Podium Photos for Download | Final Brackets

125 – Mike Fuenffinger (Augsburg) major decision Lucas Malmberg (Messiah) 15-2

It was a rematch of the 2014 finals that everyone expected. Coming in as the top two seeds, neither wrestler had lost in Division III this season. Fuenffinger opened up the scoring with an ankle pick off an underhook. He scored several times with that attack in last year’s finals and got a couple in 2015 as well. He proceeded to get a tight waist tilt for two and opened up an early lead. Fuenffinger has tremendous pressure on top that made it hard for Malmberg to get to his feet. Malmberg was able to get some escapes, but Fuenffinger was just too much, scoring on several counter shots and even turning a double into some back points late in the match to add a 15-2 win to the major decision he had in last year’s final.

133 – Matthew Grossman (Wilkes) decision Chad Bartschenfeld (Augsburg) 4-3

Freshman Matthew Grossman took on unseeded Chad Bartschenfeld in a surprise final. Each had knocked off a top two seed to get here. Grossman went to high school just 30 miles from the Giant Center and had a big crowd cheering him on. Bartschenfeld struck first with a single that started low but ended up with a body lock for the takedown. Grossman escaped immediately to end the scoring in the first. Bartschenfeld was in on a number of left handed single leg shots, but was unable to finish after the first takedown. Near the end of the second period, Grossman countered a shot with an underhook ankle pick and rode the Auggie out to finish the period and take a 4-2 lead. Grossman rode tough in the third, but Bartschenfeld escaped just soon enough to avoid giving up riding time, but he could not score late, giving Grossman and Wilkes head coach Jon Laudenslager their first NCAA Championships.

141 – CJ Palmer (Hunter) decision Drew Van Anrooy (Luther) 4-2 SV2

Palmer and Van Anrooy met early last season while Palmer was at Clackamas Community College and Van Anrooy was at Oregon State. Van Anrooy took that match, but Palmer prevailed here. The first period was uneventful, save for Palmer taking several blood timeouts. Things picked up in the second with Palmer on the bottom. Van Anrooy delivered a series of hard mat returns, with one or two delivered maybe a bit after the whistle. Palmer nearly took injury time but soldiered on and got a very late escape to take the lead. Palmer showed his mat return skills in the third and rode off the riding time before Van Anrooy could escape and send it to a scoreless sudden victory. Van Anrooy rode Palmer out in his half but picked up his third caution when Palmer was on top. In the second sudden victory period, Palmer hit a slide by to a single leg shot that resulted in a big scramble. Palmer was awarded the takedown, Luther challenged, but the call was upheld.

149 – Kenny Martin (Wartburg) decision Vinny Fava (Delaware Valley) 8-3

Martin started off with a quick reattack shot that dropped Fava to a hip, but the Aggie popped right up to his feet. Two was awarded and challenged, but the call held up. As a result of the challenge, Fava had to get his first escape twice, which he did with no trouble. Martin did a great job turning Fava’s shots into his points, countering several shots for takedowns, including a second score in the first to end the period up 4-1. After a single escape in the second period, Martin scored his third takedown in a similar manner to the second. Fava escaped this time, but the clock wound down, and Martin got a riding time point for the final margin, giving Wartburg their sole 2015 champion.

157 – Nick Carr (Washington & Jefferson) decision Reece Lefever (Wabash) 6-2

Carr was a finalist at 165 last year and came into the finals undefeated on the season. Lefever was a three time All-American and the #2 seed. Lefever countered a big double from Carr to stay neutral in the first, but he could only hold him off for so long in this match. Lefever nearly slipped behind Carr while defending a hi-c, but Carr recovered his angle and finished with a lift for the first takedown. His second score came on a similar shot but a cleaner finish near the edge. Lefever expertly stopped a third takedown with a split on the boundary line. Carr was visibly tired heading into the third, but he parried Lefever’s attempts and even made a few of his own to finish out a win in his second trip to the finals.

165 – Farai Sewera (Coe) decision Tyler Schneider (La Crosse) 9-4

Sewera started the tournament wearing a mask, but was not wearing it at all on Saturday. Schneider reached the final with a sudden victory win over the top seed in the semifinals. Sewera got the scoring started with an underhook single to the right side. Schneider had a lot of trouble penetrating Sewera’s defense in a match contested almost entirely on the feet. Sewera got two other takedowns countering hi-c attempts from Schneider. The last in particular was shot across Sewera’s body, giving him a good angle for a counterattack when Schneider did not get the leg. A final desperation attempt from Schneider set up Sewera’s final double leg to give the final margin of 9-4.

