2019 NCAA Championships Brackets (TrackWrestling)

All Brackets in One Document

With no more wrestling before the NCAA Championships, here are the standings in the season-long awards presented by the NCAA. It is important to keep in mind that these standings only take into account matches within Division III. Falls and tech falls are self-explanatory. Most Dominant is a calculation of average team points per match with losses counted as negative (e.g., a fall is worth 6; losing by fall is -6).

James Bethel and Jake Evans met in the 285 finals last year and are in the top two spots for both Most Dominant and Most Falls. Bethel is one fall behind Evans but is much lower on time, so a tie will favor the Oneonta wrestler. Da’mani Burns of JWU is also one back and could win the award if things break his way. Stephen Maloney has a 2 tech fall lead over last year’s winner Jay Albis, and the times are close enough that Albis will likely need three more tech falls than Maloney in Roanoke to take the award again.

NCAA Championships matches will count and the final awards will be presented at the conclusion of the tournament.

Last year’s winners
Most Dominant – Jake Ashcraft, Ithaca
Most Falls – Isaiah Bellamy, Wesleyan
Most Tech Falls – Jay Albis, Johnson & Wales

This list comes from the home state listed on each roster.

113 of 180 qualifiers go to school in their home state

List of Qualifiers by Home State

New Jersey: 27
Pennsylvania: 22
Ohio: 17
Illinois: 16
Iowa: 14
New York: 14
Minnesota: 11
Indiana, Wisconsin: 8
Michigan: 7
Connecticut, Virginia: 6
California, Massachusetts: 4
Maryland: 3
Florida, Maine, Texas: 2
Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont: 1

Click for list by weight and region

Regional Results

Number of Qualifiers by Team
74 of 108 teams qualified this year

Friday & Saturday
Southeast at Lycoming – Preview | Live Results
Central at Wabash – Preview | Live Results
Upper Midwest at Eau Claire – Preview | Live Results

Saturday & Sunday
Northeast at Johson & Wales – Preview | Live Results
Mideast at Brockport – Preview | Live Results
Lower Midwest at Five Flags Center – Preview | Live Results

d3wrestle.com Individual Rankings
NWCA Team Rankings

Date – Friday and Saturday, February 22-23, 2019

Location – McPhee Physical Education Center, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Teams (17) – Augsburg, Chicago, Concordia-Moorhead, Concordia Wisconsin, Elmhurst, Lakeland, MSOE, Pacific, St. John’s, St. Olaf, Wheaton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point, Whitewater

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
125 – 3. Tortorice (Whitewater), 4. Fuentez (Wheaton), 5. Gliva (Augsburg)
133 – 3. Bennyhoff (Augsburg), 8. Vosters (Stevens Point), 9. Stenger (La Crosse)
141 – 6. Rice (Whitewater), 7. McAuliffe (Elmhurst), 9. Flynn (Augsburg)
149 – Wilson (Augsburg)
157 – 2. Epps (Augsburg), 8. Zamin (La Crosse), 9. Derain (Elmhurst)
165 – 1. Jeske (Augsburg), 9. Choinski (Oshkosh)
174 – 3. Massie (La Crosse), 5. Vassar (Augsburg)
184 – 6. Odell (Wheaton), 9. Nielson (Augsburg)
197 – 4. Benick (Augsburg), 5. Kauzlaric (Whitewater)
285 – 4. Ernst (La Crosse)

Top 25 Teams (NWCA list)
2. Augsburg
9. La Crosse
14. Whitewater
20. Concordia Moorhead
21. Oshkosh
22. Stevens Point
24. Chicago

Augsburg was the top ranked team after winning the National Duals over Johnson & Wales. They have dipped to #2 after a tight 16-15 loss to rival Wartburg at the end of last month. They are a strong tournament team with five returning All-Americans, seven returning qualifiers, and two NCAA champs in Ryan Epps and Lucas Jeske. Sam Bennyhoff was a national finalist as well. Along with the returning qualifiers, the Eagles feature Lance Benick who has just one DIII loss and is ranked 4th at 197.

