The Point Park men’s wrestling team opened its inaugural season with an 11th-place finish at the Mount Union Invitational on Saturday.

The Pioneers had two wrestlers place in the top eight, marking a strong start for the new program.

Liam Hein led the team with a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds, going 4-2 on the day with three pins and one decision. Hein secured fifth place with a fall over Mount Union’s Joey Kana at 3:46 in the second round.

Freshman Isaac Placencia said the team approached the historic meet with focus and determination.

“My mindset going in was the same as always, staying fully locked in on what I need to do and how I’m going to beat my opponent,” Placencia said.

At 141 pounds, freshman Aiden Burford also went 4-2 to take seventh place. After losing his opening match by decision, he bounced back with three straight wins — by medical forfeit, major decision and decision — before defeating Ohio Northern’s Gabe Hansen 10-5 in the seventh-place match.

Placencia, who went 2-2 in the 165-pound bracket, said the tournament was a learning experience for the team.

“My biggest takeaway was realizing I still have a lot to learn at the college level,” Placencia said. “It was my first college tournament, so I had some nerves, but it showed me what I need to work on. As a team, our main takeaway was that we’re still building. Since it’s the first year of the program, we don’t have a full lineup yet, so we’re missing a few weight classes.”

Jacob Kehrer also competed for the Pioneers, finishing 1-2 at 157 pounds.

Looking ahead, Placencia said the team’s best wrestling is still to come.

“You can expect us to compete harder and stronger every time out,” he said. “Each tournament, duel and match, we’re going to keep improving and growing as a team.”

Point Park returns to action next Sunday at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open, hosted by Case Western Reserve in Cleveland.