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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia freshman Mike Salopek (North Huntingdon, Pa.) won the 184-pound title Sunday at the Kent State Open in Kent, Ohio. The title is the first for Salopek at the college level.
Competing unattached, Salopek went 4-0 to win his class. He opened with consecutive major decisions, besting Ohio’s Brian Driscoll, 9-1, and Lehigh’s Robert Prigmore, 11-3. In the semifinals, Salopek fell just short of another major decision as he topped Ohio State’s Jeremy Sanders by an 8-1 count. In the championship bout, he pulled out a 1-0 decision over Pittsburgh’s Brock Mantella.
Salopek improved to 14-5 this season in open competitions. He has recorded strong finishes in each of his last three open tournaments, with runner-up finishes at the Cleveland State Open (12/14) and Wilkes Open (12/28) preceding his title at Kent State.