A pair of Wisconsin powers will attempt to dethrone Augsburg this weekend. La Crosse has another typically strong team with two All-Americans, three returning qualifiers overall, and four top ten wrestlers. Whitewater features 3rd place finisher Mike Tortorice at 125, three top ten wrestlers and returning qualifier Nicholas Bonomo who will drop to 165 after spending the season at 174. Concordia Moorhead, Oshkosh, Stevens Point, and Chicago all have multiple individuals looking to punch their tickets to Roanoke. Tops among these is two-time All-American Mark Choinski of Oshkosh.

Two CCIW wrestlers will be looking for their second All-American awards. Jimmy McAuliffe is a sophomore from Elmhurst who finished 7th as a freshman last year. Carlos Fuentez came back from a medical redshirt year to make the 125 final as a #5 seed last season, and he returns to take one more shot at a national championship. He has his work cut out for him with a potential semifinal matchup with #5 Gliva before seeing #3 Tortorice in the finals. Tortorice dealt Fuentez both of his DIII losses this season.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, 2019

Location – Special Events Recreation Center, College at Brockport, Brockport, NY

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Teams (18) – Alfred State, Brockport, Centenary, Cortland, Elizabethtown, Hunter, Ithaca, Keystone, Mount St. Vincent, Muhlenberg, Oneonta, Oswego, RIT, Scranton, Stevens, TCNJ, Ursinus, USMMA

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
February 5th Rankings
125 – Mase (Ithaca)
133 –
141 – 1. Stanich (Stevens), 2. Brisman (Ithaca)
149 – 5. Kaliner (Stevens)
157 – 3. Winters (RIT)
165 – 7. King (RIT)
174 – 8. Kilroy (TCNJ)
184 – 1. Ashcraft (Ithaca), 8. Glantzman (USMMA)
197 – 1. Udott (Centenary)
285 – 2. Bethel (Oneonta), 6. O’Brien (Ithaca), 7. Bunce (USMMA), 10. Calkins (RIT)

Top 30 Teams (NWCA list)
6. Ithaca
13. TCNJ
19. RIT

Ithaca won this region a year ago on their way to a 3rd place NCAA finiah and is well-positioned to take home the title again. With four returning All-Americans including NCAA champion Ben Brisman, they will be a formidable opponent this weekend in Brockport. #1 ranked Jake Ashcraft is back after an abbreviated season and is looking for another podium finish while Ferdinand Mase and #6 Jake O’Brien were also wrestling on Saturday last season.

TCNJ has just one ranked wrestler in 2017 All-American Dan Kilroy, but there are five other Lions elsewhere in the rankings, and the team usually puts a strong wrestler at each of the ten weights. RIT is a little more top heavy with Winters, King, and Calkins all in the top ten. Winters and Calkins both qualified last season but failed to place.

Brett Kaliner of Stevens and James Bethel of Oneonta were both NCAA runners-up last year who are hoping to take one more step up the podium. Kaliner is up a weight and has taken a few DIII losses, while Bethel is 37-1 with his only loss to the #2 wrestler in Division II. Eyes will be on Troy Stanich of Stevens. Stanich entered the last two postseasons undefeated before finishing 3rd each year. This year, he is up to 141 and his only loss is to a DI wrestler at the Princeton Open. Is this the year he breaks through for his first title?

Date – Friday and Saturday, February 22-23, 2019

Location – Knowling Fieldhouse, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Teams (19) – Adrian, Alma, Baldwin Wallace, Case, Defiance, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Manchester, Mount St. Joseph, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Ohio Wesleyan, Olivet, Otterbein, Thomas More, Trine, Wabash, Wilmington

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
February 5th Rankings
125 – 7. Champagne (Wabash), 8. Burkholder (Muskingum), 9. Perelka (John Carroll)
133 – 1. James (Mount Union), 7. Nash (Baldwin Wallace)
141 – 3. Ladd (Alma)
149 – 2. Cooper (Alma), 4. Bleich (Baldwin Wallace), 6. Hernandez (Mount Union)
157 – 5. Pugh (Mount Union)
165 – 3. Arroyo (Baldwin Wallace), 5. Hatch (Wabash)
174 – 1. Schurg (Wabash), 2. James (Mount Union)
184 – 5. Roth (Heidelberg)
197 – 8. Lehman (Baldwin Wallace), 10. Hammack (Heidelberg)
285 –

Top 25 Teams (NWCA list)
4. Wabash
5. Baldwin Wallace
7. Mount Union
15. Olivet

Three top ten teams will slug it out in the Central Region. Wabash was in the NCAA last year and hopes to take home a trophy this March. A pair of returning All-Americans in Kyle Hatch and Darden Schurg lead a group of eight wrestlers who appear somewhere in the d3wrestle.com rankings. On their heels are Baldwin Wallace and Mount Union. Baldwin Wallace has four top ten wrestlers including All-American Anthony Arroyo, while Mount Union is led by the James brothers. Jairod is the defending champ at 174 while Jordin is ranked #1 at 133.

