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2024 d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year

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The 2024 d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year is Tim Fader of UW-Eau Claire. Fader coached the Blugolds to the best season in the 64-year history of the program in 2023-2024. UW-Eau Claire had a school-record four All-Americans at this year’s NCAA Championships on the way to a 5th place team finish. Jared Stricker became the second NCAA champion in school history and the first since 2006.

During the regular season, UW-Eau Claire won 19 duals, the highest in school history. The team also tied with UW-La Crosse for the team title at the WIAC Championships, giving UW-Eau Claire its first ever conference championship in wrestling. Three Blugolds won WIAC titles at the event. Stricker was named Co-Wrestler of the Year in the conference and also set the career wins record at UW-Eau Claire.

The 2023-2024 season was Fader’s ninth in Eau Claire. Previously, he had been the head coach for ten years at UW-Whitewater and six years at UW-La Crosse. He has been named the WIAC Coach of the Year four times in his career. This season, he was also named The Open Mat Division III Coach of the Year. This is Fader’s second time winning the d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year award, as he was also recognized in 2014 when he led UW-Whitewater to an NCAA runner-up finish.

Previous d3wrestle.com Coaches of the Year
2023 – Tony Valek, Augsburg
2022 – Brian Anderson, Wabash
2020 – TJ Miller, Loras
2019 – Jim Moulsoff, Augsburg
2018 – Eric Keller, Wartburg
2017 – Eric Keller, Wartburg
2016 – Bryan Brunk, Messiah
2015 – Eric Keller, Wartburg
2014 – Tim Fader, Whitewater
2013 – Steve Marianetti, Elmhurst
2012 – Jim Miller & Eric Keller, Wartburg
2011 – Mark Hawald, Mount Union
2010 – Dave Malecek, La Crosse

Frank resigns, Brosius elevated to head coach at Gettysburg

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Gino Frank has resigned as head coach at Gettysburg College after four years as head coach and 13 as an assistant at the school. In his 17 years on staff, he helped Gettysburg produce four All-Americans, 12 national qualifiers, 23 Scholar All-Americans, 11 Centennial Conference champions and 61 conference placewinners. Over the past four seasons, he coached two Centennial Conference Championships Outstanding Wrestlers. In 2023, Luke Kowalski became the first All-American at Gettysburg since 2016 after qualifying for the tournament in 2022.

Replacing Frank is Brad Brosius. Brosius spent the past three seasons as an assistant on the Gettysburg staff. He has more than 30 years of coaching experience at the junior high, high school, and college levels and is a USA Wrestling Silver Certified coach. He has competed in five Masters world championships and was a bronze medalist at the 2009 Master’s U.S. Open.

Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Mike Mattia said of Brosius, “I am excited for the wrestling program to have Brad as its next head coach. Not only does he have a wealth of wrestling coaching experience but he also has been a great mentor to the team both on and off the mat. I am confident that Brad and his staff will continue the great tradition of Gettysburg wrestling and help elevate it to new heights.”

Brosius elevated to head wrestling coach (gettysburgsports.com)

2024 d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year

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This post has been updated with the correct season record for Smith. Six of his matches (five wins, one loss) from the season have not been entered into TrackWrestling.

The 2024 d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year is Taylor Smith of Washington & Jefferson College. Smith was the Southeast Region champion at 149 lbs., won a pair of matches at the NCAA tournament, and finished the year with a 50-7 record. Along the way, he won the Baldwin Wallace Invitational, Jim Crytzer Washington & Lee Invitational, and the PAC Tournament. He was second at the Ken Ober Memorial Tournament at Elizabethtown and third at King’s and Ohio Northern. He was a six-time PAC Newcomer of the Week and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the PAC Championships.

He was one of just two freshmen to win a regional title this year and one of just eleven freshmen to qualify for the NCAA Championships. During the regular season and postseason, he defeated one DIII All-American, a DII national qualifier, and three other NCAA DIII qualifiers. At the national tournament, he opened as the 7th seed against Zach Soda of New England College and won 14-3 in a preliminary round match. In the first round, he then defeated Ty Koedam of Coe 11-5. He dropped a 12-3 major decision to finalist Tyler Goebel of UW-La Crosse in the quarterfinal and then lost by fall to 7th place finisher Michael Conklin of TCNJ to end his tournament.

Smith came to the Presidents from Juniata High School in Pennsylvania where he compiled a 94-32 record and qualified for the AA State Tournament as a senior, finishing one win short of the podium. As a junior, he was 4th in the NW AAA regional, missing the state tournament by one match. Congratulations to Taylor Smith, the 2024 d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year.

