Final Results and BracketsWilliamsport, PA - The No. 4 Falcons of Messiah College won their third straight Mideast Regional team title with four champions and seven wrestlers that qualified for the NCAA Championships on Mar. 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Falcons accumulated 139.5 points, 29.5 more points than runner-up finisher Baldwin Wallace.
The seven NCAA qualifiers is a program record by Messiah, breaking the previous mark of five set in 2014.
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125No. 1
Lucas Malmberg defeated No. 9 Jacob Spearman from Washington & Jefferson by a tight 5-2 decision in the semifinal bout. Spearman struck first with a takedown on the edge of the match and took an early 2-0 lead.
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Next, Malmberg earned a quick escape and shot a double leg takedown for two more points. Leading 3-2, Malmberg tallied another escape and finished the second period with a 4-2 advantage. Spearman chose down in the third period and Malmberg rode Spearman for the entire period for the 5-2 decision with riding time.
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Malmberg captured his third straight Mideast Region title with a second period fall over Asher Kramer of Brockport. Malmberg had an early 4-1 lead when he lifted Kramer and put I a turk for four back points. In the second period, Malmberg locked up a three quarter nelson and earned the fall.Â
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157No. 7
Larry Cannon lost by fall to Brett Beltz of Thiel in the semifinals during the first period. Beltz scored the first and only takedown of the match from a scramble position. Cannon was coming around for a reversal when Beltz captured Cannon's head and turned him with a headlock for the fall.
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In his consolation semifinal match, Cannon made quick work of Blake Dixon from John Carroll with a fall in 1:44.
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Cannon earned third place at 157 pounds with a 5-3 decision over Ian Evans of Scranton. Cannon tallied a first period takedown off a double leg attack and headed into the second period with a 2-1 lead. Cannon held a 3-1 lead late into the third period when Evans reversed Cannon.
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Cannon had riding time so Evans let Cannon escape and looked for a takedown. Cannon successfully held off Evans late comeback for third place and a bid to the national championships.
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165Jeff Hojnacki grinded out a tough 9-6 decision in the semifinals over Anthony Arroyo of Baldwin Wallace. Hojnacki  scored the first takedown of the match off a single leg attack. Shortly after, Hojnack locked up a cradle and turned Arroyo for two back points.
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Arroyo responded with an escape but Hojnacki capitalized with another takedown.
Arroyo tallied two takedowns late in the match but Hojnacki held him off for the 9-6 victory.
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Jeff Hojnacki won a Mideast Region crown with a 10-4 decision over No. 2 Nolan Barger of Lycoming. Barger scored the first takedown of the match, but Hojnacki capitalized with a reversal at the end of the first period.
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Hojnacki chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped. Next, Hojnacki tallied another takedown to pull ahead of Barger 5-2. Barger took injury time which led to Hojnacki getting his choice on where he wanted to start.
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Hojnacki chose the down position and Barger started with an optional start. Barger hit a cement mixer for two back points and Hojnacki quickly escaped. During the third period Hojnacki led 8-4 when he secured another takedown for the 10-4 victory.
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174No. 5
Ben Swarr dominated Troy Semour of Oswego State by a 12-1 major decision in the semifinal bout. Swarr quickly took an early lead with a takedown and locked up a tilt for four points for a 6-0 advantage. Swarr used multiple escapes, takedown, and riding time for the 12-1 major decision victory.
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No. 5
Ben Swarr dropped a tight 7-6 decision to No. 8 Garret Chase of Baldwin Wallace and finished second in the Mideast Region. Chase tallied the first takedown of the match with a single leg at the edge of the mat and Swarr quickly escaped.
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During the second period, Swarr reversed Chase but Chase quickly escaped and tied the match at three. The third period started with an escape from chase and a takedown by Swarr. Chase responded with an escape of his own and another single leg takedown at the edge of the mat that decided the match.
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184No. 3
Josh Thomson handled Rocco Hladney of Elizabethtown with a 10-3 decision in the semifinal bout. Thomson tallied a plethora of takedowns and limited Hladney to only escapes.
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Thomson won his third regional title with a 6-2 decision over Dillen Decker of Heidelberg. Thomson accumulated two takedowns, an escape, and riding time for the comfortable victory.
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197No. 8
Kyle Koser lost by fall to Tyler Maclellan of Baldwin Wallace in the third period during the semifinals. Koser scored the held a comfortable 4-1 lead in the third down when he reacted to a snap down attempt by Maclellan and pulled his head up a little too high. Maclellan took advantage by throwing a headlock and pinned Koser for the upset.
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Koser dominated John Short of York College by a 17-0 technical fall in the second period during his consolation semifinal match. Koser used multiple takedowns and a couple tilts to rack up his 17 points.
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Kyle Koser won his third place bout by medical forfeit over No. 10 Daniel Smith of Oswego State.
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285Jason Wright dominated No. 7 Cole Tristram of Brockport in the semifinals with a fall in the third period. During the first period Wright secured a takedown to Tristram's back and collected two near fall points.
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Wright led 4-1 late in the second period when he scored a takedown with ten seconds left and extended his lead to 6-1. Finally, Wright perfected a double leg takedown right to Tristram's back and secured the third period fall.
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Wright won his first Mideast Regional championship with a 5-0 decision over Will Porter of John Carroll. Wright scored a takedown in the first period and used an escape and two stalling points to pull ahead 5-0.
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Next, Wright tallied a takedown in the third period and accumulated riding time for the 7-0 major decision.
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