NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional Website

Minneapolis, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team is in second-place after the first day of action at the 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Upper Midwest Regional Friday in Si Melby Hall at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Eagles have 76.0 team points while Augsburg University (Minn.) leads with 77.5. UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville are tied for third with 44.5 points.

A total of 17 teams are competing. Thirty wrestlers, the top-three finishers in each of the 10 weight classes at the Upper Midwest Regional, advance to the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships scheduled for March 9-10 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.

All 10 of UWL's wrestlers advanced to Saturday's second and final day, including eight to the semifinals. Zach Villarreal (125-pounds), Josh Stenger (133), Hayden Schlough (141), Spencer Nevills (149), Grant Zamin (157), Sawyer Massie (174), Wesley Schultz (197) and Konrad Ernst (285) all advanced to the semifinals.

The Eagles' Mitch Hertel (165) and Sean O'Neil (184) advanced through the second consolation round.

Villarreal earned a pair of wins by technical fall Friday, defeating Ryan Boncamper of the University of Chicago (Ill.) in the first round (24-6, 4:53) and Ben Vosters of UW-Stevens Point in the quarterfinal (18-2, 2:57). He faces Carlos Fuentez of Wheaton College (Ill.) in the semifinals. 

Stenger opened with a technical fall (17-1, 6:42) over Gage Bayless of Chicago (Ill.) in the first round and won by fall (:32) over Scott Arneson of UW-Platteville in the quarterfinals. He takes on Sam Bennyhoff of Augsburg (Minn.) in Saturday's semifinals. 

After receiving a first round bye, Schlough won by fall (4:30) over Cameron Calabrese of Wheaton (Ill.) in the quarterfinals. He will face David Flynn of Augsburg (Minn.) in the semifinals. 

Nevills went 2-0 in Friday's action, winning by fall (2:08) over Charles Gieser of St. Olaf College (Minn.) in the first round. He then won by major decision (15-2) over Mason Williams of Chicago (Ill.) in the quarterfinals. Nevills takes on Alex Wilson of Augsburg (Minn.) in the semifinals.

Zamin also earned a pair of victories Friday after a first round bye. He won by major decision (13-3) over Jack Rathburn of MSOE (Wis.) in the second round and by decision (12-6) over John Prieto of Elmhurst College (Ill.) in the quarterfinals. Zamin wrestles Ryan Epps of Augsburg (Minn.) in Saturday's semifinals.

Massie advanced to the semifinals with a win by technical fall (16-1, 6:58) over Tyler Vogt of UW-Eau Claire in the quarterfinals. He won by fall (:53) over Iokepa Aken of Pacific University (Ore.) in the second round after a first round bye. Massie faces Tanner Vassar of Augsburg (Minn.) in the semifinals. 

After a first round bye, Schultz won by fall (1:16) over Duncan Payne of Chicago (Ill.) in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals. He wrestles Dylan Diebitz of UW-Stevens Point in the semifinals.

Ernst won by fall (2:51) over Steve Naldzyhan of Pacific (Ore.) in the first round and by sudden victory (6-4) over Ross Agg of UW-Stevens Point in the quarterfinals. He will wrestle D'Andre Johnson of UW-Platteville in Saturday's semifinals. Ernst placed fourth at the 2017 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.

Hertel and O'Neil each went 2-1 Friday. Hertel, who placed sixth in the regional a year ago, won by decision (10-4) over Joseph Heinz of Concordia Moorhead College (Minn.) in the first round before losing by major decision (11-3) to Chase Schmidt of UW-Eau Claire. He came back to win by fall (1:34) over Alex Montbriand of Concordia University Wisconsin in the consolation second round. Hertel faces Kaleb Winebarger of Pacific (Ore.) in the consolation quarterfinals Saturday.

O'Neil won by major decision (13-0) over Jason Lynch of Chicago (Ill.) in his opening match before losing by decision (3-1) to Colten Cashmore of UW-Oshkosh in the quarterfinals. He then won by decision (5-3) over Mark Miller of Elmhurst (Ill.) in the second round consolation match and will wrestle Isaac Odell of Wheaton (Ill.) in the consolation quarterfinals.

Action continues Saturday, February 24 at 10 a.m.