2024 d3wrestle.com All-Freshman Team

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The 2024 d3wrestle.com All-Freshman Team is made up of Division III wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA Championships and also were in high school during the 2022-2023 season. Please leave a comment if a wrestler was missed or misidentified. The Freshman of the Year will be named later from this group.

2024 Freshman All-American
Max Borton, Ursinus College, 8th at 184

2024 Freshman NCAA Qualifiers

125Matt GriffinTCNJ
133Chance SuddethAugsburg
141Gabe GossOswego State
149Taylor SmithWashington & Jefferson
149Ty KoedamCoe
157Jermaine ButlerUW-Whitewater
165Andrew SupersBaldwin Wallace
174Xavier PrestonRoanoke
197Demond HarrisonAlbion
197Lorenzo PellotRoanoke

Favia steps down, Bonaventura elevated at Stevens

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After ten seasons, Joe Favia has stepped down as head coach at Stevens Institute of Technology. He coached the Ducks to 116 dual meet wins, five regional championships, and 29 All-American finishes. The team finished in the top ten of the NCAA Championships five times. An alumnus of Stevens, Favia won over 100 matches, was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2013 Centennial Conference Championships, and earned All-American honors in 2012 and 2013.

He will be replaced by associate head coach Anthony Bonaventura. Bonaventura joined Stevens in 2015 after a season as graduate assistant as his alma mater Waynesburg University. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Yellow Jackets and made the 174 lbs. NCAA final in 2014. In addition to coaching, he hosts the D3 Nation podcast along with his brother Gennaro.

Favia Steps Down as Head Wrestling Coach; Bonaventura Named Head Coach

King’s full-time assistant and intramural coordinator

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Assistant Wrestling Coach,Intramural Coordinator,Full Time
Classification: Exempt, Full time, 12-month
Department/Division: Athletics, Student Affairs
Reports To: Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Head Wrestling Coach

About King’s
King’s College is a Catholic institution of higher education animated and guided by the Congregation of Holy Cross. King’s pursues excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship through a rigorous core curriculum, major programs across the liberal arts and sciences, nationally accredited professional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and personal attention to student formation in a nurturing community. We offer competitive total rewards, tuition remission for employees and their dependents, 403(b) plans, and generous paid-time-off and holidays. Our culture is driven by our commitment to our mission, our community and our friendly, knowledgeable faculty and staff.

EEO Statement
King’s College does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. We celebrate diversity by fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where each member of King’s College feels respected with a sense of belonging.

Job Function
The Assistant Coach is responsible for assisting the Head Coach with organizing and administering all aspects of the College’s NCAA Division III program. This individual will develop a positive and transformational environment that fosters academic and athletic success that is consistent with the mission of the College, its Catholic identity, and the values of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This individual will be responsible for organizing a robust intramural program for the general student body.

Essential Elements

  1. Actively recruit qualified student athletes that meet the academic standards and profile of the College; identify potential student athletes through off campus recruitment and coordination of on campus visits.
  2. Assist Head Coach to create and sustain an atmosphere that promotes academic, athletic, and personal growth resulting in the overall success of student athletes.
  3. Possess the expertise and ability to coach a specific skill set designated by the Head Coach.
  4. Assist Head Coach to facilitate and implement opportunities that promote cultural diversity and inclusion within the program (racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, and religion).
  5. Support initiatives of the Monarch Athletic Fund (MAF) and organize fundraisers that supplement the operating budget.
  6. Possess strong organizational and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks at once. Function as a collegial team member by collaborating with all members of the King’s College community, especially Athletics, Residence Life, Dining Services, and other departments on campus, including participation in campus events.
  7. Adhere to all NCAA and conference rules and regulations.
  8. Coordinate a robust academic year long intramural program that promotes increased engagement of our student body.
  9. Work collaboratively with the Programming Board, and Wellness Committee to coordinate recreational offerings.
  10. Oversee the administration of intramurals including managing the budget, purchasing of equipment, and recruiting and supervising student workers.
  11. Provide supervision for safety when monitoring any recreational or intercollegiate activity in any King’s facility.
  12. Manage a secondary administrative duty as assigned by the AVP and Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Required Skills, Training, and Expertise

  1. Bachelor’s degree awarded from an accredited college or university (minimum credential).
  2. Demonstrated coaching success at the NCAA level with progressive responsibilities.
  3. First Aid, CPR and AED certification.
  4. Ability to operate a motor vehicle with a good driving record and be approved by the College’s insurance carrier and Human Resources Department. This includes holding a valid US Driver’s License.
  5. Computer proficiency and aptitude, including knowledge and use of Microsoft Office, Slate or similar systems, and various recruiting and game editing programs.
  6. Demonstrated supervisory and management skills.
  7. Valid Clearances, including PA State Police, Child Abuse, and FBI Fingerprints are required.

