Wrestlers set for Gator "Boots" Duals in Nashville

Tournament rundown: The Simpson wrestling team travels to Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 19 for the 10th Annual Gator "Boots" Duals hosted by Luther. The duals will take place at McGavock High School, (3150 McGavock Pike, Nashville, Tennessee).

The Storm will wrestle three duals Saturday, facing a pair of ranked opponents in No. 21 Ferrum. and No. 22 Mount Union. 

Schedule: vs. 22 Mount Union, 11:30 a.m.; vs. 21 Ferrum, 1:15 p.m.; vs. Huntingdon, 4:45 p.m.

Live coverage: Live results for all duals this weekend will be available at TrackWrestling.com.

Gator Duals history: Luther started hosting The Gator Duals in 2006 in Orlando, Fla. From 2012-13 the Gator Duals moved to New Orleans, La. Since then the event has been held in Nashville. "Boots" was added to the title to reflect the new location.

Pojected Lineup
125 - Jacob Irwin (2-8)
133 - Cannon Trester (3-8)
141 - Jason Kiehne (3-5)
149 - Jonathan Melton (11-3)
157 - Jason Clark (7-6)
165 - Garret Jay (6-3)
174 - Spencer Ward (2-9)
184 - #9 Brett Roberts (11-2)
197 - DeVaughn Scott (8-8)
285 - Colby Vlieger (10-7)

Storm build momentum at Luther Hill Invitational: Simpson turned in one of its best performances in recent memory at its own Luther Hill Invitational held Saturday, Dec. 12. The Storm crowned two champions and five placewinners, matching the team's total placewinners at the tournament the last four years combined. Jonathan Melton (149) and Brett Roberts (184) took home championships for the Storm.

In the rankings: Last week, Brett Roberts cracked the NWCA Top 10 rankings at 184 pounds, becoming the first Storm wrestler under fourth-year head coach Nate Hansen to appear in the coaches' poll. He debuted at No. 9 and enters this weekend 11-2 overall and 3-1 in dual competition. 

Three Storm wrestlers were recognized in the last D3wrestle.com Rankings. Roberts and 149-pounder Jonathan Melton were listed as "Contenders" while 165-pounder Shane Swank earned an "Honorable Mention" nod. Melton is tied with Roberts for the team lead in wins at 11-4 and Swank is 9-6 with a team-high five pins.

Storm placewinners: The following Storm wrestlers have placed at tournaments so far this season:

RJ Brown
Luther Open, Silver Division - 5th, 165 [11/14/15] 

Jason Clark
Luther L. Hill Invitational - 4th, 157 [12/12/15]

Jonathan Melton
Luther L. Hill Invitational - 1st, 149 [12/12/15]
Buena Vista Open - 3rd, 149 [12/5/15]

Jacob Mize
Luther L. Hill Invitational - 5th, 157 [12/12/15]
Buena Vista Open - 6th, 157 [12/5/15] 

Damon Piatt
Luther Open, Silver Division - 6th, 174 [11/14/15] 

Brett Roberts
Luther L. Hill Invitational - 1st, 184 [12/12/15]
Buena Vista Open - 2nd, 184 [12/5/15] 

DeVaughn Scott
Buena Vista Open - 4th, 197 [12/5/15] 
Luther Open, Silver Division - 3rd, 197 [11/14/15] 

Colby Vleiger
Luther L. Hill Invitational - 3rd, 285 [12/12/15]

Up next: After Saturday, the Storm are off until Jan. 5 when they host Dubuque at Blake Fieldhouse. Start time is set for 7 p.m.