Schurg, who finished 4th at 174 last year, defeated Jairod James early this season, and the two have held strong at the top two spots in the rankings all year. Schurg has not lost in DIII, and James only has the loss to Schurg on his record. The regional final could be an NCAA finals preview. Jordin James at 133 has just a single DQ loss in his first season at Mount Union after transferring from Iowa Lakes to join his brother. His toughest competition could come from #7 ranked Charlie Nash of Baldwin Wallace as well as potentially Owen Doster of Wabash, a 2017 All-American.

Alma has a pair of top three individuals in Brendan Ladd and Zachary Cooper. Ladd was an unseeded semifinalist at 141 last year before finishing 6th. Cooper was an NCWA champion for Grand Valley in 2016 and is currently 28-1 with 15 falls. Jordan Burkholder of Muskingum is ranked 8th and hopes to become his school’s first All-American since 2001.

Date – Friday and Saturday, February 22-23, 2018

Location – Lamade Gymnasium, Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Teams (20) – Averett, Delaware Valley, Ferrum, Gettysburg, Greensboro, Johns Hopkins, King’s, Lycoming, McDaniel, Messiah, Penn College, Penn State Behrend, Pitt Bradford, Southern Virginia, Thiel, Washington & Jefferson, Washington & Lee, Waynesburg, Wilkes, York

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
February 5th Rankings
125 – 10. Gehr (Messiah)
133 – 6. Cavallo (Johns Hopkins)
141 –
149 – 3. Maloney (Messiah), 9. Warner (York), 10. Heinl (Washington & Jefferson)
157 – Corl (Lycoming), Edwards (Messiah)
165 – 6. Racanelli (Wilkes)
174 – 9. Sindoni (York), 10. Kowalski (Gettysburg)
184 –
197 –
285 – 1. Evans (Waynesburg), 5. Wesneski (Lycoming), 8. Triandafilou (Gettysburg)

Top 25 Teams (NWCA list)
23. York
25. Ferrum

A few teams will be in contention for the team title this weekend at Lycoming. York returns four qualifiers from last year including 3x All-American Greg Warner. Ferrum returns three 2018 qualifiers and four overall including defending region champion Andrew Tolbert at 165. Both teams had strong dual meet seasons and are solid across the board. Messiah has won five regional titles in a row and will be in contention here with a pair of ranked wrestlers and returning All-American Kevin Edwards.

There are several new teams in this region as well. Waynesburg, Washington & Jefferson, and Pitt Bradford come in from western Pennsylvania and will have wrestlers in contention. NCAA all-time wins leader and 2018 NCAA champion Jake Evans of Waynesburg makes an already good 285 weight class that much tougher. Michael Heinl of W&J makes a tough 149 even better.

149 and 285 are two of the tougher weights here. At 149, NCAA runner-up Greg Warner returns along with regional runner-up and 3rd ranked Stephen Maloney of Messiah. The aforementioned Heinl is also in the top ten with only three losses. 285 features returning champ Evans as well as NCAA qualifier Garrett Wesneski from Lycoming at #5 and Paul Triandafilou of Gettysburg at #8. Triandafilou was a freshman All-American in 2016 and will be looking for his second trip to the podium this year.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, 2019

Location – Five Flags Center, Dubuque, IA

Teams (17) – Augustana, Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Cornell, Dubuque, Huntingdon, Loras, Luther, MacMurray, Millikin, Nebraska Wesleyan, North Central, Simpson, University of the Ozarks, Wartburg, Westminster