Physical Conditions
Fluid work environment that varies greatly depending on time of year. High volume of work hours is required during the competitive season. Practices, games and recruiting efforts require consistent night and weekend work. Travel on charter buses and vans occurs often. Individuals will need to actively move during practices and games.

Submit your materials to hrjobs@kings.edu

David Stevens named first head coach at Arcadia

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Arcadia University has named David Stevens as the first head coach for men’s wrestling in school history. Stevens spent the past season at Delaware Valley and was a graduate assistant coach at Messiah from 2021-2023. He graduated from Messiah in 2021 and was an NCAA qualifier for the canceled 2020 championships before placing 7th the following year at the NWCA DIII tournament.

Arcadia will begin competition in the 2025-2026 season as part of the Middle Atlantic Conference. Executive Director of Athletics Brian Granata said of the hire, “We are very excited to welcome Coach Stevens into the Arcadia Athletics family and look forward to watching him grow our men’s wrestling program from the ground up. Stevens has a deep understanding of the landscape of wrestling in our geographical region and is well-versed in the MAC from his time as a student-athlete and coach within the conference. His passion for the sport and vision for developing a new program was evident from the first day we met him.”

David Stevens Named Head Men’s Wrestling Coach

Van Kley promoted to VP at Central, leaves coaching role

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Eric Van Kley has been promoted from Athletic Director and Wrestling Coach to Vice President of Athletics at Central College. He will leave the head coach position he has held for the past 17 seasons. He has also served as Athletic Director since 2012.

Central elevates Van Kley to vice presidential role

Central president Mark Putnam said of Van Kley, “Athletics has long served as an integral co-curricular component of a Central education and is part of the fabric of the college’s history. Central now serves more than 700 student-athletes each year. As the athletics landscape continues to evolve and the program’s impact on the life of the college grows, the leadership demands, challenges and opportunities are expanding exponentially.

Elevating this position to the vice presidential level is reflective of that. But it is also reflective of the energy and vision Eric is providing as the program’s leader. Central is highly regarded for its role in the growth of NCAA Division III, particularly with regard to the development of women’s athletics as well as the articulation of the original Division III philosophy. And Eric has done nothing but enhance Central’s athletics reputation during his tenure. He has grown steadily in his position and continues to take on responsibilities that far exceed those of a traditional athletics director. It is time that we recognize that.”

Central is searching for a new head wrestling coach. Interested applicants can APPLY HERE and should contact Vice President for Athletics Eric Van Kley directly with interest in this position.

Email: vankleye@central.edu Phone: 641-780-9707

Hiram College Graduate Assistant

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Hiram College invites applications for the position of Men’s Wrestling Graduate Assistant. The successful candidate will be actively involved in the recruitment, retention, and day-to-day operations of the Hiram College Men’s Wrestling. Hiram College is a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III. The wrestling team competes in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

Responsibilities: Duties will include, but not be limited to assisting the head coach with all facets of training, recruiting, and retention for the Hiram College men’s wrestling program. The successful candidate will also gain experience in supporting the head coach with planning and supervising practice, as well as potentially sideline coaching at competitions. This is a two-year position starting August 1, 2024.

Minimum Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree and the ability to be accepted into our Graduate Program(s) is required. Graduate degrees are offered in Sport Management or Interdisciplinary Studies. Prior experience as a collegiate wrestler (previous coaching experience is desirable). Exceptional attention to detail, well-developed interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and physical challenges. Applicant must demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively within a team-oriented office environment and interact in a positive manner with students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the public.

Application Procedure: Qualified candidates are encouraged to send a letter of application, resume, and names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references to HR@hiram.edu or apply with link provide below. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Hiram College is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to Excellence through Diversity!

