125 Clayton Rush (Coe) dec. Albie McKinney (UW-Lax) 11-8

McKinney came out firing and captured Rush’s leg right off the bat, very nearly locking up a low leg cradle that would have shocked the sizable crowd still settling into their seats. Rush was able to roll through when McKinney got a little over eager and secured the reversal. It was pretty much all Rush from there on out as he scored several more takedowns. He was executing a game plan in which he tried to stay in neutral with McKinney, letting him up quickly after most scores. McKinney was probing for an opening to try to tie things up as the clock wound down, but he never sold out for one last good attempt, and Rush held him off to win his second title in his thrid finals trip.

133 Seth Ecker (Ithaca) dec. Mike McInally (RIT) 6-2

It was the fourth meeting of the year between familiar Empire Conference foes, as they had upset the #1 and #2 seeds to get to the final to face each other. Both are very good scramblers and neither was willing to concede anything. Ecker was able to get on the board first when he managed to duck under some pressure from McInally to get solid control of a leg and turn it into the first takedown. Ecker built up some crucial riding time throughout the match and scored a second takedown in the second period. McInally was game, but he was unable to get his slick duckunder against such a familiar opponent and Ecker finished the season 3-1 against McInally and will return next year to defend.

141 Bebeto Yewah (UW-Lax) dec. Jeremy Stierly (Ithaca) 4-3

This was the expected matchup, as neither wrestler had lost to a DIII competitor and both were in the finals last year, with Yewah winning 133 and Stierly finishing 2nd at 141. Yewah is very compact and explosive, with a great double leg, and he was able to get it a couple of times in the match for his four points, once in each of the first two periods. Stierly never got a chance on top with Yewah picking neutral in the third and his athleticism and power made it tough for Stierly to find that opening he would need to get the takedown that could give him the victory. Yewah was content to hold on in the third period as neither wrestler scored and Yewah got a second title, this time in front of the home crowd.

149 Minga Batsukh (St. John’s) dec. Tony Valek (Augsburg) 7-4

This was the second straight matchup of a wrestler who won the title at a weight below moving up to face the runner-up at the higher weight from the year before. Batsukh was going for his third title and had avenged his only loss of the year in the semis. Valek avenged his finals lost from last year in his semi. Batsukh got things going first with a nice double leg where he changed directions mid shot to get deep penetration and score the opening points. That was Batsukh’s last offensive score, as he was able to force Valek into some bad shots and score by spinning behind. For the second match in a row, the winner did not give his opponent a chance to wrestle in the top position. After the match, Batsukh celebrated with a back flip and was later awarded Outstanding Wrestler.

157 Dan Twito (USMMA) dec. Orlando Ponce (Augsburg) 3-3 RT TB

Twito finished his career as a four time qualifier and one time All-American, but he made that one count. For the second straight season, Ponce went into a final favored against a wrestler from the Merchant Marines, and for the second year he walked away as the runner up. All weekend, Twito used sound strategy and solid defense to make his way to the finals, and he kept it up Saturday night. In four matches, Twito scored two takedowns total, winning in the tie breaker in both the semis and finals. Twito looked to have a takedown on the edge partway through regulation in this match, and it is still unclear why the move was called out of bounds. Ponce was also in on some deep shots, but time ran out in the first period when he had the leg elevated, and Twito was able to parry another one with hand control and flexibility. Those exchanges were more exciting than the scoring, as the margin of victory was the few seconds of riding time advantage Twito built up in the tie breaker periods.

165 Josh Terrell (Dubuque) dec. Nick LeClere (Coe) 6-5

It was another matchup of familiar foes, as these two have gone back and forth over the past two season, splitting two prior matches this season before their finals clash. Terrell struck first, using a nice level change to get in deep and finish with two legs. After the initial takedown, Terrell built up a nice cushion of more than a minute on top before surrendering an escape near the end of the period. He scored another takedown in the second period to further pad his lead, but LeClere was able to even the match with a takedown of his own at the end of the period before Terrell could get an escape to keep his lead at 2. In the third, LeClere escaped to tie the score, but Terrell had a lot of riding time built up. Terrell did enough to get through the period with just one stalling warning, and the four time All-American won his first title to cap his career.

