Crocco, Granziano and Hightower Place Fifth at Duhawk Open

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team recorded four place winners at the Duhawk Open on Saturday, hosted by Loras College. 

Seniors Peter Crocco and Abe Granziano and sophomore LaQuan Hightower all finished fifth in their respective weight classes.  

Crocco started his day by pinning Loras' Griffin Weihe at the 2:33 mark before falling to Wartburg's Brett Yonkovic in a 12-6 decision.  After the setback, the Harvard, Ill. native, beat Cornell's Dan Bell, 17-10, and then slipped past Dubuque's Josh Lewis, 3-2. Eventually third-place finisher Upper Iowa's Trevor Duke pinned Crocco in 52 seconds, but Crocco responded in dominating fashion by beating Cornell's Daniel Klema, by major decision, 19-11, earning fifth-place at 157-pound. 

Granziano opened is day by beating Coe's Troy Brown, 14-2 and then fell to UW-La Crosse's Tony Piechowski in a 7-3 decision.  The Slinger, Wis. native, was pinned by unattached Iowa State's Ben Perna before pinning Warburg's AJ Dobson in the 197-pound fifth-place match. 

Hightower fell to Justin Sternweis in a close 6-5 decision in his opening match and responded by beating fellow Pioneer Dylan DeShane, 8-3. Hightower dropped his next match due to injury and would take the 184-pound fifth-place title because Dubuque's Matt Leveille medically forfeited. 

The Pioneers return to dual competition on Thursday when they square off with cross river rivals Loras College at 7 p.m. in Williams Fieldhouse.