WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Three members of the Messiah wrestling team competed in Day Two of the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday at Lycoming College. Both
Josiah Gehr (141 lbs.) and
Nick Barnhart (157 lbs.) punched their tickets to the NCAA Division III National Championships by finishing in second place in their respective weight classes.
Gehr and Barnhart both won their semifinal matches by decision to move into the finals. The pair finished as the runners-up in their weight classes, but due to their top-three finish advanced to the National Championships that will take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Mar. 11-12.
As a team, the Falcons finished in ninth place among the 20 teams in attendance. Messiah earned 62.5 points as a team. The Stevens Ducks won the team title, accumulating 160.5 points while Alvernia (151 points), Averett (127), Washington and Lee (103.5), and York (97) rounded out the top-five of the team standings.
As mentioned,
Josiah Gehr and
Nick Barnhart advance to the National Championships that will take place in two weeks.
Heading to Nationals
As noted, both
Josiah Gehr (141 bs.) and
Nick Barnhart (157 lbs.) punched their tickets to Nationals on Saturday. The duo had both advanced to the semifinals of the regional thanks to their undefeated records on Friday. Once in the semifinals, Gehr and Barnhart took the drama out of qualifying by winning the matches to advance to the championship matches, ensuring a top-two finish and the trip to Iowa in two weeks.
In the semifinal, Gehr earned a 6-2 decision over Brandon Woody (Averett). Woody earned an early takedown midway through the first period, but Gehr scored the next six points with two takedowns and a pair of escapes to advance to the Championship. In the Regional Final, Gehr was topped by Stevens' Kyle Slendorn with a third-period fall. Slendorn pinned all four of his opponents on the weekend. As a result, Gehr earned a runner-up finish at 141 lbs.
Much like Gehr, Barnhart was taken down early in his semifinal match, but rallied to earn a decision to move into the Regional Final. Against Hunter Gutierrez from Stevens, Barnhart was taken down midway through the period. After escaping 30 seconds later, Barnhart earned a takedown late in the period and a reversal in the second to claim the 5-3 decision.
In the Regional Final, Barnhart dropped a high-scoring match to Washington and Lee's Ryan Luth by a 9-7 final. Branhart trailed 6-3 after the first period, but rallied back with a reversal and a takedown in the third, but ran out of time as he finished the weekend as the runner-up at 157 lbs.
Season Comes to a Close
Joe Embleton was also in action for the Falcons on Saturday. At 197 lbs., Embleton was wrestling in the consolation bracket on Day Two. Embleton went 0-2 on the day, dropping a high-scoring 14-10 decision to Alex Donahue (Washington and Jefferson) and a tight, 7-5 decision to William Baldwin in the seventh-place match. Embleton finished the two-day tournament placing in eighth.
What's Up Next
Josiah Gehr and
Nick Barnhart will now head to the National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Mar. 11-12. Gehr will be making his third trip to a National Tournament, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in 2019 and wrestling at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Championships in 2021. Barnhart will be making his second appearance on the National stage, competing at the 2021 NWCA National Championships as well.