174 – Conner Lefever (Wabash) decision Zach Zotollo (The College of New Jersey) 5-4

It was a matchup of the #1 and #3 seeds as the second Lefever finalist took the mat against the three time All-American Zotollo. Lefever started the scoring with a single leg that he finished on the edge. Lefever was able to get consistent penetration with that shot throughout the match. Zotollo did a good job stringing his attacks together and was able to chase the ankle of a turned-around Lefever and ride out the period to take a lead into the third period. After some back and forth action, Lefever scored again with the single to go up by one with short time left. The referee started a five second count a couple of times but never got all the way there. The match ended with Zotollo throwing Lefever toward his back with a crotch lift, and the final whistle sounded with Lefever upside down holding a leg. TCNJ challenged for a stall call that would send it to overtime, but the no-call was upheld.

184 – Riley Lefever (Wabash) decision Devin Peterson (Wartburg) 5-3

Lefever was a freshman NCAA Champion last year, while Peterson was once the top recruit at his weight class in the country. The first two periods were mainly Peterson in on a few shots and Lefever showing great hips to stop some tough double legs. As the second half of the final period approached, it was looking like we were headed to overtime, but Peterson struck first with a takedown to get the lead and put Lefever’s repeat hopes in jeopardy. After a quick escape, it was Lefever’s turn to commit to an attack and secure his second title in as many years.

197 – Joe Giaramita (Cortland) decision Shane Siefert (Whitewater) 6-4 SV

Siefert was expected to be here after a runner-up finish last year and his #2 seed. Giaramita was the #4 seed who pinned the top seed off a reversal in the semifinals. Siefert had a lot of trouble dealing with Giaramita’s left handed shots throughout the match. A wild scramble was all for naught early in the first, and the period ended scoreless. Siefert hit a tight waist tilt for two at the beginning of the second period to take a 2-1 lead into the final period. Giaramita hit another lefty hi-c off the whistle and stopped Siefert’s chin whip attempt to knot things up. The match almost ended in regulation when Siefert drove through a front headlock cross ankle pick, but the initial takedown call was both waved off and confirmed by a review as no points. Overtime saw one more left handed shot from Giaramita followed by a stifled roll through attempt to make the Cortland wrestler a national champion.

285 – Donny Longendyke (Augsburg) decision Terrance Jean-Jacques (Rhode Island) 1-0

These wrestlers met for the first time in the 2011 Dapper Dan Classic with Jean-Jacques representing Pennsylvania and Longendyke representing the USA. Longendyke won that matchup and would do so again here in Hershey. Jean-Jacques was the aggressor, getting in on some good doubles. Longendyke was able to stuff every shot in this match. Neither wrestler was able to solve the defense of the other on the feet, so it was decided on the mat. Longendyke escaped early, but Jean-Jaccques chose neutral, leaving him in need of a takedown in the third period to win or force overtime. He was unable to do either and finished the match extended on a single as Augsburg got its second champ to go along with an unexpected team championship.

2015 NCAA Championships Live Results | d3wrestle.com 2015 NCAA Championships Home Page

Saturday Live Stream

Saturday Schedule
Saturday March 14th – 10:00am – Session III – Semifinals, consolation quarterfinals, consolation semifinals, 3rd, 5th, 7th place matches

Saturday March 14th – 6:30pm – Parade of All-Amerians
Saturday March 14th– 7:00pm– Championship Finals

