
QF - RJ Robinson (AU) M FOR Kanye Otto
SF - RJ Robinson (AU) major dec. William Martin, 16-6
Finals - RJ Robinson (AU) M FOR Anthony Pipia

197

Champ. Rd. 1 - Caleb Close (AU) pin Preston Sellers, 10-0
QF - Caleb Close (AU) pin Grayson Starrett, 3-0
SF - Caleb Close (AU) pin James Battugla, 5-0
Finals - Caleb Close (AU) pin Thomas Dunlap, 3-0

285

Champ. Rd. 1 - Isaiah Taylor (AU) tech. fall Sebastian Rivera, 20-1
QF - Isaiah Taylor (AU) pin Jayden Cuevas, 3-0
SF - Isaiah Taylor (AU) dec. Jalen Terry Winston, 8-7
Finals - Isaiah Taylor (AU) pin Peter Savarino, 13-2

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Players Mentioned

Kaleb Ambrose: Junior; 125 LBS

Caleb Close: Sophomore; 197 LBS

Gavin Cohen: 5' 9"; Sophomore; 157 LBS

Austin Craft: Junior; 165 LBS

Gavin Duran: 5' 8"; Sophomore; 149 LBS

Dysen Gould: Junior; 125 LBS

Hunter Hohman: Junior; 174 LBS

Ellis Kirsch: Sophomore; 133 LBS

Liam Packer: Junior; 174 LBS

RJ Robinson: Sophomore; 184 LBS

Players Mentioned

Kaleb Ambrose
: Junior; 125 LBS

Caleb Close
: Sophomore; 197 LBS

Gavin Cohen
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; 157 LBS

Austin Craft
: Junior; 165 LBS

Gavin Duran
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; 149 LBS

Dysen Gould
: Junior; 125 LBS

Hunter Hohman
: Junior; 174 LBS

Ellis Kirsch
: Sophomore; 133 LBS

Liam Packer
: Junior; 174 LBS

RJ Robinson
: Sophomore; 184 LBS

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

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