174 Zach Molitor (Augsburg) pin Bradley Banks (Wartburg) 3:20

Banks was a #8 seed with a 16-5 record this season, but he definitely showed up this weekend, knocking off the #1 seed early on and scoring early in every match but this one. He was in deep, but Molitor fought off the initial attack and was able to later convert a shot of his own into a bodylock. Banks was almost able to get out of bounds before giving up the takedown, but Molitor rotated back toward the middle at the last second and brought Banks to the mat. A second takedown gave Molitor a 4-1 lead as the period ended. In the second Banks got to his feet and turned to face Molitor, but Molitor locked up the bodylock again and took Banks straight to his back and got the fall just 20 seconds into the period to give Augsburg its only champ out of four finalists.

184 Phil Moenkedick (Concordia) dec. Ben Engelland (UW-SP) 2-1

Like 157, there were no takedowns in this match, but it was at least decided in regulation. Moekedick was the defending champ who had beaten Engelland earlier this year, but Engelland was game for the rematch. Both had some scoring attempts in the match, but nobody was able to get any points. Engelland chose down in the third period, and Moenkedick was able to ride him for a large enough chunk of the period to get the riding time point. He took a stalling warning while riding, but did not give up a second on his feet as Engelland tried furiously to score. Moenkedick finishes his career as a three time finalist and two time champion.

197 Byron Tate (Wartburg) dec. Jared Massey (Augsburg) 9-4

Massey and Tate were the top two seeds, so this was an expected matchup. Massey was able to get the first takedown early in the match against the defending champ, but Tate escaped quickly and scored a takedown of his own and stayed ahead 3-2 by finishing the period on top. The second period was where Tate started to show his dominance, riding Massey out for the entire period, with each picking up a stalling warning on the way. In the third period, Tate scored another takedown to extend his lead. His last points came after spinning behind Massey’s last chance takedown attempt. Tate is now a two time champ who will come back for a third next season. He finished his season undefeated against DIII competition and only lost in the Midlands finals this season.

285 John Helgerson (Wartburg) dec. Mark Corsello (Elmhurst) 3-1

Corsello came in confident since he owned the win in the last meeting  between these two in the 2009-2010 season, but Helgerson was the #1 seed and Midlands placewinner. The score is deceiving, as there was a lot of action in this one, especially for the weight class. Each wrestler has a number of scoring opportunities, but each was able to kick out of a couple of single leg attempts. Helgerson was a little closer to scoring, and Corsello’s best chance came on a snatch single near the edge. Corsello did not seem to fully trust his attacks and was less willing to take a risk. Finally, as the clock wound down and it looked like overtime was in the offing, Helgerson was finally able to secure both ankles and get the takedown just before the final buzzer. He moved up one step on the podium from last year, while Corsello finished his career as a three time All-American and two time runner-up.

Final Brackets

Final Team Scores

TheMat.com Recap by Jason Bryant

Outstanding Wrestler – Batsukh, St. John’s, 149

Most Falls – Valek, Augsburg, 149

Coach of the Year – Marty Nichols, Ithaca

Rookie Coach of the Year – Nathan Shearer, Heidelberg

Brackets

Team Scores

Wartburg will be tough to catch with seven All-Americans, but Augsburg can make a run at them if all four of their semifinalists win.

