Cleveland, Ohio - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team is tied for 10th-place after Friday's first day of competition at the 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships at the Cleveland Public Auditorium. Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission are serving as hosts of the championships.
The Eagles have 21.5 team points for a 10th-place tie with University of Mount Union (Ohio). Wartburg College (Iowa) leads the team standings with 76.5 points while Augsburg University (Minn.) is second with 4.5 and Ithaca College (N.Y. ) third with 44.0. Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) is fourth (32.0).
Three UWL wrestlers earned NCAA Division III All-America honors Friday in advancing to Saturday's competition. The Eagles'
Sawyer Massie at 174-pounds,
Wesley Schultz at 197-pounds and
Konrad Ernst at 285-pounds earned their first career All-America award.
Massie went 2-1 on Friday. After opening with a loss by decision (9-7) to eighth-seeded Brandon Conrad of Lycoming College (Pa.), he won by fall (4:23) over Jaison White of Ithaca (N.Y.) in the consolation first round. Massie then won by decision (2-1) over seventh-seeded Daniel Kilroy of The College of New Jersey in the consolation second round. He will face sixth-seeded Jake Voss of Coe (Iowa) in Saturday's consolation quarterfinals. Massie is now 26-8 on the season.
Seventh-seeded Schultz also went 2-1 in Friday's action at 197-pounds. He won by fall (1:33) over Hasan Alic of York College (Pa.) in the first round before losing by decision (11-4) to second-seeded Guy Patron of Loras College (Iowa) in the quarterfinals. Schultz, 27-9 on the season with a team-leading 16 wins by fall, came back to win by decision (7-5) over Ramsey Bloy of UW-Eau Claire in the consolation second round to secure All-America honors. He faces Dylan Diebitz of UW-Stevens Point in the consolation quarterfinals Saturday morning.
Ernst went 3-1 on Friday at 285-pounds. He lost by sudden victory (6-4) to Jonah Aurelio of Johnson & Wales (R.I.) in his opening match. Ernst then won three straight match to earn his All-America award. He won by fall (5:49) over Nathan Barcaskey of Ohio Northern University in the wrestlebacks and by fall (4:28) over Joe Fusco of Springfield College (Mass.) in the consolation first round. Ernst, 25-4 on the year, won by decision (7-6) over Nico Ramirez of Southern Virginia in the consolation second round. He wrestles sixth-seeded Austin Bellile of Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) in the consolation quarterfinals.
The Eagles'
Spencer Nevills went 1-2 at 149-pounds Friday to finish his season at 25-14. Nevills lost by decision (6-5) to third-seeded Gregory Warner of York College (Pa.) in the first round before a win by decision (9-5) over Josh Lawson of Elmhurst College (Ill.) in the consolation first round. He was eliminated after a loss by decision (6-1) to Trevor Corl of Lycoming College (Pa.) in the consolation second round.
UWL's
Hayden Schlough went 0-2 at 141-pounds in Friday's national championship to finish the year at 19-11. He lost by decision (7-3) to eighth-seeded Ben Brisman of Ithaca (N.Y.) in the first round and by decision (5-0) to Sean Lyons of New York University in the wrestlebacks.
Massie, Schultz, Ernst, Nevills and Schlough are all making their first career appearance in the national championships.
UWL has now claimed 121 All-America honors in wrestling, including 105 in the NCAA Division III and 16 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Action continues Saturday, March 10 at 9 a.m. (Central).
