Bliven, a junior, finished second in the 157-pound weight class at the University of Northern Iowa Open. He won his first match by fall at 12 seconds then won four matched by decision before falling in the finals to Northern Iowa’s Nick Baima, 13-6. Baima is ranked in the top-20 in NCAA Division I. Bliven’s victories came against Kennedy King’s Curt Cannon (pin at 0:12), St. Louis-Mercy’s B.J. Nixdorf (7-1), Indiana’s Zack Hibshman (6-3), Nebraska-Omaha’s Derek Keasling (4-0), and Minnesota State-Mankato’s George Lynaugh (5-2).