Semifinals Matchups
125 – Fuenffinger (Augsburg) vs. Rea (Wilkes); Malmberg (Messiah) vs. Gunter (Baldwin Wallace)
133 – Giorgia (Coast Guard) vs. Grossman (Wilkes); Bartschenfeld (Augsburg) vs. Obert (Luther)
141 – Loht (Messiah) vs. Palmer (Hunter); Van Anrooy (Luther) vs. Steger (Loras)
149 – Mirman (John Carroll) vs. Martin (Wartburg); Arnold (Ursinus) vs. Fava (Delaware Valley)
157 – Carr (Washington & Jefferson) vs. DeWitt (Loras); Lefever (Wabash) vs. Lopez (Williams)
165 – Steiert (Wartburg) vs. Schneider (La Crosse); Sewera (Coe) vs. Guidi (Waynesburg)
174 – Lefever (Wabash) vs. Gardner (Concordia-Moorhead); Harrington (Coe) vs. Zotollo (TCNJ)
184 – Lefever (Wabash) vs. Dowdley (Heidelberg); Peterson (Wartburg) vs. Carlson (La Crosse)
197 – Twohey (La Crosse) vs. Giaramita (Cortland); Siefert (Whitewater) vs. Horner (Coe)
285 – Jean-Jacques (Rhode Island) vs. Nagle (Wartburg); Longendyke (Augsburg) vs. Bethel (Oneonta)

Team Scores After Day 1

2015 NCAA Championships Live Results | Pre-Tournament Brackets

d3wrestle.com 2015 NCAA Championships Home Page | Digital Program from the NCAA

Weight Class Previews
125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157
165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Tournament Schedule
Friday March 13th – 11:00am – Session I
Friday March 13th – 6:00pm – Session II
Saturday March 14th – 10:00am – Session III
Saturday March 14th – 7:00pm – Session IV – Championship Finals

Friday Live Stream | Saturday Live Stream

2014 Champion: James Buss, Loras

2015 Field (with rankings)

Cody Lovejoy improved from 0-2 in 2013 to 7th place last year to a number one ranking in 2015. This year, he is 42-0 with 26 falls and wins over previous All-Americans Mack Green of Trine and Anthony Edgren of Whitewater. He has also won the NCAA’s Elite 89 Award each of the past two seasons for having the highest GPA of all NCAA Qualifiers. With only one other returning All-American from 2014 in the bracket (Green), Lovejoy could be in position to bring home a title for the Polar Bears. It will not be easy, especially with Augsburg’s Donny Longendyke on the other side of the bracket. Longendyke is a tranfer from Nebraska who is also undefeated as a member of the Auggies. He was once the top ranked 285 lbs. high school recruit and has been dominant this semester, including a major decision over #4 Nagle of Wartburg.

Another Division I transfer is Terrance Jean-Jacques of Rhode Island College. Jean-Jacques wrestled for Iowa before making his way closer to home in New England. He has been in the NCAA Most Dominant standing for much of the season, though his schedule has not matched the other top contenders in difficulty. His only loss this year came in the regional final to Oneonta freshman James Bethel. Zach Roseberry of Delaware Valley was 4th last season, Matan Peleg is a two time qualifier for Ursinus, and Conner Herman of Luther last appeared in the tournament in 2012 before returning this season.

2014 Champion: Alex Coolidge, Cornell

2015 Field (with rankings)

As February began, it looked like everything was going according to the preseason script. Returning runner-up Shane Siefert of Whitewater had rolled through the rest of Division III, including an 8-3 victory in January over Eric Twohey of La Crosse. Then, at the WIAC tournament, Twohey turned that result around with an overtime takedown to defeat Siefert. Two weeks later, he defeated Siefert again, cementing his hold on the top spot in the rankings. Twohey only has that one loss to Siefert this season, and is poised to be much higher on the podium this year than his 8th place finish at 184 last season. Siefert will have to come through the bottom half of the bracket to get a fourth match with Twohey, but he has shown the ability to put points on the board in bunches. Karns of Delaware Valley, and Giaramita of Cortland were both All-Americans last season, and will not be easy outs for either of the top two seeds. Neither has lost in Division III this season.

Roman from Wartburg has been wrestling as well as anyone lately. He had early losses to Horner of Coe and Watson of Loras, but came back to beat both later on. He has not lost since an early December dual meet against Twohey. Maybe he will have a chance to avenge that loss as well. Other previous All-Americans in the bracket include Horner, who beat Giaramita for 5th last season, Welch, who beat Twohey for 7th last year, and Hechsel, who was 7th in 2013. Finally, only one of the top three seeds qualified out of the Mideast region.

