GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah wrestling team earned a pair of individual MAC Champions with
Nick Barnhart (157 lbs.) and
Carter Urich (285 lbs.) ending their day on top of their respective brackets while the team earned a second-place finish at the 2022 MAC Championships. The Falcons hosted seven other conference programs on Saturday for a full day of wrestling. The Stevens Ducks claimed the conference crown with 134.5 team points.
Messiah was the only other school to earn at least 100 team points, finishing the day with 114 good for second place. Alvernia (98.5 points), York (89.5), and Wilkes (88.5) rounded out the top five.
In addition to their team title, the Stevens Ducks also claimed the most individual Champions with four. Messiah, York, and Alvernia each finished the day with a pair of Champions.
The Falcons have now finished in the top two of each of the last seven MAC Championships contested, dating back to the 2014 Championships.
Messiah will be back on the mats on Friday when they host the Gettysburg Bullets at 7:00 p.m. in a dual.
Two Individual Champions Crowned
Nick Barnhart entered Saturday as the top seed at 149 lbs. thanks to his undefeated record against Division III opponents this season. Barnhart lived up to the billing, going 4-0 on the day with a pair of falls in his first two rounds of the day, a major decision in the semifinals, and a 6-3 decision in the Championship bout to claim the title.
His day quickly started with pins of 1:50 and 6:30 against Nicholas Paolucci (York) and Jonah Schechtman (Stevens) in his first two bouts. Then a 12-2 major decision over Alvernia's Robert Lawlor landed him in the finals against Stevens' Hunter Gutierrez. Facing Gutierrez for the second time this season, Barnhart earned a 6-3 decision to claim the MAC Championship Title.
Messiah's other individual champ,
Carter Urich, had an exciting journey on Saturday. Urich also went 4-0 on the day and started his day with a fall over Nevin Rauch (Wilkes) in 2:44. After that, Urich moved into the semifinals with a thrilling 3-1 overtime decision against Delaware Valley's Austin Williams. Squaring off against the top seed in the bracket and the No. 12th-ranked wrestling at 285 lbs. in Division III, Urich dominated John Fulmer to the tune of an 11-2 major decision.
His Championship opponent was the second-seeded Daniel Eckley (Delaware Valley). Urich earned a key takedown in the second period, before sealing the 285 lbs. MAC Championship with a takedown in the final seconds to claim the 5-2 decision.
Two More Reach Finals
In addition to Barnhart and Urich, Messiah advanced two other wrestlers into the finals with
Josiah Gehr (141 lbs.) and
Jake Coniglio (149 lbs.) finishing as the runner-up in their respective weight class. Both Gehr and Coniglio went against Stevens' wrestlers ranked in the top-five nationally, with Gehr dropping a 5-1 decision to No. 5 Kyle Slendorn and Coniglio losing by technical fall 24-6 to No. 1 Brett Kaliner.
Gehr cruised through his bracket at 141 lbs. to advance to the finals, earning a first-period fall over Noah Clawson (King's), an 18-1 technical fall over Mike Rubino (Delaware Valley), and an 8-1 decision over Quinn Tobin (Alvernia).
Like Gehr, Coniglio made easy work of his first two opponents earning a 21-3 technical fall over Bret Murphy (King's) and a pin against Declan Smith (Delaware Valley). His semifinal was a tight one, but Coniglio prevailed with a 5-4 decision thanks to a riding time point over Jared Blair (York).
Needles and Slayton Win Third-Place Match
The Falcons went a perfect 2-0 in the third-place match on Saturday with
Zach Needles (165 lbs.) and
Ryder Slayton (184 lbs.) winning their final bouts of the day. Needles earned a 13-6 decision over Stevens' James Snyder while Slayton shutout another Stevens Duck, Brendan Newbury 6-0.
In addition to the third-place victories, Needles and Slayton had other highlights. Needles went 4-1 on the day, picking up a fall and a technical fall. Slayton had to battle his way back through the consolation bracket after losing his first match of the day. Slayton won four-straight bouts to finish his day on the podium. Three of those four victories were hard-fought decisions, including an overtime victory against Stevens' Michael Conrad.
Trio More Place
Jordan Howard (133 lbs.),
Camerin Deville (149 lbs.), and
Joe Embleton (197 lbs.) also placed on Saturday. Howard took fifth with a 6-3 decision over King's Nick Germando while Deville and Embleton finished the day in sixth place.
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action later this week when the host the Gettysburg Bullets for a dual in Hitchcock Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m.