Remember to follow d3wrestle.com on Twitter: www.twitter.com/d3wrestle

You can also always get up to the minute results on the NWCA Scorebook. Those results are updated during each match. NWCA Scorebook for NCAA Division III Championships

285 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Helgerson, Wartburg
2. Corsello, Elmhurst
3. Connell, Merchant Marine
4. Glotfelty, McDaniel
5. Burkle, Coe
6. James, Cortland
7. Mayer, UW-Lax
8. Johnson, Augsburg

Returning All-Americans
Helgerson, Wartburg, 2nd in 2010, 3rd in 2009
Corsello, 2nd in 2009, 7th in 2008
Glotfelty, 8th in 2009

Is Helgerson the top wrestler in Division III this year? The case can definitely be made, given who he has beaten. He is the runner up here and undefeated against DIII, and he has also beaten Division I wrestlers currently ranked 4th (Russo of Rutgers), 12th (Lane of Nebraska), 13th (Brantley of Northern Iowa) and 20th (Simonson of Iowa State). Those wins all came in a fantastic Midlands tournament where he placed fourth and finished ahead of the Big 10 champ. His chief competition, Corsello of Elmhurst, is no slouch himself, finishing the regular season undefeated for the second straight year. The 2009 runner-up was 0-2 as the top seed, but he will be trying to both become a three time All-American and prevent Helgerson from stepping one spot higher on the podium.

The third and fourth seeds are familiar foes from the Centennial Conference. Connell finally beat Glotfelty for the first time in his career in their dual, and he then repeated the feat with a last second reversal to take his second 6-5 win over the McDaniel wrestler this year. The top two plus Glotfelty are the only returning All-Americans in this weight that cleared out significantly since last season’s bracket had all eight All-Americans return. James of Cortland is a junior college All-American who has just one loss this year, Burkle may be the top guy coming back next year, and Mayer and Johnson fill in the last two seeds stepping in for excellent wrestlers who graduated last year from La Crosse and Augsburg respectively.

Prediction: Helgerson has proven he can beat the best regardless of weight class, but it is worth noting that a lot of heavyweight matches are close, so it will not take a huge slip up for him to fall short of expectations.

197 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Tate, Wartburg
2. Massey, Augsburg
3. Schindel, Mount Union
4. Malo, Williams
5. Myhrberg, Cortland
6. Lutke, Centenary
7. Latella, UW-Whitewater
8. Karns, Delaware Valley

Returning All-Americans
Tate, Wartburg, 1st in 2010
Massey, Augsburg, 3rd in 2010, 1st in 2009
Schindel, Mount Union, 7th in 2010, 8th in 2009
Malo, Williams, 2nd in 2010, 2nd in 2009

Tate was a bit of a surprise champion after coming in as the 5th seed in a weight with both of the previous year’s finalists in the bracket, but he not only won the tournament, he defeated both of those finalists along the way. This year, he rolled from the opening whistle, winning the Harold Nichols Open and defeating the 2011 Big 12 runner up from Iowa State in the finals. He followed that up with a trip to the Midlands final and wins over both Massey and Malo during the regular season. It is hard to imagine him losing, though it was hard to imagine him beating Massey and Malo last season, and Malo did take him to overtime in their match this year.

Massey and Malo are a pair of Division I transfers who have had great success at the DIII level over the past three seasons. Both are two time finalists with Massey winning their lone head to head matchup. Malo stumbled a bit this year, losing a number of conference matches including two at the NEWA Championships. Some of that could be familiarity, as the NEWA wrestlers see a lot of each other throughout the year. Schindel is the remaining All-American. He has climbed from 8th in 2009 to 7th last year and should manage to take more than one more step up this season. A trio of newcomers fill up the bottom seeds as Myhrberg wrestled 184 last year, Lutke was previously at Edinboro, and Karns is a 2008 high school graduate who is a freshman this year at Delaware Valley.

Prediction: It is hard to pick against a Midlands finalist, so Tate gets the nod as he goes for his second title.