2014 Champion: Riley Lefever, Wabash

2015 Field (with rankings)

Riley Lefever stormed through Division III last year, putting together an undefeated freshman season. Two years in, he still has not lost to a Division III opponent and comes into the tournament as a heavy favorite to repeat. Just two DIII wrestlers, Olsen from Wheaton and Peterson from Wartburg, have managed to hold Lefever to a decision this season. With over 20 falls this year, Lefever is the class of this weight. Everyone else has been beating up on each other, with a trio of Northeast region wrestlers taking the next three spots in the rankings. Chorzepa of Williams was 3rd here last season after entering the tournament unseeded. His only DIII loss this year is to Beckwith, who in turn dropped the regional final to two time qualifier Deupree. One to watch for, however, is Devin Peterson of Wartburg. The one time #1 ranked 195 lbs. recruit in the country found his way to Wartburg for the second semester. He won the Central region and has the talent to perform here.

Ben Swarr of Messiah missed the first half of the season with an injury, but he has come back strong to win the Mideast. He has just one loss to Olsen at the Wheaton semifinals and has wins over Dowdley, Palmeri, and Gabriel. If he gets on the podium, Messiah will have had a freshman All-American three years in a row (Thomson and Malmberg are the others). There are six returning qualifiers at this weight, plus three others who qualified here last year but are at other weights in 2015. Teigen of Augsburg, DeVilbiss of Luther, and Sheldon of Coe are the three yet to be mentioned who qualified in 2o14. Sheldon was an All-American, while the others are seeking their first award. Olsen and Sheehan of NYU were in the tournament in 2013, with Olsen placing 7th. Carlson was the U.S. representative at last summer’s FILA Junior World Greco-Roman Championships.

2014 Champion: Landon Williams, Wartburg

2015 Field (with rankings)

Conner Lefever joins brothers Reece and Riley in the tournament for the second year in a row. The other two have been All-Americans, and Conner enters the tournament as the top seed hoping to not only get on the podium for the first time, but become a national champion in his own right. He has not lost to a Division III opponent this season and has wins over the ranked Welter, Newman, and Allen. Sorting out the bracket after that is a chore, as nobody has made it through unscathed. Two time All-Amerian Josh Thomson of Messiah won the Mideast regional, getting his third win in a row over Chase of Baldwin Wallace after losing to him early in the season. He dropped a wild 14-13 match to Whitewater’s Newman at Wheaton, but defeated fellow two time All-American Zach Zotollo of TCNJ in a dual meet late in the year. The loss to Thomson is Zotollo’s only blemish in a short season where he only has wrestled 21 times.

Jordan Newman of Whitewater and Brandon Welter of Wartburg could challenge for a spot in the finals as well. Newman has the win over Thomson, but he has injury defaulted during the finals of both the WIAC tournament and the Midwest Regional. Welter defeated Newman and has split with both Gardner and Hamm, losing to Hamm in the Central final. Hamm has had a bit of an uneven season, but comes in on a nine match winning streak with wins over Welter and Harrington in the last month. Augsburg’s Martin only got in the lineup when Hensel dropped to 165, but went on to win the West region. Sibblies of Centenary dropped to 174 for the second semester and turned an early season 10-3 loss to Kowal from Stevens into an overtime decision win to qualify for the second year in a row.

2014 Champion: Cole Welter (Wartburg)

2015 Field (with rankings)

The weight cleared out considerably after last season with only the 6th and 7th place finishers Dylan Foley of Springfield and Stephen Aiello of Wheaton returning. Neither is considered a top title threat, but their experience last year should count. The top guy right now is Andrew Steiert of Wartburg. He seized hold of the starting spot and reversed an earlier loss to #2 Sewera of Coe to head into the tournament as a nominal favorite. Sewera has been right on the cusp of major success for most of his career, picking up big wins from the very beginning. He will be a top contender for the title in Hershey. Tyler Schneider of La Crosse is right there with these top two. He has losses to Sewera and Letney from Luther, but has beaten a quarter of those remaining including two wins against Aiello.

Nolan Barger of Lycoming is worth keeping an eye on this weekend. He has avenged many of his losses from earlier in the year, knocked some expected qualifiers out of the championship bracket at the regional, and gave two time national qualifier Terner Gott of John Carroll just his second loss of the year in the Mideast final. Nick Velez of Ithaca comes into the tournament with nine losses, but he has defeated five of the wrestlers in the bracket during his freshman season. CJ Caserta has over 40 wins and is getting hot at the right time. He has won 16 in a row and won the East region over the top seeded Bader with a 5-1 decision. All in all, 165 is a very deep weight with a lot of potential placewinners.

