Kearney, Neb. – The 2nd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team had 19 individuals compete in the Harold Nichols Open at Iowa State Saturday in Ames.

The non-team scoring event included many Division I teams from around the country as well as Division II power St. Cloud State and NAIA power Grand View (Ia.).

Wyoming sophomore Leandro Arias, a transfer from Chadron State, was the only Loper to place, coming in fourth at 149 lbs.

At 141 lbs., second-ranked Brock Coutu (Griswold, Conn.) won four times, all by fall, with fourth-ranked Chase White (Lincoln H.S.) picking up three wins at 157 lbs. Finally, eighth-ranked Mark Fiala (Seward) won twice at 184 lbs.

Arias (Cheyenne) started his day by pinning wrestlers from Iowa State (2:06), St. Cloud State (43 seconds) and Lindenwood (46 seconds).

He fell to the eventual winner and a 2013 All-American, Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, 11-4 in the semifinals but bounced back to beat Richie Lewis of Iowa Central C.C., 7-4.

In the third place match, Arias lost an offensive match to South Dakota State's Alex Kocer, 15-11.

Coutu also didn't want to go the distance as pinned wrestlers from Iowa State (30 seconds), Minnesota (3:22) and two from Lindenwood (5:29 and 1:20). His losses came to West Virginia's Colin Johnston (sixth place) and Missouri's Tony DeAngelo (fourth place).

Among White's first two wins was a fall in 1:23. After a 9-4 setback to the eventual runner up, Iowa State's John Nicholson, White majored third-ranked Clint Poster of St. Cloud, 16-7.

The eventual sixth-place finisher, WVU's Tim Wheeling, slipped past White, 5-4.

Fiala had two tech falls to start his tournament but was edged by Nebraska's Aaron Studebaker, 5-2, and Grand View's Devin Peterson, 14-7. Studebaker went on to place third.

Finally, Gering senior Brock Smith had three wins at 174 lbs. before medically forfeiting out of the tourney.

The Lopers are at home next Saturday, hosting its annual open tournament at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.