184 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Moenkedick, Concordia
2. Engelland, UW-Stevens Point
3. Denver, TCNJ
4. Ward, Johnson & Wales
5. Azinger, Wartburg
6. Martocello, York
7. Rau, Elmhurst
8. Baxter, St. John’s

Returning All-Americans
Moenkedick, Concordia, 1st in 2010, 2nd in 2009
Engelland, UW-Stevens Point, 4th in 2010, 5th in 2009
Denver, TCNJ, 7th in 2010
Ward, Johnson & Wales, 2nd in 2010
Azinger, Wartburg, 6th at 174 in 2010
Baxter, St. John’s, 7th in 2009
Rehn, Coe, 7th at 174 in 2010

It is rarely this simple. The defending champion MOenkedick is undefeated against Division III and has defeated the #2 seed. That #2 seed Engelland has only lost one match this year, and it was to the #1 seed. No guessing about level of competition or comparing common opponents. One guy beat everyone, and the other guy beat everyone except that guy. Moenkedick followed a runner-up finish in 2009 with a championship performance out of the #3 seed in 2010. Now, he looks for a third trip to the finals and a second championship. He has wins this year against six other entries at this weight. Ben Engelland is also looking for his third All-American award and has defeated a number of the wrestlers in this event, most notably his brother Sam in the WIAC finals.

Ward, a finalist a year ago, again brings his arsenal of match ending moves to the tournament as the #4 seed. He recorded a pair of falls against higher seeds last year to make the finals. He did lose a match this year to 2009 All-American Baxter of St. John’s who is back this year after missing most of last season. Denver was an All-American last year for TCNJ, and he had put together an unblemished DIII season before unexpectedly losing to Martocello of York, a wrestler he had already beaten twice this year, in the Metro final. The weight is deep, with wrestlers like Wheaton champ Rhoads, Wheaton runner-up Marble, and 174 lb. All-American Rehn among the unseeded.

Prediction: Moenkedick has proven himself to be the best wrestler at this weight all year, and there is no good reason to choose anyone else here.

174 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Kwiat, Ohio Northern
2. Schmitz, UW-Lax
3. Molitor, Augsburg
4. Reilly, King’s
5. Pfarr, St. John’s
6. Broderick, TCNJ
7. Priest, Ithaca
8. Banks, Wartburg

Returning All-Americans
Schmitz, UW-Lax, 1st in 2010, 4th in 2009
Kwiat, Ohio Northern, 4th in 2010
Molitor, Augsburg, 3rd in 2010, 6th in 2009

Three of the top four from last year return, but those three are the only All-Americans in the weight. Schmitz is the returning champ and has a pair of close wins over Molitor this year. He did lose to Markou of Trine who Kwiat subsequently beat at the same event. Kwiat has not yet run into either Schmitz or Molitor, but that win over Markou vaulted Kwiat into the top spot in the rankings for much of the season’s second half. Molitor’s only Division III losses are those two to Schmitz. On paper, it is a three man race to the top, but some of the other competitors could easily have something to say about that.

Reilly dropped from 184 to 174 late in the year, but back at 184 he defeated Jenkins of Mount Union, and Jenkins defeated a bumped up Kwiat in a dual meet. He is a big 174 lb. wrestler and could cause some problems for the top seeds. Priest has qualified twice but only one one match in his two trips before stumbling in the Empire tournament last season and failing to qualify. He has the ability to get into the high places. The only other returning qualifier not yet mentioned is 2009 qualifier Dormann of Stevens. He is 35-3 so far and had to defeat a top ten wrestler just to make it here this season.

Prediction: This one is a bit unconventional, but Reilly is dangerous enough that a hot weekend lands him on top of the podium in a weight with a lot of upsets.

165 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Terrell, Dubuque
2. Baarson, St. John’s
3. Bonitatis, TCNJ
4. Renaut, Merchant Marine
5. Miller, Ohio Northern
6. LeClere, Coe
7. Curley, Heidelberg
8. Ferguson, UW-Lax

Returning All-Americans
Terrell, Dubuque, 3rd in 2010, 6th in 2009, 4th at 157 in 2008
Bonitatis, TCNJ, 8th in 2008
Renaut, Merchant Marine, 1st in 2010
Miller, Ohio Northern, 1st at 157 in 2010, 4th at 157 in 2009
LeClere, Coe, 4th in 2010
Ferguson, UW-Lax, 8th in 2010
Weber, Wartburg, 6th at 157 in 2010
Magill, NYU, 8th at 157 in 2010