2014 Champion: Nazar Kulchyskyy, Oshkosh

2015 Field (with rankings)

Nick Carr transferred into Washington & Jefferson halfway through last season. With returning All-American Josh Etzel entrenched at 157, Carr moved up to 165, and though he was clearly undersized, his talent took him all the way to a runner-up finish after a surprising 6-5 win over the top seed in the semifinals. Back at a more natural weight, Carr has run the table this year to be a wire-to-wire top ranked wrestler. His top challenger is two time All-American Reece Lefever, the lightest of the three Lefevers in the tournament. Reece  has avenged his only Division III loss and is very experienced at the national level. Not to be overlooked, however, is Jorge Lopez of Williams who defeated Lefever in the consolation finals last year. He is also a two-time placewinner who carries just one loss into the tournament.

Jon Garrison of Mount Union only wrestled the second semester this year, but managed over 25 matches in one semester of work. Last year’s sixth place finisher, he lost to 2014 All-American Jasinski of Ursinus in his first competition and then to the top-ranked Carr in the regional final. Jasinski defeated Polizzi of Stevens in their first matchup but lost the next two. A fourth match failed to happen when TCNJ’s Mancella upset Polizzi in the regional semis. The two losses to Polizzi are Jasinski’s only defeats this season. Polizzi was the #2 seed in 2013 but failed to place, and then he missed out on qualifying last season. This year he has the two wins over Jasinski, along with a loss, losses to Lopez and Mancella, and wins over Gerszewski, Herzog, and Frandsen.

2015 NCAA Division III Championships Brackets

Here are the rules.

1. Each player will select ten wrestlers, one from each weight class. You may select no more than one of a seed. For example, if you select #3 seed Jeremy Border at 133, you may not select the #3 seed at any other weight class. Players will also select two non-seeded wrestlers for a total of ten.

2. You do not have to select a wrestler from each of the eight seeds. If you do not select a certain seed, you can replace that choice with an additional non-seeded wrestler. You still must choose a wrestler, and only one wrestler, at each weight class.

3. You must select ten wrestlers. Follow the format of the example team at the bottom of this post. Weight – Name, School, Seed. Difficult to decipher entries will be deleted.

4. Your team’s score will be the combined team points scored by your ten wrestlers. You can get this information from the Trackwrestling live brackets (link to be posted later in the results entry). To find a wrestler’s team points scored, click the link at the top right labeled “Teams.” From there, you will see a list of teams. Click a team’s score to see the team points scored by each of their wrestlers in the tournament. The column labeled “Total Points” will have the information you need. Collect the points for all of your wrestlers, add them up, and post your result in the comments section of a post to appear after the conclusion of the tournament. Posting your results as a comment on the post you are reading now will result in disqualification.

5. Post your team of ten wrestlers as a comment on this post. Use a real email address with your entry so you can be contacted about your prize in case you are the winner. Entries must be posted before 11:59PM Eastern time on Thursday March 12th. Good luck!

Team Posting Format Example for Entries (Weight – Name, School, Seed)
125 – Fuenffinger, Augsburg, 1
133 – Gomez, Ithaca, 2
141 – Bergeron, Concordia-Moorhead, 3
149 – Martin, Wartburg, 4
157 – DeWitt, Loras, 5
165 – Barger, Lycoming, 6
174 – Harrington, Coe, 7
184 – Palmeri, Brockport, 8
197 – Groeneveld, Alma, unseeded
285 – Karkula, Eau Claire, unseeded

Here is a helpful table

2015 NCAA Championships Brackets

Tuesday 9:52am – Brackets are now corrected to 2015 and also are on the NCAA website

2014 Champion: Ryan Prater, Elmhurst

2015 Field (with rankings)

This is the first weight without a returning finalist, though the 3rd, 5th, and 6th place finishers are all back in 2015. Vinny Fava finished 3rd last season and was undefeated on the year until dropping an overtime decision to the undefeated Arnold of Ursinus. Mirman of John Carroll lost in overtime in last year’s semifinals before falling to 6th place. Perkin split with Mirman at the NCAA Championships, winning the back half in the 5th place match. New to the weight and the NCAA this year is Martin of Wartburg. Martin wrestled for Clackamas Community College last season and is part of the lightning fast rebuild done by Wartburg in their quest for a fifth consecutive team championship. He has one Division III loss to a wrestler who did not qualify and has a win over Perkin this season.

