CORALVILLE, Iowa - Three Falcons were in action on Saturday for Day Two of the NWCA National Tournament at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. After a perfect 3-0 day on Friday,
Brian Shermeyer began Saturday in the Championship Bracket at 174 lbs., while Garett Cornell and
David Stevens were battling back through the Consolation Bracket at 149 lbs. and 184 lbs., respectively.
Shermeyer faced a tough test in his Semifinal Match, falling to top-seeded Kyle Briggs (Wartburg) before finishing the Tournament in fifth place. Garett Cornell matched Shermeyer with a fifth-place finish, earning a pair of pins on the day to bring his tournament total to six in eight matches.
David Stevens finished his weekend in seventh place, topping No. 8 Helton Vandenbush (MSOE) in his final bout.
With their placement's all three earned All-American honors for the second time in their career. Previously the trio earned the National honors last season as National Qualifiers to the canceled NCAA Division III Championships in 2020.
While there was no team scoring for the Tournament, Messiah was one of just 11 schools to have three or more wrestlers earn All-American honors.
See below for a quick recap of Saturday's action:
149 - No. 5 Garret Cornell
Consolation Round of 4 -
Garret Cornell fall (5:38) over No. 8 Noah Caskey (Coast Guard)
Consolation Semifinals - No. 3 Zeke Smith (Loras) dec. (7-6) over
Garret Cornell
Fifth-Place Match - Garet Cornell fall (1:20) over No. 12 Peter McCusket (Milikin)
After four falls in his five bouts on Friday,
Garret Cornell picked up right where he left off, earning two more fall en route to a fifth-place finish. In the Consolation Round of 4, Cornell took a 4-0 lead after a reversal and a pair of nearfall points. A takedown early in the third period led to his fifth pin of the weekend in 5:38 against No. 8 Noah Caskey (Coast Guard).
In the consolation semifinals, Cornell dropped a tight, 7-6 decision to No. 3 Zeke Smith. The match featured just one takedown, but for reversals and two nearfall points, but it was a penalty point awarded to Smith midway through the third period that was the difference.
In the fifth-place match, Cornell wasted little time disposing of No. 12 Peter McCusker (Milikin) with a fall in 1:20. McCusker had a big lift of Cornell early in the match, but the Messiah sophomore was able to grab an ankle on the way down, eventually earning the takedown and the fall before the midpoint of the first period.
174 lbs. - No. 4 Brian Shermeyer
Championship Semifinals - No. 1 Kyle Briggs (Wartburg) fall (5:23) over
Brian Shermeyer
Consolation Semifinals - Zachary Wells (Olivet) dec. (10-5) over
Brian Shermeyer
Fifth-Place Match -
Brian Shermeyer maj. dec. (12-0) over No. 5 George Moseley (Averett)
As mentioned,
Brian Shermeyer had his work cut out for him against the top-seeded Kyle Briggs from Wartburg in the National Semifinals. Briggs earned a takedown less than a minute into the period and claimed four near fall points to take a 6-0 lead after the opening period. Briggs extended his lead in the second with a reversal and nearfall, but Shermeyer got on the board with an escape 30 seconds into the period. Leading 14-1 after the second, Briggs earned the fall in 5:23.
Shermeyer dropped his second-straight bout in the consolation semifinals to Olivet's Zachary Wells by a 10-5 decision, sending him to the fifth-place match. His final collegiate match was against a familiar foe, Averett's George Moseley. Shermeyer and Moseley had squared off two times earlier this season with Shermeyer earning a fall in a dual and a decision yesterday in the Quarterfinals. For the third time this season, the match-up belonged to Shermeyer. The Messiah senior capped off his run through the Tournament with a 12-0 major decision. Shermeyer did the majority of his work in the opening period getting a takedown and a set of narfall points to build a 6-0 lead. Midway through the third period, Shermeyer held a 9-0 lead, scoring a takedown late to clinch the major decision.
184 lbs. - No. 3 David Stevens
Consolation Round of 4 - No. 7 Brock Montford (North Central) dec. (4-2) over
David Stevens
Seventh-Place Match -
David Stevens dec. (5-3) over Helton Vandenbush (Milwaukee School of Engineering)
David Stevens dropped a tough 4-2 decision against North Central's Brock Montford in the Consolation Round of 4. Montford collected the only takedown of the match with a minute left in the first period. Each wrestler earned an escape with Stevens picking up a stalling point late. Unfortunately, it was not enough as Montford held on for the 4-2 decision.
The loss sent
David Stevens to the Seventh-Place Match where he held off Milwaukee School of Engineering's Helton Vandenbush. Stevens picked up takedowns in the second and third periods while Vandenbush could only muster a trio of escapes as Stevens claimed the 5-3 decision.