Apply Here

2024 All-Americans at Regional Performance

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RegionAll-AmericansFinalistsChampsPoints
Upper Midwest1884279
Lower Midwest1831242.5
Northeast1442212.5
Mideast1211118.5
Southeast1111147
Central731118

Seeded and Placed
1st – 10 of 10 (6 champions)
2nd – 9 of 10 (2 champions)
3rd – 8 of 10 (1 champion)
4th – 8 of 10
5th – 7 of 10 (1 champion)
6th – 4 of 10
7th – 6 of 10
8th – 7 of 10

All-Americans by Regional Place
1st – 43 – every champion won his region, 17 regional champs did not place
2nd – 23 – 3 regional runners-up made the finals (Kane, Mulder, Douglas)
3rd – 14 – DeVivo of JWU is the only 3rd place finisher to make a final

21 unseeded All-Americans; All eight seeds placed only at 174

Weights where all three qualifiers from the same region placed:
141 Southeast, 165 Upper Midwest, 174 Lower Midwest, 184 Mideast, 197 Upper Midwest

Weights where a wrestler knocked out a same-region wrestler to place:
133 Mallinder over Fleetwood (UM)
141 Romero over Baldwin (LM)
141 Perlleshi over Rodriguez (NE)
157 Smith over Callaway (LM)
165 Bohren over Villar (LM)
174 Goetzinger over Komitas (UM)
285 Bates over Williamson (LM)
285 DiGiorgio over Betancur (NE)

125165
1(1) Joziah FryJohnson & WalesNE1(2) Nicholas SaccoTCNJME
2(2) Christian GuzmanNorth CentralLM2(4) Noah LeisgangUW-La CrosseUM
3James DayWabashC3(1) Matt LackmanAlverniaSE
4(4) Jacob DecaturBaldwin WallaceC4Tristan MassieUW-Eau ClaireUM
5(5) Mason BarrettAverettSE5(3) Cooper WillisAugsburgUM
6(3) Zac BlasioliMillikinLM6(6) Will EsmoilCoeLM
7(7) Gavin BradleyCastletonNE7Dustin BohrenLorasLM
8Mac CafurelloRoanokeSE8(8) Patrick WisniewskiJohnson & WalesNE
133174
1(5) Chase RandallCoast GuardNE1(1) Jared StrickerUW-Eau ClaireUM
2(3) Jaden HintonBaldwin WallaceC2(2) Zane MulderWartburgLM
3(2) Joe PinsWartburgLM3(6) Zeb GnidaLorasLM
4(1) Robbie PrecinNorth CentralLM4(5) Jason GeyerNYUNE
5Jacob BlairDelaware ValleySE5(7) Charlie GrygasOswegoME
6(4) Dominik MallinderUW-WhitewaterUM6(8) Dejon GlasterMillikinLM
7(8) Isaias TorresIthacaME7(3) Seth GoetzingerAugsburgUM
8Desmond DiggsMount St. JosephC8(4) Stefan MajorStevensSE
141184
1(2) Josh WilsonGreensboroSE1(1) Bentley Schwanebeck-OstermannAugsburgUM
2(1) Jacob ReedOhio NorthernC2Ryan DeVivoJohnson & WalesNE
3Mark SamuelRoanokeSE3Niall SchoenfelderUW-Eau ClaireUM
4(5) Josiah GehrMessiahSE4(4) Sampson WilkinsCastletonNE
5(3) Kyler RomeroWartburgLM5(5) Sean MalenfantAlfred StateME
6Victor PerlleshiJohnson & WalesNE6Dylan WellbaumAdrianC
7(7) Alex SamsonSt. John FisherME7(8) Jack RyanOneontaME
8Ethan PogorzelskiUW-WhitewaterUM8Max BortonUrsinusME
149197
1(1) Michael PetrellaBaldwin WallaceC1(1) Massoma EndeneWartburgLM
2(2) Tyler GoebelUW-La CrosseUM2(3) Gabriel ZierdenConcordia-MoorheadUM
3(6) Charlie DojanWartburgLM3Montgomery MillsWestminsterLM
4Eric KinkaidLorasLM4(7) Cameron ButkaWilkesSE
5(5) Zach SatoUW-Eau ClaireUM5Dylan HarrJohnson & WalesNE
6Colby FrostSouthern MaineNE6(2) Coy SpoonerCoast GuardNE
7Michael ConklinTCNJME7(5) Parker VenzAugsburgUM
8(8) Mike GlynnRITME8(4) Ben KawczynskiUW-La CrosseUM
157285
1(1) Nolan HertelUW-La CrosseUM1(3)Tyler KimAugsburgUM
2(3) Peter KaneWilliamsNE2(4) Michael DouglasUW-La CrosseUM
3(2) Cooper PontelandolfoNYUNE3(1) Carl DiGiorgioCoast GuardNE
4(7) Clayton McDonoughLutherLM4(7) Robby BatesNorth CentralLM
5(5) Blake JagodzinskeAugsburgUM5(2) Rayshawn DixonFerrumSE
6(4) Ryan SmithStevensSE6(8) Dylan WallerElizabethtownME
7Gabriel SmithCornellLM7Walter WestLutherLM
8(8) Xavier HowardMcDanielME8Peter WersingerTCNJME

