McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield sophomore Max Vander Meide captured the individual championship at 133 pounds, Ethan Ensrud wrestled for the 174-pound title, and Lucien Lefebvre was the fourth-place finisher at 165, topping the list of accomplishment by Wildcat athletes at the fourth annual Mat 'Cat Open, held Sunday inside Rutschman Field House.
 
The Linfield men placed fifth as a team among 14 competing squads. Corban earned the men's team title in a crowded tournament that featured 330 men's competitors.
 
Vander Meide entered the Mat 'Cat Open with a 3-13 record yet won four in a row on Sunday, including a pin of Simpson's Arthur Parra in the championship match.
 
"Max was really focused to today, probably the most focused I've seen him since he became a Wildcat," Wildcats coach Frank Johnson said afterward."
 
Lefebvre's story was eerily similar. The Wildcats junior entered Sunday's tournament owning a 4-14 record but scored a pair of pinfalls to vault into contention for third place at the 165-pound flight.
 
Ensrud scored a pin, a major decision and a conventional decision on his way to the championship bout at 174 pounds, ultimately falling 8-2 to Corban's German Munoz.
 
One of the more exciting contests of the day took place in the blood round of the heavyweight division, where Julian Ortiz claimed a spot on the podium with a last-second takedown.
 
Wildcats freshman Carlos Kisokwa opened the tournament with two impressive wins on his way to prevailing in the fifth-place match at 149 pounds, an 8-3 result over Treasure Valley's Tristin Andrade. Beginning the day with a 5-12 record, the uber-athletic Kisokwa went 3-2 at the Mat 'Cat.
 
In sum total, Linfield wrestlers showed significant progress on Sunday.
 
"Carlos placed fifth, but he was very close to finishing even higher," said Johnson. "He has a lot to be proud of in terms of his progression. Lucien and Julien are both making consistent gains. Ethan is continuing to impress me."
 
AHEAD
Linfield is in Forest Grove for a pair of competitions next weekend. The Wildcats are scheduled to compete in the Boxer Duals at Pacific University's Stoller Center Saturday at 2 p.m. before returning to the same site to participate in the Boxer Open starting at 9 a.m.
  133
Max Vander Meide (Linfield) won by major decision over Benjamin Peralta (Simpson), 16-7 
Max Vander Meide (Linfield) won by decision over Moises Lopez (unattached), 10-9 
Max Vander Meide (Linfield) won by major decision over Mason Townsend (Evergreen State), 12-3 
1^st-place match: Max Vander Meide (Linfield) pinned Arthur Parra (Simpson), 2:23 
 
149
Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield) won by decision over George Kovchegov (Clackamas CC), 8-2 
Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield) pinned Lance Stover (Corban), 6:47 
Matthew Hernandez (Clackamas CC) won by decision over Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield), 4-3 
Seth Dawkins (Evergreen State) won by major decision over Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield), 15-6 
5^th-place match: Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield) won by decision over Tristin Andrade (Treasure Valley-unattached), 8-3 
 
165
Lucien Lefebvre (Linfield) won by tech fall over Wayde Walton (SWOCC), 18-3 
William Schwertscharf (Simpson) pinned Lucien Lefebvre (Linfield), 2:27 
Lucien Lefebvre (Linfield) pinned Carlos Martinez (Simpson), 1:41 
3^rd-place match: Brian Galeno (Umpqua CC) pinned Lucien Lefebvre (Linfield), 1:42 
 
174 
Ethan Ensrud (Linfield) won by major decision over Olajuwon Sobomehin (Clackamas CC), 16-7 
Ethan Ensrud (Linfield) won by decision over Jesse Rubio (Coprban-unattached), 10-3
Ethan Ensrud (Linfield) pinned Mario Deanda-Lopez (SWOCC), 1:00 
1^st-place match: German Munoz (Corban) won by decision over Ethan Ensrud (Linfield), 8-2 
Brian Walker (Linfield-unattached) pinned Min Chung (University of Oregon), 2:31
Will Abrams (SWOCC) pinned Brian Walker (Linfield-unattached), 6:36 
Olajuwon Sobomehin (Clackamas CC) pinned Brian Walker (Linfield-unattached), 2:18 
 
197
Nestor Diaz Salazar (Linfield) won in sudden victory over Brison Mortenson (unattached), 11-8 OT
Asaiah Kamplain (Corban) pinned Nestor Diaz Salazar (Linfield), 1:44 
Cody Vance (unattached) pinned Roan Zigenis (Linfield), 3:51 
Nestor Diaz Salazar (Linfield) won by decision over Roan Zigenis (Linfield), 10-4 
Cole Langford (Corban) won by major decision over Nestor Diaz Salazar (Linfield), 8-0 
 
HWT
Garrett Olbrich (Pacific) pinned Julian Ortiz (Linfield), 5:44 
Julian Ortiz (Linfield) won by decision over Jessi James Ocatvio-Callejo (Pacific), 8-4 
Julian Ortiz (Linfield) won by decision over Michael Hause (PLU), 9-7 
Marshall Rodenbeck (Clackamas CC) won by decision over Julian Ortiz (Linfield), 4-1
No fifth-place match