GRANTHAM, Pa. – For the second year in a row, the National Collegiate Athletic Association took away the chance for Division III wrestlers to compete for a National Championship with the cancelation of the NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championships earlier this winter, however, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) stepped up. This weekend, the best of Division III wrestling will head to the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, for the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships.
The two-day event will look and feel very similar to a traditional NCAA National Championship with each weight class field slightly larger than normal with around 32 wrestlers in each class. The Falcons will be represented in all 10 weight classes with five of their entries seeded in the top-12 in their respective weight class.
The action will get started on Friday afternoon at noon CT/1pm ET. See below for a quick preview of the action and links to follow along.
Messiah's Line-Up
With a change in the format, all teams entering the event are able to bring their starting line-up since there were no Regional qualifying tournaments prior to the event. As a result, the Falcons have all 10 members of their starting line-up making the trip to Iowa. Of the 10 Falcons slated for action, five are ranked in the top 12 in their respective weight class.
125 – Asa Brunk – Fr. - 125 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 4-5 record, 8 takedowns, 2 reversals, 9 escapes
In his first season with the Falcons,
Asa Brunk has compiled a 4-5 record with his highlight moment coming against Andrew Finateri of Stevens. Against Finateri, Brunk earned a 7-4 decision to help Messiah to a key 21-17 victory over the Ducks on Feb. 20. This weekend's action will be Brunk's first time on the National Stage.
133 – No. 5 Josiah Gehr – Jr. - 133 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 2-0 record, 1 fall, 2 takedowns, 1 near fall, 1 reversal
In limited action this season, Gehr has been outstanding. His only action of the season so far came at Division I Clarion, where he went 2-0 with a fall in 4:37 and an injury-shortened victory. The previous National Qualifier at 125 lbs. in 2019 will be back in the National Spotlight as the No. 5 seed.
141 – Dalton Daugherty – Jr. - 141 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 2-7 record, 11 takedowns, 1 near fall, 2 reversals, 13 escapes
Daugherty's highlight of the season may have come against TCNJ in a dual on Feb. 10, earning a 10-4 decision over Domenic Difrancescantonio. Against some stiff competition, Daugherty has a 2-7 record this season, but has shown his ability to earn takedowns, currently ranking tied for fourth on the team with 11.
149 – No. 7 Garret Cornell – So. - 149 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 2-2 record, 2 falls, 3 takedowns, 1 near fall, 10 escapes
A National Qualifier as a freshman in 2020,
Garret Cornell had to wait a year to compete at a National Event until the end of his sophomore campaign. In limited action, Cornell has lived up to his reputation as a pinner, earning both of his victories by fall. His two setbacks this season have come against top-seeded Brett Kaliner (Stevens) and a Division I foe from Clarion. Look for Cornell to make some noise as the No. 7 seed in the 149 lbs. weight class.
157 – Nick Barnhart – So. - 157 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 4-3 record, 3 falls, 9 takedowns, 3 reversals, 6 escapes
Barnhart has been a pinner this season with three falls in just seven bouts this season. Barnhart likes to get to work quickly, with all three of those falls coming in the first period. Additionally, Barnhart was named the MAC Wrestler of the Week after a fall against Averett.
165 – No. 7 Matt Pangle – Sr. - 165 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 4-3 record, 2 falls, 11 takedowns, 1 near fall, 10 escapes
Senior
Matt Pangle has put together a strong final campaign in Grantham, earning the No. 7 seed at the National Tournament thanks to a 4-3 record this season with a pair of falls. Pangle got his season started with a bang, picking up a first-period fall in the first dual of the year. He's currently tied for fourth on the team with 11 takedowns. Pangle will be making his first appearance on the National Stage.
174 – No. 4 Brian Shermeyer – Sr. - 174 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 5-2 record, 1 fall, 16 takedowns, 1 reversal, 2 near falls, 11 escapes
Brian Shermeyer will be making his third-straight trip to the National Tournament after a strong senior campaign with a 5-2 record. With 16 takedowns to his name, Shermeyer is averaging north of two takedowns per match and enters the National Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the country. Shermeyer has been in a number of tight matches this season, nearly always ending on top, but did close out the regular season with a key fall to help clinch a victory over Averett.
184 – No. 3 David Stevens – Sr. - 184 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 5-2 record, 1 fall, 10 takedowns, 2 reversals, 4 near falls, 7 escapes
David Stevens enters the National Tournament as the highest-ranked Falcon in their lineup this season. After qualifying for Nationals last season, Stevens is the most recent in a long line of success for the Falcons at 184 lbs. (Messiah has qualified a wrestler at 184 lbs. to Nationals for each of the last 11 years). Stevens has been solid all year, going 5-0 against all Division III opponents. His only two losses came by a total of three points against Division I foes at Clarion.
197 – Spencer Clements – Jr. - 197 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 1-5 record, 4 takedowns, 1 reversal, 2 near falls, 4 escapes
Spencer Clements earned a 9-2 decision over Elijah Moseley in a season-opening dominating victory for the Falcons over Shenandoah University, his lone victory of the shortened season. Clements will be making his debut on the National Stage with an appearance this weekend.
285 – Carter Urich – Jr. - 285 lbs. preview from D3Wrestle.com
2021 Season Stats: 3-3 record, 4 takedowns, 1 reversal, 3 escapes
With rotating line-ups and the lack of heavyweights from a number of teams that the Falcons dueled,
Carter Urich has seen limited action so far this season. Urich's season highlight was a 9-3 decision over Delaware Valley's Dan Eckley as the Falcons rolled the Aggies 42-9. Urich will be making his debut under the bright lights of the National Tournament this weekend.
How to Follow
As mentioned, the action this weekend gets started on Friday afternoon at noon CT/1pm ET. The Tournament will conclude on Saturday with Day Two scheduled to get started at 10am CT/11am ET. Fans can follow along with live results and live video courtesy of FloWrestling, but you should note that live video requires a subscription to the site. GoMessiah.com and @MessiahSports on Twitter will be updated throughout the Tournament.
