Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines Crown Three Champions at Michigan State Open
11/8/2025 7:12:00 PM | Wrestling
» Sergio Lemley (149 pounds) and Codei Khawaja (184) captured titles in the open division; it was Lemley's first matches at 149 pounds and Khawaja's first tournament title.
» Justin Gates claimed the 157-pound freshman/sophomore title in his college debut.
» Michigan posted five total placewinners; Cooper Hilton (149) also reached the freshman/sophomore finals, while Connor Owens placed fifth at 174 pounds in the open division.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team crowned three championships and boasted five total placewinners at the Michigan State Open on Saturday (Nov. 8) at the Spartans' Jenison Field House.
Junior Sergio Lemley and redshirt junior Codei Khawaja won at 149 and 184 pounds, respectively, in the open division, while redshirt freshmen Justin Gates claimed the 157-pound freshmen/sophomore title in his collegiate debut.
Lemley, who competed unattached, went 3-0 in his first matches up a weight class after starting at 141 pounds over the last two seasons for the Wolverines. He defeated Illinois' Michael Gioffre 3-0 in the championship final with a second-period reversal and 1:26 in riding-time advantage. Lemley is expected to redshirt the 2025-26 season.
Khawaja captured his first college tournament title with a 4-0 record on the day and back-to-back gritty wins in the 184-pound semifinals and finals. He defeated Michigan State's Luke Vanadia 4-2 in the championship match with a slick ankle-pick takedown early in the third period. He also used a late takedown to defeat Arizona State's Roger Addisen 8-5 in the semis, finishing on a big double leg in the final 20 seconds and riding out the bout for the win.
Gates, who missed all of last season with injury, posted takedowns in the first and third periods to win 7-3 against Northern Illinois' Tyler Turzinski in the 157-pound championship final and cap his 3-0 tournament run. He opened the day with a 9-8 decision on riding time against his weight's top seed, Northwestern's Gunnar Myers. Gates also scored first and last in that bout, finishing on a single leg and riding out the final 1:20 to win on advantage time for his first collegiate win.
Freshman Cooper Hilton also reached the finals in the 149-pound freshman/sophomore division but fell, 15-1, to Arizona State's Kaleb Larkin. Hilton went 2-1 on the day and earned a quick first-period fall in his first collegiate match, transitioning a tilt to a headlock to stick Edinboro's Dominic Ferraro in just 1:03.
Redshirt sophomore Connor Owens rounded out the Wolverines' placewinners with a fifth-place finish at 174 pounds. Owens went 4-2 on the day and reached the semifinals, where he fell to Arizona State's Cael Valencia 15-7 to drop into the consolation bracket. He finished the tournament with an 8-5 decision against Central Michigan's Mason Alessio in the medal round, rallying with takedowns late in the second and third periods to earn his second win over the Chippewa.
The Wolverines will open the dual-meet portion of their 2025-26 schedule against Virginia Military Institute at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 9) at Cliff Keen Arena. Tickets are available through the U-M Ticket Office, and the dual will be streamed live on B1G+.
Michigan Results
Freshman/Sophomore Division
125 Pounds -- Chris Kiser
First Round - dec. Carter Cichocki (Grand Valley State), 4-0
Quarterfinals - dec. by Michael Esteban (Michigan State), 4-2
Consolations - major dec. Brycen Arbogast (Edinboro), 9-1
Consolations - dec. by Ty Henderson (Purdue), 4-1
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
149 Pounds -- Cooper Hilton
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - pinned Dominic Ferraro (Edinboro), 1:03
Semifinals - dec. Evan Gosz (Michigan State), 12-11
Final - major dec. by Kaleb Larkin (Arizona State), 15-1
Finished as runner-up with a 2-1 record
157 Pounds -- Justin Gates
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - dec. Gunnar Myers (Northwestern), 9-8
Semifinals - dec. Jabari Hinson (Arizona State), 8-3
Final - dec. Tyler Turzinski (Northern Illinois), 7-3
Finished as 157-pound champion with a 3-0 record
Open Division
133 Pounds -- Teddy Flores
First Round - major dec. by Jackson Blum (Indiana), 11-2
Consolations - major dec. by Nick Molchak (Kent State), 15-2
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
133 Pounds -- Nathan Jerore
First Round - dec. Cameron Chinavare (Central Michigan), 7-2
Quarterfinals - dec. by Massey Odiotti (Northwestern), 6-4
Consolations - tech. ball Aden Benavidez (Kent State), 16-1 (7:00)
Consolations - dec. by Blaine Frazier (Indiana), 4-1
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
149 Pounds -- Sergio Lemley
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - dec. August Hibler (Northwestern), 7-5
Semifinals - dec. Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois), 5-1
Final - dec. Michael Gioffre (Illinois), 3-0
Finished as 149-pound champion with a 3-0 record
174 Pounds -- Josh Knudten
First Round - dec. by Nicholas Marienfeld (Central Michigan), 8-1
Consolations - dec. by Ethan Barr (Kent State), 1-0
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
174 Pounds -- Connor Owens
First Round - major dec. Aaron Ferguson (Kent State), 15-2
Quarterfinals - dec. Mason Alessio (Central Michigan), 6-5
Semifinals - major dec. by Cael Valencia (Arizona State), 15-7
Consolations - dec. by Nicholas Marienfeld (Central Michigan), 6-5
Fifth Place - dec. Mason Alessio (Central Michigan), 8-5
Finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record
184 Pounds -- Codei Khawaja
First Round - dec. Cody Brenner (Central Michigan), 7-3
Quarterfinals - major dec. Dominic Heim (Northern Illinois), 17-4
Semifinals - dec. Roger Addisen (Arizona State), 8-5
Final - dec. Luke Vanadia (Michigan State), 4-2
Finished as 184-pound champion with a 4-0 record
Heavyweight -- Lance Trost
First Round - dec. by Aidan Fockler (Central Michigan), 7-0
Consolations - major dec. by Simon Lato (Central Michigan), 9-1
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
Players Mentioned
