LAS VEGAS, NV – Isaac Dean and Sammy Alvarez wrapped up an impressive showing on the second day of the Cliff Keen Invitational, held Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Dean capped off the tournament with a fifth-place finish. Alvarez also delivered a strong performance, battling his way to a well-deserved sixth-place finish. 

Sammy Alvarez (149lbs) started his day against Cornell's Ethan Fernandez. The match was deadlocked at zero after the opening three minutes. Alvarez escaped in the second period after starting in the bottom position. Fernandez would get a controversial takedown at the very end of the second period giving him the 3-1 lead. The Rider coaching staff would challenge the call on the mat, pleading that the period had ended but it resulted in a confirmed takedown after review. Entering the final period, Alvarez chose the top position. Alvarez hit a clutch turn to put Fernandez on his back to earn four near-fall points to give him the 5-3 lead. Fernandez would earn the escape but Alvarez's defense held strong en route to a 5-4 victory.

Alvarez took on fourth-seeded Jaden Abas (Stanford) in the consolation-semis round. After a few scrambles in the opening period, the match remained scoreless going into the second. Alvarez earned the quick escape making it 1-0. After another controversial neutral-danger takedown, Abas took a 3-1 lead. Abas got the escape after choosing the bottom position to start the third period, extending his lead to 4-1. Alvarez brought the pressure but couldn't find the match-winning takedown and would get into the fifth-place match

Semifinals
(11) Isaac Dean vs (2) Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State)
Dean (184 lbs) met with Oklahoma States' Dustin Plott,  a 3x NCAA All-American and an NCAA finalist from a season ago. After a scoreless opening period, Plott started the second period in the bottom position and quickly earned the escape to give him a slight 1-0 advantage. Dean gave up an early stall warning in the opening period and ultimately gave up a stall point making his deficit 2-0. Dean would continue to bring the pressure and intensity in the final minute and had an opportunity in the final seconds to secure a takedown but ran out of time to drop a close 2-0 bout against the third-ranked wrestler in the nation. 

Dean dropped to the consolation bracket after his first loss in the prestigious tournament to take on eighth-seeded Ohio State's Seth Shumate. After two big feet-to-backs, Dean was in an early 14-2 hole after the first period. Two more takedowns in the second and third periods gave Shumate the 20-4 tech-fall victory.

Placement Matches
Fifth-Place Match
(10) Sammy Alvarez vs (8) Carter Young (Oklahoma State)
Alvarez went up against Oklahoma State's Carter Young in the fifth-place match for his final match of the tournament. Scoring opened up in the second period after Alvarez elected to start in the bottom position to get the early 1-0 lead. Young evened things up after he got an escape after choosing the bottom position to start the third. Young would get the match-winning takedown in the final seconds to secure the 4-1 victory. 

Fifth-Place Match
(11) Isaac Dean vs (5) Evan Bockman (Iowa State)
Dean would take home a fifth-place finish after a medical forfeit

Quotes and Notes
"This tournament is a great early season gauge on where you are and where you need to get to as an individual. Isaac and Sammy both wrestled well this weekend and showed they can compete with the top kids in the country at their weights.  Moving forward they will need to continue developing throughout the season to be ready for the NCAA tournament." – Rider Head Coach John Hangey
- Alvarez finished 4-3 on the weekend, with Dean going 4-2.

Up Next
29 Broncs will compete at the Patriot Open in Fairfax, VA on Dec. 8.
Tournament is set for a 9 a.m. start.