BEREA, Ohio – Eight Baldwin Wallace University winter student-athletes have earned the right to continue their seasons at the NCAA Championships this weekend.
Junior two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference 125-pounder Dante Ginnetti (Poland/Seminary), junior Academic All-OAC 133-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk), senior three-time All-OAC 157-pounder Richie Burke (Ithaca, N.Y.), senior two-time All-American 165-pounder Anthony Arroyo (Maumee), senior two-time All-OAC 184-pounder Justin Ransom (Madison) and senior two-time All-OAC 197-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere) will all compete at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Meanwhile, senior All-OAC thrower Zak Dysert (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) and junior outdoor All-American distance runner Kelly Brennan (Akron/Walsh Jesuit) have qualified for the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Ginnetti qualifies for his second national tournament by winning the Central Region title at 125 pounds. After posting a perfect 4-0 mark at the regional championships with two pins, the junior was named the Most Valuable Wrestler of the tournament. On the season, he owns a 25-8 record with 14 pins and five technical falls. In his career, Ginnetti has posted a record of 85-28 and ranks 20th all-time in victories. He is a two-time All-OAC selection, a two-time All-Central Region honoree and a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic selection.
Nash also qualifies for his second consecutive national tournament after a runner-up finish at the Central Region Championships. On the season, the junior has a 26-9 record with 10 pins and one technical fall. For his career, Nash holds a 79-35 overall record which ranks 23rd in school history. He is a two-time All-Central Region honoree, an NWCA Scholar All-American and an NWCA All-Academic Team selection.
Burke makes his first appearance at the national tournament by placing third at the Central Region Championships. In 2018-19, the senior has a 22-7 mark with seven pins and eight technical falls. Across his four-year career, Burke has compiled a 72-36 record to rank 31st all-time. He is a three-time All-OAC selection, an All-Central Region wrestler and an NWCA Scholar All-American.
Arroyo looks to claim his third All-American honor in his third appearance at the national level. Previously, the senior has finished as high as third at the NCAA Championships. This season, Arroyo became just the seventh wrestler in school history to win 100 career matches and finished his career undefeated (22-0) in OAC action. He posted a 27-2 record in his senior season with 14 pins and five technical falls. In his career, Arroyo holds a 119-19 record and ranks third in school history. He is a four-time All-OAC first team honoree, a seven-time OAC Wrestler of the Week winner and a three-time All-Central Region selection.
Ransom qualifies for his second straight national tournament after a third-place finish at the Central Region Championships. He heads into the NCAA Championships with a 24-7 season record and four pins. In his career, Ransom has a record of 71-26, which times him at 32nd all-time in school history. He is a two-time All-OAC selection and a two-time All-Central Region honoree.
Lehman also returns to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. He was a runner-up at 197 pounds at the regional tournament and carries a 24-3 record into nationals, including 10 pins and three technical falls. Lehman has compiled an 86-21 career record to sit 18th in school history. He is a three-time All-OAC selection and a two-time All-Central Region honoree.
Representing the indoor track and field team will be Dysert, who makes a return trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships after a 12th-place finish in the weight throw in 2018. In his final indoor campaign, the senior won the weight throw event at five separate meets and successfully defended his title at the 2019 OAC Indoor Championships. Dysert broke the school record at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships with a mark of 63 feet, 9 inches, which has him ranked seventh heading into the national meet. Twice, he was named OAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week this season.
Brennan is making her second appearance at a national track meet and her first at the NVAA Indoor Championships. At the 2018 Outdoor Championships, the junior became an All-American by placing sixth in the 800-meter run as she will look to repeat that All-American finish at the indoor meet. Brennan broke three school records during the course of the indoor season, including the 5,000-meter run record twice. She posted times of 2:14.03 in the 800 at the Buckeye Tune-Up; 10:07.86 in the 3,000 at the Hillsdale "Wide Track" Classic; and 17:19.51 in the 5,000 at the OAC Indoor Championships. The junior was also named OAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks.
The NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships will be contested Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia, while the Indoor Track and Field Championships will also be Friday and Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