Though just three of last year’s All-Americans return at this weight, Mark Savenok of Wheaton was an All-American at 157 last season. He dropped to 149 less than two weeks before the regional and came out on top in the Midwest. Augsburg’s Will Keeter was an All-American at 141 in 2012 but has not been back on the podium since. Josh Evans of Wilkes transferred from Eastern Michigan to Wilkes halfway through the year before qualifying out of the East. Daniel Del Gallo of Southern Maine became the seventh individual from his school to qualify, while Mayville (RIT), Lohr (Waynesburg), and Engle (Cornell) are all making return trips in search of their first All-American awards.

Update 3/9 – Luke Lohr was a 2013 All-American, placing 7th

2014 Champion: Kaleb Loht, Messiah

2015 Field (with rankings)

Messiah’s Kaleb Loht has not lost to a Division III opponent since the 2013 regional tournament. Since then, he has put together a 48-1 championship season in 2014 along with this year’s 38-0 record that includes victories over seven wrestlers in the field including a pin in a rematch of the NCAA finals against Adcock of Whitewater. Van Anrooy of Luther, Palmer of Hunter, and Jones of NYU will each be looking to deny Loht a second championship, and all three are transfers from other divisions. Jones is a two time Division III All-American who started his career at Iowa State. He avenged a pair of earlier losses to NJCAA transfer Palmer of Hunter with an overtime win at the regional. Van Anrooy came to Luther from Oregon State where he wrestled 133 last season. Palmer and Van Anrooy actually faced off the very first week of the 2013-2014 season at the Mike Clock Open where Van Anrooy took a 5-3 decision in the finals.

Like 125 and 133, there are four returning All-Americans at this weight. Ferinde of Johnson & Wales joins Loht, Adcock, and Jones after his 5th place finish last year. He will have a tough road ahead of him to beat that finish in 2015, especially after dropping the regional final to 7th seeded Berry of Cortland. Jacoby Bergeron of Concordia-Moorhead is currently undefeated against Division III competition, and that includes wins over returning placewinners Adcock and Ferinde. Nick Steger of Loras has a single loss (in the regional semi to Barrow) on the season. Last year, he suffered a season-ending injury while wrestling Loht, and he is also in the hunt to find a spot on the podium.

2014 Champion: Kenny Anderson, Wartburg

2015 Field (with rankings)

Nate Giorgio surprised most at the NCAA tournament when he fought all the way to a 4th place finish as a freshman at 125. In the two years following, he failed to match that finish, qualifying in 2013 and placing 8th in 2014. This year, however, he is on track for a great finish. He is 38-0 and fresh off his second win over 2014 runner-up and #2 ranked Alex Gomez of Ithaca in the regional final. Like Giorgio, Gomez is a two time All-American, and he hopes to get a third shot at Giorgio in the NCAA finals this year. Of his three losses this year, two came to Giorgio, while one was an upset loss to the freshman Grossman from Wilkes.

A few late season upsets have made this an interesting weight class heading into the final weekend. Jeremy Border of Mount Union was 3rd in 2014 and undefeated heading into the regional, but Flynn from York reversed an early loss and claimed the Mideast title. In addition, last year’s 4th place finisher O’Boyle of McDaniel was 4th in the East and failed to qualify. Connor Campo of Wartburg is the lone 2014 qualifier in Wartburg’s lineup, and he will be a high seed at 133 after qualifying at 141 last year. He has avenged three of his four losses during the year, including his victory over Obert of Luther in the regional final.

2014 Champion: Mike Fuenffinger, Augsburg

2015 Field (with rankings)

The top three from last year all return, led by returning NCAA Champion Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg. Fuenffinger wrestled a fabulous tournament last year capped with a major decision in the finals. He is undefeated in Division III this year and has won all five of his matches against wrestlers in the field. He seems to be on a collision course with Messiah’s Lucas Malmberg, his opponent in last year’s finals. They have been solidly 1-2 all year in the rankings and Malmberg has also run the table in Division III, including a pair of wins over the #3 ranked Gunter, who was 3rd here last year. Gunter has had more than a few close calls this year to go along with a loss he avenged in the regional semis, but he is favored to repeat his 3rd place finish of a year ago. He presents a potentially difficult style matchup for wrestlers not used to constant contact.