2024 Award Winners

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Tournament Award Winners
Outstanding Wrestler – Chase Randall, U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Most Falls – Montgomery Mills, Westminster College (4 in 12:34)
Tournament Coach of the Year – Dave Malecek, University of Wisconsin La Crosse
Tournament Coaching Staff of the Year – University of Wisconsin La Crosse

Season Award Winners
NWCA Coach of the Year – Leo Kocher, University of Chicago
NCAA Elite 90 Award – Blake Jagodzinske, Augsburg University
Most Dominant – Massoma Endene, Wartburg College
Most Falls – Mason Sprinkel, Norwich University
Most Tech Falls – Gavin Hollingsworth, Alvernia University

2024 NCAA Championships Results

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Final Brackets and Team Results | Outstanding Wrestler: Chase Randall

This was just the third time since 2000 that the winning team scored less than 100 points (2022, 2002). Augsburg ties Wartburg for the most DIII championships with 15.

125165
1(1) Joziah FryJohnson & Wales1(2) Nicholas SaccoTCNJ
2(2) Christian GuzmanNorth Central2(4) Noah LeisgangUW-La Crosse
3James DayWabash3(1) Matt LackmanAlvernia
4(4) Jacob DecaturBaldwin Wallace4Tristan MassieUW-Eau Claire
5(5) Mason BarrettAverett5(3) Cooper WillisAugsburg
6(3) Zac BlasioliMillikin6(6) Will EsmoilCoe
7(7) Gavin BradleyCastleton7Dustin BohrenLoras
8Mac CafurelloRoanoke8(8) Patrick WisniewskiJohnson & Wales
133174
1(5) Chase RandallCoast Guard1(1) Jared StrickerUW-Eau Claire
2(3) Jaden HintonBaldwin Wallace2(2) Zane MulderWartburg
3(2) Joe PinsWartburg3(6) Zeb GnidaLoras
4(1) Robbie PrecinNorth Central4(5) Jason GeyerNYU
5Jacob BlairDelaware Valley5(7) Charlie GrygasOswego
6(4) Dominik MallinderUW-Whitewater6(8) Dejon GlasterMillikin
7(8) Isaias TorresIthaca7(3) Seth GoetzingerAugsburg
8Desmond DiggsMount St. Joseph8(4) Stefan MajorStevens
141184
1(2) Josh WilsonGreensboro1(1) Bentley Schwanebeck-OstermannAugsburg
2(1) Jacob ReedOhio Northern2Ryan DeVivoJohnson & Wales
3Mark SamuelRoanoke3Niall SchoenfelderUW-Eau Claire
4(5) Josiah GehrMessiah4(4) Sampson WilkinsCastleton
5(3) Kyler RomeroWartburg5(5) Sean MalenfantAlfred State
6Victor PerlleshiJohnson & Wales6Dylan WellbaumAdrian
7(7) Alex SamsonSt. John Fisher7(8) Jack RyanOneonta
8Ethan PogorzelskiUW-Whitewater8Max BortonUrsinus
149197
1(1) Michael PetrellaBaldwin Wallace1(1) Massoma EndeneWartburg
2(2) Tyler GoebelUW-La Crosse2(3) Gabriel ZierdenConcordia-Moorhead
3(6) Charlie DojanWartburg3Montgomery MillsWestminster
4Eric KinkaidLoras4(7) Cameron ButkaWilkes
5(5) Zach SatoUW-Eau Claire5Dylan HarrJohnson & Wales
6Colby FrostSouthern Maine 6(2) Coy SpoonerCoast Guard
7Michael ConklinTCNJ7(5) Parker VenzAugsburg
8(8) Mike GlynnRIT8(4) Ben KawczynskiUW-La Crosse
157285
1(1) Nolan HertelUW-La Crosse1(3)Tyler KimAugsburg
2(3) Peter KaneWilliams2(4) Michael DouglasUW-La Crosse
3(2) Cooper PontelandolfoNYU3(1) Carl DiGiorgioCoast Guard
4(7) Clayton McDonoughLuther4(7) Robby BatesNorth Central
5(5) Blake JagodzinskeAugsburg5(2) Rayshawn DixonFerrum
6(4) Ryan SmithStevens6(8) Dylan WallerElizabethtown
7Gabriel SmithCornell7Walter WestLuther
8(8) Xavier HowardMcDaniel8Peter WersingerTCNJ

2024 NCAA Championships Saturday Hub

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Session 3 – 11:00am Eastern – Semifinals, Consolation Quarterfinals, Consolation Semifinals, 3rd, 5th, 7th matches
Session 4 – 8:00pm Eastern – Championship Matches (parade of All-Americans at 7:30)

d3wrestle.com Special Section – weight class previews, schedule, regional results, etc.

