Two Excelsior Springs High School alumni, now members of the University of Central Missouri (UCM) men’s wrestling team, picked up medals at the Kaufman Brand Bayly UCM Open.

Damon Ashworth, a 2021 graduate, was the 184-pound elite champion at the Nov. 24 competition in Warrensburg.

Ayden Dolt, a 2022 graduate, placed sixth in the 149 elite division.

Ashworth, a returning All-American and redshirt junior, won his first-round and winner’s bracket quarterfinal matches by first-period pins. His semifinal win over Ottawa (Kan.) University’s Marcus Grist by a 15-0 technical fall put him in the finals.

Facing Austen Wetzel of Westminster College, a Fulton-based NCAA Division III school, Ashworth claimed the title with a 16-4 major decision. His championship run put him at 12-2 this season.

Ashworth was ranked fourth nationally at 184 in NCAA Division II in a preseason coaches poll. For additional rankings, visit the National Wrestling Coaches Association website at https://nwcaonline. com/.

Dolt, a…