There is some similarity to last year’s bracket, as seven of the 18 competitors were at the NCAA Championships last season at this weight. Besides those mentioned, Paul Bewak of Johns Hopkins is a four time qualifier and two time All-American looking for his third trip to the podium. He was upset in the regional semifinals by NYU’s Donato but came back to take 3rd. Donato wrestled a great regional tournament but is one of a small number of NCAA qualifiers with a losing record. A pair of surprise qualifiers came out of the Midwest region where #5 seed Richter of Chicago defeated #6 seed Fuentez of Wheaton in the finals, leaving the top 2 seeds to wrestle for 3rd.

List of 2015 NCAA Division III Championships Qualifiers

Regional Results

West Regional Results

Midwest Regional Brackets | Team Scores

Central Regional Results

Mideast Regional Results

East Regional Results

Northeast Regional Brackets | Team Scores

Qualifiers by Team

West Results – Saturday – Augsburg – Preview | Live Video | Website

Midwest Results – Saturday – Wabash – Preview | Live Video | Website

Central Results – Saturday – Five Flags Center – Preview | Live Video | Website

Mideast Results – Sunday – Messiah – Preview | Live Video | Website

East Results – Sunday – Roanoke Civic Center – Preview | Live Video | Website

Northeast Results – Saturday & Sunday – Roger Williams – Preview | Live Video | Website

2015 Mideast Regional
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Messiah College – Grantham, Pennsylvania – Event Website

February 18th d3wrestle.com Rankings

2014 Results

Teams
Baldwin Wallace, Brockport, Case Western Reserve, Elizabethtown, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Lycoming, Messiah, Mount St. Joseph, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Oswego, RIT, Waynesburg, Washington & Jefferson, Thiel, York

Top Ten Ranked Individuals – 2014 All-Americans in bold
125 – #2 Malmberg (Messiah), #3 Mancini (Mt. Union), #4 Gunter (Baldwin Wallace), #5 Kramer (Brockport)
133 – #2 Border (Mt. Union)
141 – #1 Loht (Messiah)
149 – #2 Mirman (John Carroll), #4 Lohr (Waynesburg), #5 Mayville (RIT), #6 Kazimir (Mt. Union)
157 – #1 Carr (W&J), #3 Garrison (Mt. Union), #9 Cannon (Messiah)
165 – #7 Lovejoy (Ohio Northern), #8 Gott (John Carroll)
174 – #4 Thomson (Messiah), #9 Chase (Baldwin Wallace)
184 – #6 Dowdley (Heidelberg), #10 Swarr (Messiah)
197 –  none
285 – #1 Lovejoy (Ohio Northern), #6 Majoy (Heidelberg)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
#3 Messiah College, Mount Union (tie)
#16 Ohio Northern
#18 John Carroll
#22 Baldwin Wallace
#23 Heidelberg
#26 Washington & Jefferson
#27 Brockport

Messiah looks to defend its title as the reigning Mideast Region champions, but they will face stiff competition in a very deep field of teams.  Mount Union defeated Messiah in a dual meet this season and is tied with Messiah for the most top ten individual wrestlers in the d3wrestle.com rankings.  In addition, Baldwin Wallace has enjoyed one of their best seasons in program history and could make a serious run at the regional title.

The field is littered with returning All Americans and top ten individuals from a host of schools.  Washington & Jefferson will look for a repeat performance from 2014 National runner-up (165) Nick Carr down a weight and should challenge to be in the top 3 in several other weights, including 125 where the Presidents have second semester transfer and younger brother of the aforementioned Carr. In addition to Carr, the region boasts two other number one ranked wrestlers nationally in defending National Champion Kaleb Loht (141-Messiah) and heavyweight Cody Lovejoy (Ohio Northern).

One of the more exciting elements in this region will be the number of weights with considerable depth.  Two weight classes (125 and 141) are guaranteed to have at least one top 10 wrestler miss the trip to Hershey as both groups have four top ten wrestlers.  In addition the 165 lb. weight class has nine individuals ranked somewhere in the most recent d3wrestle.com list.