DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Junior Leon Barrow repeated his heavyweight championship at the Davidson Open on Saturday to lead VMI to a fifth-place team finish.

Barrow (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette), who claimed the heavyweight title at last year's Davidson Open, ran off four consecutive wins to claim his second career collegiate title.  He began his run with an 11-3 major decision over Duke's Andrew Fulk, before posting decisions against Belmont Abbey's Tom McGee and Anderson's Jonah Adams to advance to the championship final.  There, he claimed a 3-2 decision over UNC Pembroke's Erik Stancil.

While Barrow was VMI's only placewinner in the event, three other Keydets finished just one match shy of doing so.  Freshman Matt Brock went 4-2 at 157 lbs., picking up a pair of wins over Appalachian State's Travis Puckett, including one via pin.  Sophomore Ronnie Ellsworth won a pair of matches at 197 lbs. with a pin against Virginia Tech's Tim Miller, while redshirt sophomore John Pope also came up just a match short of placing at 125 lbs.

Junior Michael Long and redshirt freshman Joel Hutchens each won a pair of matches at 149, while sophomore Doug Nesmith also won back-to-back matches in the consolation bracket at 174.

The VMI wrestling team returns to action on Dec. 29-30, competing at The Midlands Open in Evanston, Ill.