CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – Three Baldwin Wallace University wrestlers, senior 133-pounder Andrew Taylor (Columbus/ Worthington Kilbourne) and sophomores 125-pounder Jesse Gunter (Akron/ Coventry) and 165-pounder David Shapiro (Beachwood), all competed on the first of the two-day 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament at the U.S. Cellular Center.

Gunter, ranked fifth in Division III and seeded fifth in the tourney, won his first match 5-3 in sudden victory against Kevin Corrigan of the College of New Jersey. In his second match, he faced No.4-seed Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg (Minn.) College and lost 8-3. That moved Gunter into the consolation bracket where he defeated Nick Santos of North Central (Ill.) College in an 11-0 major decision.  Gunter will become an NCAA Division III All-American when he competes tomorrow in the consolation bracket quarter finals. All-American honors are earned for the top eight wrestlers in each weight class.  He owns a 29-5 record this season and is 57-6 in his two-year career.

Taylor lost his first match to No.4-seed Jeremy Border of the University of Mount Union in a 14-3 major decision. That moved him into the consolation bracket where he was eliminated by Marcus Lubner of Concordia (Wisc.) in a 14-2 decision. Taylor, who had three 20-win seasons during his career ends his season with a 31-17 record and a 91-70 career mark.

Shapiro lost his first match to No.2-seed Cole Welter of Wartburg (Iowa) by a pin at 3:48. That moved him into the consolation bracket where he lost to 5-3 to Jake Krogstad of Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) to end his season at 39-13 overall.  His 39 wins led the Yellow Jackets this season. He will enter his junior season with a 66-26 career mark.  

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu.  Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.comand we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.