Like 141, there are eight All-Americans in the 165 weight class that is one of the deepest in the tournament. The defending champ and OW is seeded 4th and the defending champ at 157 is seeded 5th. Seeded first for the second year in a row is Terrell of Dubuque. Last year, his first round opponent stepped over a single leg attempt and pinned Terrell, but Terrell won his next five matches to place third. He is now among a handful of wrestlers looking to become a four time All-American this year. Baarson has yet to place, but comes in with a win over LeClere and a #2 seed. Bonitatis is undefeated in Division III with a win over Miller to his credit. If he gets on a roll, he could win the whole thing.

LeClere is the puzzling entry here, as everything was setting up for him to be the #3 seed until he stumbled twice at the IIAC championships to Weber and Hambleton. Fortunate to get one of the Iowa wildcards, he will have to right the ship if he expects to match or exceed last year’s 4th place finish. If everything holds, that #4/#5 matchup is intriguing, as you do not usually get to see defending champions go at it that early in the tournament. This weight is so tough that All-Americans Ferguson, Weber, and Magill almost get lost in the shuffle, and that is leaving out previous qualifiers Curley, Schulte, and Waples.

Prediction: No slip ups for Terrell this time and he gets the win, but he will have to beat three returning placewinners to pull it off.

157 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Brenon, Ithaca
2. Ponce, Augsburg
3. Banks, Wartburg
4. Harrington, Delaware Valley
5. Berns, Concordia
6. Larson, Trine
7. Loughlin, Cornell
8. Twito, Merchant Marine

Returning All-Americans
Ponce, Augsburg, 2nd at 165 in 2010
Banks, Wartburg, 7th at 165 in 2010
Harrington, Delaware Valley, 5th in 2010
Berns, Concordia, 7th at 149 in 2010

In between the meat grinder at 149 and the eight returning All-Americans at 165, 157 is a good weight, but not at the same level as those sandwiching it. It does, however, feature last year’s runner up at 165 in Ponce of Augsburg as well as another All-American at 165 in Banks of Wartburg. The top seed, however, is Brenon of Ithaca. After two time All-American Willie Horwath graduated last year, the sophomore Brenon stepped in and earned his #1 ranking win wins over Banks and Harrington, finishing 20-0 against DIII competition. He will surely be tested, however, by those same wrestlers as well as Ponce. They are all close, and who is having a good weekend may matter more here in determining a champ than some other weights.

Berns is the remaining All-American here, and he is the only one to have placed at a lower weight last year, finishing 7th at 149. He has lost to Ponce and Banks, but nobody else in DIII, and he has a few wins over other entrants here. Among those who qualified in the past but failed to place are a trio of Iowa Conference wrestlers in Loughlin, Hanson, and Warcynski, as well as 4x qualifier Twito of Merchant Marine who wants to finally wrestle on Saturday for the first time.

Prediction: Banks wins, but it might be against a surprise opponent from the top half of the bracket.

149 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Dukes, Case
2. Woszczak, Ithaca
3. Batsukh, St. John’s
4. Valek, Augsburg
5. Dattolo, Wilkes
6. Mauseth, UW-Lax
7. Groth, Wartburg
8. Britton, Lycoming

Returning All Americans
Dukes, Case, 1st in 2010
Woszczak, Ithaca, 4th in 2010, 4th in 2009
Batsukh, St. John’s, 1st at 141 in 2010, 1st at 141 in 2009
Valek, Augsburg, 2nd in 2010
Mauseth, UW-Lax, 3rd in 2010, 1st in 2009, 6th in 2008
Paulish, Williams, 4th at 141 in 2009

This is going to be a fun one. Three returning champions are at this weight, including last year’s winner at both 141 and 149 in Batsukh and Dukes. Additionally, the 2009 champ at this weight Mauseth is hoping to get back on top of the podium again. Dukes has been the wire to wire favorite after coming back at the same weight, going undefeated in DIII, and placing in the Midlands while beating a top ten DI opponent. He has not run into any of the top wrestlers in this bracket yet, while some of the others are more battle-tested. Woszczak has beaten Batsukh, Valek, Groth, and Britton, and wins against the first three of that group earned him the OW award at the National Duals. The loss to Woszczak was Batsukh’s only hiccup this year, while Valek has lost to Batsukh and Woszczak along with a late season 5-4 loss to Groth.

