YORK, Pennsylvania – The Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team placed ninth of 17 teams at the 2014 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament at York (Pa.) College in the M&T Bank Fieldhouse at the Grumbacher Sport & Fitness Center. Highlighting the tourney were three Yellow Jackets who qualified for the 2014 NCAA Division III National Tournament from March 14-15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
BW scored 52 team points to place ninth of 17 schools. Messiah (Pa.) College was the team champion with 109 points.
The three Yellow Jackets who have qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are sophomores 125-pounder Jesse Gunter (Akron/ Coventry) and 165-pounder David Shapiro (Beachwood) and senior 133-pounder Andrew Taylor (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne).
Gunter, who is ranked seventh nationally at 125 pounds in the most recent NWCA (Natiuonal Wrestling Coaches Association) Brute-adidas rankings, finished the day 3-1 to improve his record to 27-4 this season and 56-6 for his career.
Gunter started the day against Ronald Hindman of York College pinning him in 2:32. He went on to defeat 2013 Div. III All-American Delian Schneider of Ohio Athletic Conference-rival Heidelberg University in a 3-0 decision in the quarterfinals and then beat No.6-ranked Matthias Ellis II of Brockport State (N.Y.) University, 5-4, in the semifinals. In the 125-pound championship match, Gunter lost to No.4-ranked Lucas Malmberg of Messiah 11-6.
Taylor had a 4-1 record and his having his best season as a collegian with a 31-15 record this winter and a 91-68 career mark.
Taylor defeated Filippo Crivelli of Waynesburg (Pa.) University 6-1 in the first round, pinned James McCabe of Brockport State in the quarterfinals at the 6:28 mark and then lost to eventual 133-pound champion and No.6-ranked Jeremy Border of the University of Mount Unionby pin at 2:08. Taylor bounced back to beat Ryan Flynn of host York, 10-6, and then won a 17-6 major decision over Nick Sutton of Thiel (Pa.) College to place third.
Shapiro also had a 4-1 record at the regional, leads BW with 39 wins and a 39-11 record this winter and has a 66-25 career mark.
Shapiro began his day with a 13-2 major decision win against Brian Watkins of Lycoming (Pa.) College and then beat Sean Byham of Thiel, 7-2 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he lost to eventual 165-pound champion and No.7-ranked Nicholas Carr of Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College in an 11-2 decision. Shapiro bounced back and pinned Colt Lovejoy of OAC-rival Ohio Northern University at 1:52 and then defeated Roy Daniels of Brockport State, 7-2, to place third.
The Baldwin Wallace wrestling team has sent competitors to three of the last six NCAA Division III Championships. In 2010, 174-pounder Andrew Scavuzzo '11, qualified and competed. In 2009, Gino Russo '08 qualified and placed fourth to earn All-America acclaim. In 2008, Bryan Kmetz '07, Russo and Paul Burger '10 all competed at the national tourney. Kmetz finished as the national runner-up at 285 pounds and Russo placed sixth at 165 pounds. Both earned All-America accolades.
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.