Tournament Live Results

FloWrestling Live Video Page

NCAA Live Video Page

2024 All-Americans by Region

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Brackets

All-Americans
Upper Midwest 18
Lower Midwest 18
Northeast 14
Mideast 12
Southeast 11
Central 7

Semifinalists
Upper Midwest 11
Lower Midwest 9
Northeast 7
Mideast 2
Southeast 7
Central 4

2024 NCAA Championships Friday Hub

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Session 1 – 12:00pm Eastern – Prelims, Round of 16, Consolation Prelims
Session 2 – 7:00pm Eastern – Quarterfinals, Consolation Second & Third rounds

d3wrestle.com Special Section – weight class previews, schedule, regional results, etc.

Tournament Live Results

FloWrestling Live Video Page

NCAA Live Video Page

2024 NCAA Preview: 285 lbs.

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Returning 2023 All-Americans in Bold

Northeast 1Carl DiGiorgioCoast Guard
Northeast 2Reid GarrisonMerchant Marine
Northeast 3Adolfo BetancurJohnson & Wales
Mideast 1Dylan WallerElizabethtown
Mideast 2Peter WersingerTCNJ
Mideast 3Nick FrancoBrockport
Southeast 1Rayshawn DixonFerrum
Southeast 2Trent RaglandAverett
Southeast 3Caleb BurkhartWilkes
Central 1Doug ByrneBaldwin Wallace
Central 2Donovan KingOlivet
Central 3Mason SlocumAdrian
Lower Midwest 1Robby BatesNorth Central
Lower Midwest 2Mitch WilliamsonWartburg
Lower Midwest 3Walter WestLuther
Upper Midwest 1Tyler KimAugsburg
Upper Midwest 2Michael DouglasUW-La Crosse
Upper Midwest 3Guyon CyprianUW-Oshkosh

Four All-Americans return at this weight and one more is up from 197, but none of them are seeded first here. Rayshawn Dixon has gone undefeated with his signature win a fall over then-#1 Donovan King of Olivet in the finals at Wheaton. He lost an absolute heartbreaker in the round of 12 last year. His coaches challenged for a last second takedown and the third party review occurred, but a radio miscommunication resulted in Dixon having his hand raised just before another official came sprinting to the mat to relay the actual decision that resulted in his opponent winning the match. He hopes for less drama this year.

He will have a strong field to reckon with. Tyler Kim, the 3rd place finisher from last year (4th in 2022) is back, as is King who placed 5th last year and 2nd in 2022. Carl DiGiorgio of Coast Guard defeated Michael Douglas of UW-La Crosse in the 7th place match, and both return. DiGiorgio is also undefeated, and his best wins are over the two other Northeast Qualifiers. Last year’s champion at this weight, Jack Heldt, moved up from 197 the previous year and won the tournament after beating King in the Central Region finals. This year, All-American Doug Byrne moved up from 197 and defeated King in the Central Region finals.

Robby Bates made an unseeded run to the semifinals in the 2022 tournament before finishing 6th. He beat the undefeated top seed in round one and ultimately fell in the semifinals to the the eventual champ (that was later vacated). He did not qualify last year, but he is back in the bracket in 2024 after winning the Lower Midwest region with an overtime fall in the finals. His opponent in that match was Wartburg’s Mitch Williamson, a 2021 NJCAA champion for Iowa Lakes.

Guyon Cyprian entered the regional unseeded with a losing record on the year. He then lost his first match to the 3rd seed. He proceeded to win six matches in a row to claim the final qualifying spot in the Upper Midwest, beating the 3rd seed in their rematch in the consolation semis. He has managed to push his record to 14-11 with that performance.