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
February 5th Rankings
125 – 6. Kyner (Wartburg)
133 – 4. Rathbun (Wartburg), 5. Everson (Loras)
141 – 4. Williams (Millikin), 5. Kelly (Loras), 8. Fritz (Wartburg)
149 – 8. Sax (Westminster)
157 – 1. Cannone (Wartburg), 6. Murray (Loras), 7. Birt (Millikin), 10. Erickson (Coe)
165 – 4. Ross (Wartburg), 8. Kerkhoff (Buena Vista), 10. Smith (Loras)
174 – 4. Briggs (Wartburg), 6. Voss (Coe)
184 – 10. Baldridge (North Central)
197 – 2. Patron (Loras), 3. Jennings (Millikin), 6. Mehman (Coe), 7. Vittal (North Central)
285 – 3. Jones (Augustana)

Top 25 Teams (NWCA List)
1. Wartburg
8. Loras
10. Coe
11. North Central
12. Central
16. Millikin

Defending NCAA champions Wartburg have won this region every year it has been contested, and they are favorites yet again. However, they will be tested if they want to win another NCAA title. A loss to Johnson & Wales at the National Duals combined with a close win over then #1 Augsburg last month have injected some uncertainty into the NCAA race. With a pair of NCAA champions in Brock Rathbun and Cross Cannone, the Knights are well-positioned for March.

Loras, Coe, and Central are all top 12 teams which makes the newly christened American Rivers Conference extremely tough as usual. Loras is led by returning NCAA runner-up Guy Patron and has five wrestlers in the d3wrestle.com top ten. Coe has a pair of returning All-Americans of their own in Cole Erickson and Jake Voss. Central has nobody in the latest top ten, but they do have nine wrestlers appearing somewhere in the rankings. They have a tough lineup from top to bottom and will score well at every weight. Millikin returns three All-Americans and will contend for a top spot. North Central sits at #11 in the team rankings and has a pair of top ten individuals to go along with five others who appear in the d3wrestle.com rankings.

Augustana’s Adarios Jones missed last year with an injury, but in 2017 he finished third in the country, beating both of last year’s finalists along the way. He is currently undefeated and has gotten bonus points in every match but one. Second year program Westminster has a ranked wrestler in Sean Sax who is hoping to be the program’s first ever NCAA qualifier.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, 2019

Location – Wildcat Center, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI

Homepage | TrackWrestling Site

Teams (17) – Bridgewater State, Castleton, Coast Guard, Johnson & Wales, New England, Norwich, NYU, Plymouth State, Rhode Island, Roger Williams, Springfield, Trinity, University of Southern Maine, Wesleyan, Western New England, Williams, WPI

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2018 All-Americans in bold)
February 5th Rankings
125 – 1. Del Gallo (Southern Maine), 2. Albis (Johnson & Wales)
133 – 2. Jordan (Johnson & Wales), 10. Gonyea (Castleton)
141 – 10. Drill (NYU), Ferinde (Johnson & Wales)
149 – 1. Burns (Johnson & Wales), 7. Lyons (NYU)
157 – 4. Sorensen (Trinity)
165 – 2. Shay (Roger Williams), Remke (Coast Guard)
174 –
184 – 2. Detwiler (Coast Guard), 3. Boyle (Western New England), 4. Thomas (Johnson & Wales), 7. Wensley (WPI)
197 – 9. DiNardo (Johnson & Wales)
285 – 9. Fusco (Springfield)

Top 25 Teams (NWCA List)
3. Johnson & Wales
17. NYU
18. Coast Guard

Johnson & Wales knocked off 2018 NCAA champion Wartburg in the semifinals of the National Duals and will bring another strong team into the 2019 postseason. Led by NCAA champion Jay Albis, the Wildcats host this year’s region and should put on a show for the home crowd. They have one DIII dual meet loss (to Augsburg) and a tough schedule that should have them ready for the postseason, and five ranked wrestlers will have them making noise in March.

Coast Guard and NYU have had strong seasons as well, and the two teams had a 19-18 match won by NYU late in the year. Coast Guard returns a pair of 2018 qualifiers in All-American Nick Remke and A.J. Aeberli, while NYU has 149 All-American Evan Drill back at 141 along with qualifier Sean Lyons.

184 is one of the tougher weights with four ranked wrestlers and two returning All-Americans in John Boyle of Western New England and Khamri Thomas of Johnson & Wales. Both defeated Paul Detwiler of Coast Guard early in the season before losing to him in the second semester. 125 and 149 will also be tough as each features a #1 ranked wrestler. Peter Del Gallo of Southern Maine took a late loss but beat Albis this season, while Da’mani Burns has wins over many of the top contenders at 149.