According to team rosters, there were 68 seniors set to wrestle in this weekend’s NCAA Championships. Ideally, the tournament would begin this afternoon, and those athletes would have the chance to put an exclamation mark on their careers. Sadly, they will not have that opportunity. For some of them, this was their one and one chance to compete in an NCAA Championship. For others, it was their last chance to get on the podium and forever be an All-American. Some were looking for a first NCAA title, and all were looking forward to one last competition in team colors. Here are the names of those 68 athletes listed by school. Please let me know if anyone is missing or on this list in error. They can be recognized here, even if they will not have that chance in Cedar Rapids.

Brendan Ladd, Alma, 141
Ryan Epps, Augsburg, 157
David Flynn, Augsburg, 141
Victor Gliva, Augsburg, 133
Lucas Jeske, Augsburg, 165
Tanner Vassar, Augsburg, 184
Aaron Wilson, Augsburg, 149
Zeckary Lehman, Baldwin Wallace, 197
Charlie Nash, Baldwin Wallace, 133
Nathan Fritz, Central, 184
Duncan Lee, Central, 285
Steve Bonsall, Chicago, 157
AJ Aeberli, Coast Guard, 174
Patrick Irwin, Coast Guard, 285
Cole Erickson, Coe, 157
Taylor Mehmen, Coe, 197
Kordell Rush, Delaware Valley, 133
Dylan Roth, Heidelberg, 184
Ben Brisman, Ithaca, 149
Austin Whitney, Ithaca, 165
Da’mani Burns, JWU, 149
Michael DiNardo, JWU, 285
Mitchell Hertel, La Crosse, 165
Sawyer Massie, La Crosse, 184
Clint Lembeck, Loras, 141
Brandon Murray, Loras, 157
Guy Patron, Loras, 197
Eddie Smith, Loras, 165
Hadyn Swartwood, Lycoming, 174
Joshua Glantzman, Merchant Marine, 184
Stephen Maloney, Messiah, 157
Sean Redington, Messiah, 125
Seth Hayes, Mount Union, 125
Conner Homan, Mount Union, 174
Jimmy Fratantoni, Muhlenberg, 184
Austin Sherman, Muhlenberg, 149
Marc Fleenor, North Central, 141
Ian Mullen, North Central, 133
Anthony Rink, North Central, 149
Evan Drill, NYU, 149
Jack La Corte, NYU, 197
Sean Lyons, NYU, 157
Seth Transue, Ohio Northern, 133
Drew Kasper, Otterbein, 285
John Donohue, RIT, 197
Dempsey King, RIT, 165
Sam Weinger, RIT, 285
Keegan Connelly, Scranton, 285
Peter Del Gallo, Southern Maine, 125
Joe Fusco, Springfield, 285
Noah Becker, St. John’s, 133
Thomas Poklikuha, Stevens, 165
Troy Stanich, Stevens, 141
Dylan Van Sickell, Stevens, 157
Daniel Kilroy, TCNJ, 174
Daniel Ortega, TCNJ, 125
John Boyle, W. New England, 184
Darden Schurg, Wabash, 174
Max Forsyth, Wartburg, 165
Martine Sandoval, Wartburg, 157
Michael Heinl, Washington & Jefferson, 149
Hunter Neely, Washington & Jefferson, 174
Shane Conners, Washington & Lee, 165
Rexx Hallyburton, Washington & Lee, 184
Hazen Rice, Whitewater, 141
Ryder Sigler, Whitewater, 165
Mike Tortorice, Whitewater, 125
Tyler Marsh, WPI, 165

All winter NCAA Championships, including DIII wrestling, are canceled.

Here is part of an email sent to the coaches

As most of you know, several sporting events have been canceled today. The NCAA has determined that all winter and spring championships, including the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship, are canceled, effective immediately. 

2019 All-Americans in Bold, Qualifiers in Italics

Heavyweight has the most new faces of any weight in the tournament. Only the top-ranked Drew Kasper placed last year, and Patrick Irwin of Coast Guard is the only other returner at the weight. Northeast champ Michael DiNardo of Johnson & Wales qualified at 197 last year, but the other 15 competitors were not in the bracket. Kasper is currently undefeated with wins over five of the entries at this weight.

Joe Fusco and Nico Ramirez both qualified here in 2018, while Sam Weinger qualified for RIT in 2017. All three finished 3rd in their respective regions to earn a trip back to the tournament. DiNardo and Irwin finished ahead of Fusco, while Ramirez is behind freshman Rocky McGeary of Waynesburg. Richard Knapp won the Mideast and has split with Weinger. Duncan Lee won the Lower Midwest as a seventh seed. A surprise in that region was Jerhett Lee, who had not lost a DIII match before the tournament, finishing sixth. Jordon Lemcke won an Upper Midwest region where the top seed did not qualify despite having a single DIII loss before the tournament.

Isaiah Espinoza of Adrian finished 3rd in his region but has wins this year over McGeary, Rodenhaber, and Lee. He earned his spot with a tiebreaker win over 2019 qualifier Grant Miller of Wheaton. The final spot in the Lower Midwest also came down to a tiebreaker with Wartburg’s Jordon Brandon prevailing to give his team their fifth qualifier.

Here is the latest on the 2020 NCAA Championships.
1. Tickets will not be sold
2. All tickets previously sold are now invalid
3. The NCAA will distribute 6 passes per qualifier and 1 per coach to be used for limited family members
4. Media and event workers will be permitted to enter

See below:

NCAA President Mark Emmert released the following statement today:

The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel. Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance. While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes. We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-president-mark-emmerts-statement-limiting-attendance-ncaa-events

This should include the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships this week in Cedar Rapids. No other information is currently available.

2019 All-Americans in Bold, Qualifiers in Italics

The defending champion Lance Benick of Augsburg is just 5-2 this season. Neither of the wrestlers he lost to qualified, and he has not competed against anyone in this year’s field. Guy Patron, the top ranked wrestler from Loras, is undefeated this year. He was 3rd, 2nd, and 6th at this tournament the past three years. He has a pin over the 2nd ranked Mehmen who beat Patron in the 5th place match last season. Patron forfeited the regional final to Mehmen. Zeckary Lehman of Baldwin Wallace is the fourth All-American in the bracket. He won the Central region and hopes to improve on his 8th place finish last season.

Both Northeast finalists qualified last year, though Tommy Wrzesien of JWU was at 285 in 2019. Jonathan Wagner of Coast Guard won the region, and his only matches against other qualifiers are in-region. Quinn Haddad of TCNJ and Isaac Lahr of La Crosse both won their region finals by forfeit. Haddad has a loss to Southeast champ Michael Dooley of Stevens who lost to Wrzesien but has wins over four other qualifiers. Lahr has a few wins in the tournament along with a pin over last year’s 3rd place finisher who missed the second half of the season.

Johnson & Wales swapped their 285 and 197 from last year, and both have qualified again. Tommy Wrzesien lost both his matches at 285, while Michael DiNardo finished in the round of 12 at 197. Both will be in contention to place in Cedar Rapids.