Posted: Mar 14, 2015
HERSHEY, Pennsylvania – The Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team placed 20th as a team and two of its wrestlers, junior 125-pound All-American Jesse Gunter (Akron/ Coventry), and junior 174-pounder Garrett Chase (Erie, Pa./ Cathedral Prep), each earned NCAA Division III All-American honors at the 2015 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament at the Hershey Center.
In addition, a third Yellow Jacket grappler, sophomore 141-pounder Josh Decatur (Akron/ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy), narrowly missed becoming an All-American. BW also was ranked 18th in terms of grade point average and received a Top-30 award by the NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) with four of its grapplers receiving Scholar All-American awards (we are still trying to find out the names of our wrestlers).
Gunter entered the tourney ranked third at 125 pounds, placed fourth and had a 3-2 record. He won his first two matches to gaurantee himself of his second Division III All-American award. He beat Carlos Fuentez of Wheaton (Ill.) College in his first match by a 6-2 score and defeated No.6-seed Paul Bewak of Johns Hopkins (Md.) University, 5-4, in the second period of sudden death overtime. In the semifinals, he lost to No.2-seed Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.) College, 8-6. In the consolations semi-finals, Gunter shut out No.7-seed Jake Agnitsch of Wartburg (Iowa) College, 7-0. In the third place match, he met Bewak again but lost this time, 6-3.
Chase entered the tourney ranked eighth in Div. III at 174 pounds and finished seventh with a 3-2 record. He beat Nicholas Allen of Olivet (Mich.) College, 9-7 in sudden victory 2 in his first match and then lost to No.1-seed Connor Lafever of Wabash (Ind.) College, 7-4. He then beat Tyrell Martin of Augsburg (Minn.) College, 11-10, to earn Div. III All-American honors. Chase got a takedown with seven seconds remaining to break a 9-9 tie en route to an 11-10 win. He then lost to Tori Cain of RIT, 12-9. In the seventh place match, Chase won by forfeit/ medical default over No.5-seed Jordan Newman of Wisconsin Whitewater.
Decatur had a 2-2 record and narrowly missed becoming BW's third All-American at the tourney. He had to win a preliminary/ "rat-tail" match against Nascid Barrow of Buena Vista (Iowa) College by a 10-3 score before losing in the first round to No.1-seed Alvontae Drummond of McDaniel (Pa.) College, 9-3. He fought back in the consolation bracket to defeat Wisconsin LaCrosse's Cody See by an 11-10 count when he earned a takedown with two seconds remaining and the score tied, 9-9. Decatur then lost to No.7-seed Mark Adcock of Wisconsin Whitewater, 7-5, when Adcock earned a takedown at the buzzer of the second tie-breaker/ overtime session.
The Baldwin Wallace wrestling team set a school single-season record for victories this season with 17, had a 17-6 overall record and a 4-1 mark in the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference dual match schedule.
In addition, a third Yellow Jacket grappler, sophomore 141-pounder Josh Decatur (Akron/ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy), narrowly missed becoming an All-American. BW also was ranked 18th in terms of grade point average and received a Top-30 award by the NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) with four of its grapplers receiving Scholar All-American awards (we are still trying to find out the names of our wrestlers).
Gunter entered the tourney ranked third at 125 pounds, placed fourth and had a 3-2 record. He won his first two matches to gaurantee himself of his second Division III All-American award. He beat Carlos Fuentez of Wheaton (Ill.) College in his first match by a 6-2 score and defeated No.6-seed Paul Bewak of Johns Hopkins (Md.) University, 5-4, in the second period of sudden death overtime. In the semifinals, he lost to No.2-seed Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.) College, 8-6. In the consolations semi-finals, Gunter shut out No.7-seed Jake Agnitsch of Wartburg (Iowa) College, 7-0. In the third place match, he met Bewak again but lost this time, 6-3.
Chase entered the tourney ranked eighth in Div. III at 174 pounds and finished seventh with a 3-2 record. He beat Nicholas Allen of Olivet (Mich.) College, 9-7 in sudden victory 2 in his first match and then lost to No.1-seed Connor Lafever of Wabash (Ind.) College, 7-4. He then beat Tyrell Martin of Augsburg (Minn.) College, 11-10, to earn Div. III All-American honors. Chase got a takedown with seven seconds remaining to break a 9-9 tie en route to an 11-10 win. He then lost to Tori Cain of RIT, 12-9. In the seventh place match, Chase won by forfeit/ medical default over No.5-seed Jordan Newman of Wisconsin Whitewater.
Decatur had a 2-2 record and narrowly missed becoming BW's third All-American at the tourney. He had to win a preliminary/ "rat-tail" match against Nascid Barrow of Buena Vista (Iowa) College by a 10-3 score before losing in the first round to No.1-seed Alvontae Drummond of McDaniel (Pa.) College, 9-3. He fought back in the consolation bracket to defeat Wisconsin LaCrosse's Cody See by an 11-10 count when he earned a takedown with two seconds remaining and the score tied, 9-9. Decatur then lost to No.7-seed Mark Adcock of Wisconsin Whitewater, 7-5, when Adcock earned a takedown at the buzzer of the second tie-breaker/ overtime session.
The Baldwin Wallace wrestling team set a school single-season record for victories this season with 17, had a 17-6 overall record and a 4-1 mark in the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference dual match schedule.