2024 NCAA Preview: 197 lbs.

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Returning 2023 All-Americans in Bold

Northeast 1Coy SpoonerCoast Guard
Northeast 2Dylan HarrJohnson & Wales
Northeast 3Darby McLaughlinCastleton
Mideast 1Jaedyn HarrisMcDaniel
Mideast 2Keevon BerryCentenary
Mideast 3Ryan GalkaIthaca
Southeast 1Cameron ButkaWilkes
Southeast 2Lorenzo PellotRoanoke
Southeast 3Gable CrebsLycoming
Central 1Demond HarrisonAlbion
Central 2Luke HopkinsBaldwin Wallace
Central 3Bryce McCloskeyMount Union
Lower Midwest 1Massoma EndeneWartburg
Lower Midwest 2Gage LinahonCentral
Lower Midwest 3Montgomery MillsWestminster
Upper Midwest 1Gabriel ZierdenConcordia-Moorhead
Upper Midwest 2Ben KawczynskiUW-La Crosse
Upper Midwest 3Parker VenzAugsburg

Both finalists are back at this weight in champ Massoma Endene of Wartburg and runner-up Coy Spooner of Coast Guard. Endene won 10-6 in last year’s finals and kept Coast Guard from having its first ever NCAA champion in wrestling. Both are undefeated and have swapped the top two seeds from last year’s tournament. Endene had little trouble in the regional. He had two tech falls and three falls, the last of which only took 14 seconds in the finals. He leads the current Most Dominant standings for DIII. Spooner had to work a little harder, beating JWU’s Dylan Harr 2-0 in the finals after defeating him 4-3 earlier in the season.

Harr is the only returning 2023 All-American here, placing 4th as an unseeded entry last year. He beat the the 5th, 6th, and 8th seeds after losing to Endene in the first round. Gable Crebs did not qualify for Lycoming last season, but he finished 7th in 2022. Ben Kawcyznski of UW-La Crosse did not qualify last year either, but he was in the bracket at 285 in 2022. Luke Hopkins was in the tournament last year, but he qualified two weight classes down at 174.

Returning to this weight is Parker Venz from Augsburg. The Auggies qualified eight wrestlers last year and come home with seven All-Americans. Venz was the one who missed the podium, after Harr eliminated him in the first consolation round. This year, he is determined to be wrestling on day two. Gage Linahon lost his first match here last year and then missed his first consolation match due to a misunderstanding about the schedule. He is making his third trip to the tournament and is looking for his first win.

Lorenzo Pellot’s brother Mauro qualified at this weight last year, and Lorenzo is in the bracket in 2024. The two were in the same region this year and could have met in the semifinals, but an injury in the previous round eventually forced #1 seed Mauro from the tournament, opening a path for #5 seed Lorenzo to make the finals and punch his ticket to La Crosse.

2024 NCAA Preview: 184 lbs.

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Returning 2023 All-Americans in Bold

Northeast 1Sampson WilkinsCastleton
Northeast 2Trent FurmanNYU
Northeast 3Ryan DeVivoJohnson & Wales
Mideast 1Sean MalenfantAlfred State
Mideast 2Jack RyanOneonta
Mideast 3Max BortonUrsinus
Southeast 1George MoseleyAverett
Southeast 2Joel MartsinovskyStevens
Southeast 3Ryder SlaytonMessiah
Central 1Charles BaczekWabash
Central 2Gavin LaymanOhio Northern
Central 3Dylan WellbaumAdrian
Lower Midwest 1Kasey RossWartburg
Lower Midwest 2Cael McLarenCornell
Lower Midwest 3Cole CervantesNorth Central
Upper Midwest 1Bentley Schwanebeck-OstermannAugsburg
Upper Midwest 2Marcus OrlandoniUW-La Crosse
Upper Midwest 3Niall SchoenfelderUW-Eau Claire

Just two 2023 All-Americans return at this weight in 4th place finisher Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann and 7th placer Charles Baczek. Schwanebeck-Ostermann has not been seriously challenged by a DIII opponent this year and holds onto his #1 ranking heading into the tournament. Baczek is undefeated and has had a similarly smooth ride through the season so far. Outside of those two, ranking this weight has been a challenge all year as wrestlers take turns picking up big wins. The #3 ranked wrestler in the February 22 rankings, Sampson Wilkins of Castleton, did beat Baczek in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament.

Wilkins won the Northeast region to return to the tournament for the second time. He has just two losses this year, one of which he turned around by beating JWU’s DeVivo in the regional semifinals. He has wins over a full third of the entries at this weight. Cael McLaren, one of the six, has had a great back half of the season, picking up a somewhat unexpected Wheaton title and beating a few wrestlers he had lost to earlier on the way to a regional runner-up finish. The winner of that region, Kasey Ross of Wartburg, lost to Baczek and Schwanebeck-Ostermann but has beaten every other DIII opponent so far.

