2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships Website
Cedar Rapids, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team completed first day action at the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships Friday night at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse. The Eagles are tied for 22nd with 12.0 team points. Wartburg College (Iowa) leads with 58.0 points while Augsburg University (Minn.) is second with 45.0 and Wabash College (Ind.) third with 40.5.
North Central College (Ill.) is fourth (32.5) and Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) fifth (29.5). A total of 70 teams have scored points.
UWL had a pair of wrestlers advance to Saturday's competition, including
Nolan Hertel at 157-pounds and
Seth Brossard at 165.
Nolan Hertel advanced in the 157-pound division.
Seeded-sixth at 157-pounds, Hertel went 2-1 on the day. He opened the championships with a win by decisoin (4-0) over Zarik Anderson of the University of Dubuque (Iowa) before losing by decision (5-3) to Nathan Lackman of Rhode Island College in the quarterfinals. Hertel, 24-4 on the season, came back with a win by decision (8-2) over Matthew Sacco of The College of New Jersey in the consolation second round. He will face seventh-seeded Darian Estevez from the University of Chicago (Ill.) Saturday.
Brossard, seeded-fourth at 165, also finished 2-1 in Friday's action. After losing by decision (12-6) to Jaden Datz of Washington and Jefferson College (Pa.), Brossard won by decision (7-3) over Gabe Fiser of Loras College (Iowa) in the first round of consolations. He won by fall (2:52) over Philip Rogers from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the consolation second round. Brossard, 23-3 on the season, will take on Chase Schmidt from UW-Eau Claire on Saturday morning.
Seth Brossard went 2-1 on Friday.
The Eagles'
Brandon Murphy went 0-2 at 125-pounds Friday. He lost by decision (10-4) to top-seeded Jacob Decatur of Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) in the first round and by sudden victory (8-6) to Jack Stanley of the University of Mount Union (Ohio) in the consolation first round. Making his first appearance in the NCAA III Championships, Murphy finishes 12-16 on the season.
Ben Kawczynski, seeded-eighth, went 2-2 on Friday to finish 28-8 this year. He opened with a decision (4-1) over Owen Miller of Albion College (Mich.) in the preliminary round before losing by decision (3-2) to Nico Ramirez of Southern Virginia University in the first round. Kawczynski came back with a victory (2-1) over Max Bishop of Wabash College (Ind.) in the consolation first round, but was eliminated after losing by fall (:59) to Kaleb Reeves of Coe College (Iowa) in the second round of the consolation bracket.
The Eagles tied for 24th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships in Roanoke, Virginia. UWL totaled 16.0 team points. Augsburg University (Minn.) captured the national title with 130.0 points while Loras College (Iowa) was second with 66.0, Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) third with 63.0 and Ithaca College (N.Y.) fourth with 59.6.
The 2020 and 2021 NCAA III Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat.
UWL has 22 top-10 finishes at the national championships since joining the NCAA III in 1992, including a school-best second-place showing in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2010. The Eagles finished with a school record 106.0 points at the 2006 championships. The Eagles have had 13 top-four finishes at the national meet.
The Eagles have claimed 20 (14 wrestlers) NCAA III individual champions. UWL has claimed 128 All-America honors in wrestling, including 112 in the NCAA III and 16 in the NAIA. The Eagles had a school record seven wrestlers earn All-America recognition in 2005 and 2006. Five wrestlers earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-America honors in 2020, based on overall work through the NCAA Division III Regional Tournaments.
Dave Malecek is in his 16th season as UWL's head coach, leading the Eagles to top-four finishes at the NCAA III Championships in seven of his first 14 years. UWL placed second in 2008 and 2010, third in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and fourth in 2012 and 2013. He has led UWL to 11 WIAC titles (2007-11, 2017-22) and been selected the Mertz Mortorelli WIAC Coach of the Year on seven occasions (2007-11, 2015, 2017). UWL has earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award the last five seasons (2018-22). Malecek was named the 2020 NCAA III Upper Midwest Regional Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a second-place finish after nine (out of 10) wrestlers placed in the top-four.
