Chicago, Ill. — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Austin Gomez earned a decisive 9-1 win against Austin O’Connor in the Lightweight (155 pounds) bout at RAF03, on Saturday night (Nov. 29) at Wintrust Arena.
Gomez trailed 1-1 on the last-score criteria after the first period but scored eight unanswered points to pull away from O’Connor, a two-time NCAA champion at North Carolina and current assistant coach at Illinois. He scored on a low single shot off the second period opening whistle, added a gut wrench and penalty point then in the third, earned a stepout and countered a late O’Connor throw attempt to tack on two exposure points to ice it.
It was the second Real American Freestyle win for Gomez, who previously defeated Lance Palmer, 11-0, at RAF01.
With the win, Gomez will now face Yianni Diakomihalis in a Lightweight title bout at RAF04 on Saturday, Dec. 20, in Fishers, Ind. He will be one of three CKWC representatives at the event. Mason Parris will take on 2025 NCAA heavyweight champion and Hodge Trophy winner in the unlimited weight division, while Jacob Cardenas will face 2o25 92kg world champion Trent Hidlay in the Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.) match.
Real Woods dropped a close 2-2 decision — on the last score criteria — to Jordan Oliver in the Featherweight (145 pounds) contest. Woods built a two-point lead after using a single-leg shot to earn a stepout in the first and adding a shot-clock point in the second. Oliver scored both of his points in the third, first on a shot-clock point of his own then a last-second stepout.