Trent Furman of NYU was a 2022 NCAA qualifier way down at 157 lbs. and now is back in the tournament three weight classes up. He even wrestled 157 just last year. Sean Malenfant of Alfred State pinned Furman this year and joins teammate Zach Levey (133) as the first ever NCAA DIII qualifiers for his team. Dylan Wellbaum of Adrian and Gavin Layman of Ohio Northern are returning to the tournament this season, though Wellbaum had qualified each of the past two years up at 197.

Malenfant beat Jack Ryan of Oneonta in the regional finals as Ryan makes a second trip to the championships. His only other loss this season is to Wilkins. The Southeast region was a slugfest with winner George Mosely coming in as the third seed. He was a 2020 NCAA qualifier and 2021 NWCA placewiner. Joel Martsinovsky brings his oft-misspelled name to the tournament for the first time as a senior. This year was the first time he ever even wrestled in the regional tournament. Third in the region is Ryder Slayton of Messiah who had to avenge a loss from earlier in the same tournament to earn his slot here.

Quick Seed Analysis

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Brackets

Seeds per Region
Upper Midwest – 21
Lower Midwest – 18
Southeast – 12
Northeast – 11
Mideast – 10
Central – 8

Seed Strength (8 points for #1, 7 for #2, down to 1 for #8)
Upper Midwest – 105
Lower Midwest – 82
Northeast – 58
Southeast – 49
Central – 42
Mideast – 24

Distribution of Seeds

SeedNECLMUMSEME
122231
2213121
32134
411152
521412
61522
713132
8111115

2024 NCAA Preview: 174 lbs.

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Returning 2023 All-Americans in Bold

Northeast 1Jason GeyerNYU
Northeast 2Joe ChapmanCoast Guard
Northeast 3Jayden CurleyRoger Williams
Mideast 1Jackson GrayIthaca
Mideast 2Charlie GrygasOswego
Mideast 3Ganon SmithElizabethtown
Southeast 1Stefan MajorStevens
Southeast 2Khalil MitchellAverett
Southeast 3Xavier PrestonRoanoke
Central 1Aiden AshburnJohn Carroll
Central 2Blake WilliamsAdrian
Central 3Carter LloydBaldwin Wallace
Lower Midwest 1Zeb GnidaLoras
Lower Midwest 2Zane MulderWartburg
Lower Midwest 3Dejon GlasterMillikin
Upper Midwest 1Jared StrickerUW-Eau Claire
Upper Midwest 2Seth GoetzingerAugsburg
Upper Midwest 3Christian KomitasAurora

Zane Mulder returns for Wartburg to defend his 2023 NCAA title at this weight. He was undefeated this season until the Lower Midwest final where Zeb Gnida of Loras got his first win over Mulder in three tries this year, scrambling for the winning takedown with four seconds left. Mulder will now be seeded behind his finals opponent from last year, Jared Stricker of UW-Eau Claire. Stricker has only lost to Division I opponents and is 38-2 on the season. Despite the loss to Gnida, the most likely scenario has Mulder and Stricker facing off again in the finals this Saturday night, though unexpected results are the norm at this event.

The 4th, 5th, and 7th place finishers also return from last year’s bracket. Charlie Grygas of Oswego was fourth and has qualified for the third time in his career. Last month, he became the all-time wins leader at Oswego. He has a few losses this year, including one to Roanoke’s Xavier Preston, the third place finisher in the Southeast. Stefan Major was 5th last year and 7th the year before. He has wins over five other qualifiers but also losses to four DIII wrestlers who did not qualify. Seth Goetzinger was 7th last year in his first trip to the tournament. His only DIII losses are to Mulder and Stricker.

Aiden Ashburn of John Carroll was 10-10 as a freshman last year and entered the regional with a16-15 record. He proceeded to upset the #1 and #4 seeds on his way to the finals where he received a forfeit and will enter the tournament as a regional champion. Blake Williams of Adrian forfeited to Ashburn but will wrestle again at the national tournament though down a weight from last year. Ganon Smith of Elizabethtown finished third to qualify for the second year in a row. He did not get to compete last year due to an injury, so this will be his first national competition.

It is worth returning to Zeb Gnida and his upset win over Mulder in the regional final. Coming into this season, the senior had a career record of 16-9. This year, he is 21-3 and a regional champion. As noted earlier, two of his losses are to Mulder who he finally defeated in the regional. Other regional champs include Jason Geyer of NYU who is 22-1, and Jackson Gray of Ithaca, who finished 8th and 4th in the last two regional tournaments and will make his first NCAA appearance on Friday morning.