Four Shorter University Wrestlers Place at Georgia Open

The Shorter University wrestling team competed at the Georgia Open on Sunday, November 8, in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

According to official results published by the university’s athletics department, the Hawks walked away with four top-tier placements. Jonathan Fogus led the Shorter effort, securing a sixth-place finish in the 157-pound weight class, while three of his teammates—Brayden Gibson, James Palmer, and Riley Davis—each claimed seventh-place finishes in their respective brackets.

Fogus won in the 157-pound division early, defeating Campbellsville 6-3 and Life University 3-1. Following a medical forfeit in the semifinals, Fogus moved forward in the consolation bracket by defeating Campbellsville with a 7-5 score. Fogus later advanced to the fifth-place match, where he fell by medical forfeit to Southeastern.

The intensity of the competition was mirrored across the squad:

Athlete	Weight Class	Final Placing
Jonathan Fogus	157 lbs	6th
Brayden Gibson	141 lbs	7th
James Palmer	149 lbs	7th
Riley Davis	174 lbs	7th

Brayden Gibson finished seventh in the 141-pound weight class at the Georgia Open. After an initial victory by fall over Life University, Gibson faced a challenging 12-8 decision loss to Lander. He rebounded with a 5-0 shutout against Life NCWA before falling to Montevallo. Gibson ultimately secured seventh place following a medical forfeit victory over Campbellsville.

Riley Davis, competing at 174 pounds, exemplified this adjustment. His day began with a narrow 5-4 decision against Southeastern, followed by falling to Life University. Davis responded with a technical fall victory over Anderson before dropping his next match to Reinhardt. Davis concluded his tournament successfully, securing a technical fall win against Life NCWA during the seventh-place bout.

Four Shorter University Wrestlers Place at Georgia Open

The depth of the roster was also on display, even for those who did not reach the podium. Jack Ponder, competing at 157 pounds, recorded an impressive victory by fall at the 2:15 mark against Life University. Max Meredith also saw action in the 125-pound class, competing in two matches.

The Hawks are scheduled to return to action this Wednesday, battling Ferrum and Mount Olive for a dual match.

The program maintains updates via their official portal at goshorterhawks.com, where the focus will now pivot to the upcoming duals.

Keep reading