NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Manchester University placed six individuals among the top eight, highlighting a seventh-place finish at its Spartan Mat Classic Saturday, Jan. 12.

Coach Matt Burlingame's squad had the duo of freshman 133-pounder Kalib Jackson (Rome City, Ind.) and senior 174-pounder Kurt Monix (Crown Point, Ind.) each take third to lead the group. Both wrestlers had opportunities to reach the finals, too, with a defensive pin sidelining Monix after he held a 6-1 lead on top-seeded Matt McCrary of Wheaton and Jackson battling Mt. St. Joseph's Edward Sanders to a 5-4 final in the semifinals.

"It was good to see Kurt come out and compete this well in his first tournament of the season," Burlingame said. "Kalib had a strong effort, too, beating a solid opponent from the University of Indianapolis in the consolation final.

"Overall, it's nice to get into the Division III portion of our schedule," he added. "The guys went through a very rugged pre-Christmas portion against Division I and II teams. Now, we have the chance to see some of the schools we'll be looking at in the regional qualifier and other big meets down the line."

Going further into the Black and Gold's results, freshman 125-pounder Taylor Hart (Granger, Ind.), propelled by his first collegiate victory, placed sixth, and freshman 141-pounder Josh Juarez (South Bend, Ind.) also took sixth. Senior heavyweight Jimmie King (Muncie, Ind.) continued to move closer to 50 career wins, claiming three victories en route to a fifth-place ending, and sophomore 197-pounder Ray Wajda (North Judson, Ind.) wound up eighth.

Manchester University continues its 2012-13 slate with three duals at Wheaton College of Illinois Saturday, Jan. 19. The Spartans will face the Thunder, Concordia University of Wisconsin and North Central College of Illinois inside King Arena on Wheaton's campus.