The bottom half of this bracket could be pretty wild with 2x AA Woszczak, 2x champ Batsukh, 3x AA Mauseth and Groth all on the same side. The other side is good as well, if not quite so decorated, with both of last year’s finalists as well as the 27-2 Dattolo, who has a win over Groth, and 2010 qualifier Britton whose four losses are split evenly with two each to Dattolo and Woszczak. Also back from last year is 2009 AA Paulish of Williams. He has not had the same success at 149 as he did at 141, but if he gets hot at the right time again, he has a chance in this very tough weight.

Prediction: Woszczak makes it out of the dogfight in the bottom half and finishes his career on a win, aiding a strong Bombers squad in their hunt for a team trophy.

141 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Yewah, UW-Lax
2. Stierly, Ithaca
3. Sterling, Cortland
4. Albright, York
5. Bridge, Stevens
6. Donahue, Cornell
7. Kelly, Wartburg
8. Alsieux, Centenary

Returning All-Americans
Yewah, UW-Lax, 1st at 133 in 2010
Stierly, Ithaca, 2nd in 2010
Sterling, Cortland, 4th at 133 in 2010
Bridge, Stevens, 5th in 2010
Donahue, Cornell, 4th in 2010, 7th in 2009
Kelly, Wartburg, 3rd in 2010, 3rd at 133 in 2009, 5th in 2008
Ulrich, Delaware Valley, 6th in 2010
Garber, Waynesburg, 7th at 133 in 2010

With no less than eight All-Americans at 141, it should be one of the more hotly contested brackets in the tournament. The top two seeds are both undefeated in DIII and were both finalists last year, with Yewah winning at 133 and Stierly finishing second here at 141. Yewah has not truly been challenged yet this year by a DIII wrestler, and he dominated in his conference tournament with a fall and tech fall. Stierly has had a bit tougher of a road, as he has beaten four of the returning All-Americans, including #3 seed Sterling in his own conference, as well as qualifiers Alsieux and Sandy.

Worth noting here is Kelly of Wartburg. He will be looking for his fourth All-American award, and he can never be counted out, as he has outperformed his seed in each of the past two years. Albright is a Pitt transfer who took an early season loss to Garber but has won every match since, including a 13-0 drubbing of Ulrich and a 3-2 win over the JUCO wrestler who dealt Stierly his only loss this season. Bridge had to shake off an injury suffered in his first match of the year that cost him two months, and his only other defeat was in overtime to Stierly. Finally, this weight also includes NCAA qualifiers Grippi, Bokoski, and LeClere who are not even seeded.

Prediction: It is boring to always pick #1 seeds, but Yewah has been dominant, even up a weight, so he is the pick here to help La Crosse make a run at the title.

133 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Livingston, Centenary
2. Fitzenreider, North Central
3. Ecker, Ithaca
4. McInally, RIT
5. Sheley, UW-Lax
6. Brown, Thiel
7. Herr, TCNJ
8. Mirocha, Wartburg

Returning All-Americans
Livingston, Centenary, 3rd in 2010
Ecker, Ithaca, 6th in 2009 at 125
McInally, RIT, 2nd in 2009 at 125
Brown, Thiel, 8th in 2010, 6th in 2009

Last year, Livingston ran up a lead in his second round match against the eventual champ, but he was unable to hold on, especially after a shortened season that saw him come into the NCAA tournament with only five matches under his belt. That was his last loss, however, as he stormed through to finish in third place in his first season in Division III after spending time at both Virginia Tech and Ohio State. This year, he has had a full season and has furnished a 22-0 record and a start to finish #1 ranking. There are three other All-Americans at this weight, though only Brown of Thiel placed last year and he has placed twice at 133. Ecker and McInally are old conference foes who both placed at 125 in 2009.

