2018 NCAA Preview: 174 lbs.
Eric DeVos is a two time finalist looking for his second championship
Mat Talk Online DIII Championships Guide
- Eric DeVos, Wartburg
- Jairod James, Mount Union
- Ben Swarr, Messiah
- Darden Schurg, Wabash
- Jon Goetz, Platteville
- Jake Voss, Coe
- Dan Kilroy, TCNJ
- Brandon Conrad, Lycoming
AJ Aeberli, Coast Guard
Nathan Fritz, Central
Sawyer Massie, La Crosse
Dominic Pirraglia, Wesleyan
Justin Ransom, Baldwin Wallace
Malik Settles, New England
Troy Seymour, Oswego
Joseph Sindoni, York
Tanner Vassar, Augsburg
Jaison White, Ithaca
Eric DeVos and Ben Swarr have wrestled in the finals of each of the past two NCAA championship matches at this weight. Each has won once which sets up the possibility of the rubber match on Saturday night in Cleveland. DeVos has just wrestled the second semester this season and last, and he is again undefeated in limited action. Swarr comes in with 39 wins for the second straight year. However, for Swarr to make the finals, he will have to avenge a loss from earlier this season. Jairod James came to Mount Union for the second semester and defeated Swarr in the finals of the Wheaton Invitational at the end of January. The Kent State transfer will be the #2 seed and has not lost to a DIII opponent in his one semester in Alliance. He defeated the #4 seed Darden Schurg, a 2017 qualifier for Wabash, in the Central Region finals.
Dan Kilroy of TCNJ is the third All-American returning to this weight after DeVos and Swarr. He took some early season losses but has been solid since, save a pair of matches against Swarr. He won the Mideast Region and will be a threat to place for the second year in a row. Jon Goetz of Platteville is the #5 seed for the second year in a row and just has one loss on the year. Sawyer Massie of La Crosse beat Goetz in the WIAC finals, though Goetz has a win over Massie from earlier in the year. Aside from James, the only other wrestler to beat Swarr this year is Joseph Sindoni of York who split with the Messiah wrestler this year.