Fitzenreider was also the #2 seed last year, but he was upset in the first round and then ran into Livingston in the All-America round in the consolations. This year, he has not lost in Division III, and he handily won the Great Lakes Regional title two weeks ago. Yewah of La Crosse won this weight a year ago, but he has moved up to 141. Stepping right in after him, however, is Sheley. Sheley took advantage of his opportunity to put together a season with just three losses with only a default to Henle of St. John’s as a blemish against DIII. Herr, D’Alessandro, and Marcello are also back from last year looking to make it to the second day.

Prediction: Livingston follows up his 2010 turn as Centenary’s first All-American by becoming their first NCAA champion.

125 lbs.

2011 Seeds
1. Rush, Coe
2. Kist, Wartburg
3. McKinney, UW-Lax
4. Scholten, Augustana
5. Reynolds, Mount Union
6. Presler, Concordia
7. Mendoza, Luther
8. Crown, Waynesburg

Returning All-Americans
Rush, Coe, 1st in 2010, 5th in 2009, 2nd in 2008
Kist, Wartburg, 3rd in 2009
Alfaro, Merchant Marine, 8th in 2010

Clayton Rush of Coe is the defending champ and the 2010 d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Year. He has been dominant this year, losing just to defending Division I champion McDonough of Iowa. Only a handful of wrestlers have even been able to hold Rush to a decision this year. If the seeds hold, the two time Illinois state champ will become a two time NCAA champ, three time finalist, and four time All-American. His chief competition should come from Mark Kist of Wartburg. The former Iowa State wrestler was upset a couple of times last year and failed to place after taking third in 2009. This year, he has managed to keep matches closer with Rush than most, and he has a lot of experience competing with him over the years.

A number of last year’s placers at this weight did not graduate, but are not here either. Finalist Erdman of Etown transferred to Division II, while Roberts of Augsburg and Mogg of Buena Vista failed to qualify in a weight where many of the wrestlers below the top two have been trading wins against each other throughout the year, making the seeding of #3-#8 interesting. McKinney and Reynolds are the two returning competitors here that have not yet been mentioned, and both are seeded high. Crown is the enigma here, as he is 30-2, but he has not wrestled any of the other competitors at this weight.

Prediction: Rush continues his dominance for a second year and finishes his career on top as a two time champ.

Find the 2011 NCAA Division III Brackets at the link below

2011 NCAA Brackets – posted March 7, 2011

List of Qualifiers by School

Sunday – NCAA Seeding Conference Call

Monday – Replacement Deadline 1pm – Brackets released on NCAA.com at 6pm – d3wrestle.com Final Rankings and Picks Game posted that evening

Tuesday – d3wrestle.com Weight Class Previews 125, 133, 141

Wednesday – d3wrestle.com Weight Class Previews 149, 157, 165, 174

Thursday – d3wrestle.com Weight Class Previews 184, 197, 285

Friday – Session 1 begins at 11am, Session 2 begins at 6pm

Saturday – Session 3 begins at 10am, Parade of All-Americans at 6:30pm

It’s not too late to order a d3wrestle.com T-Shirt!

The NCAA Wrestling Committee has applied the formula used to select the final ten qualifiers, and the ten wrestlers selected are as follows

Selected to Ensure 16 wrestlers per bracket
Carl DeLuca, UW-Oshkosh, 125
Timothy Hood, Cornell, 125
Eduardo Delgado, Hunter, 157
Reid Dickerson, UW-Whitewater, 174
Zachary Bates, Bridgewater State, 174

Selected to fill out the remaining spots to achieve 170 qualifiers
Max Cohen, Ithaca, 125
Matt Ulrich, Delaware Valley, 141
Eric Oyster, North Central, 149
Ryan Warcynski, Dubuque, 157
Tom Bouressa, Concordia-Moorhead, 285

Full List of 2011 NCAA Qualifiers