By: Director of Athletic Communications & Public Relations Kevin Ruple
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – The fifth-ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team placed second of 19 teams at the 2019 NCAA Division III Central Region Championship Tournament in Crawfordsville, Indiana at host and fourth-ranked Wabash College. BW was led by junior 125-pounder Dante Ginnetti (Poland/ Seminary) who won individual regional title and was named the Most Valuable Wrestler.
BW scored 146.5 team points to place second. Wabash won the team crown with 156.5 points, and Ohio Athletic Conference rival the University of Mount Union was third with 144. The Yellow Jackets, who won their first-ever regional title a year ago and captured their school-record fourth straight Ohio Athletic Conference title this winter, qualified six of its grapplers, including one individual champion, to the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament on March 8-9 at Ferrum (Va.). For more information, please visit the tournament web site HERE
In addition to Ginnetti, junior 133-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk), senior 165-pound All-American Anthony Arroyo (Maumee) and junior 197-pounder Zeck Lehman (Akron/ Revere) each placed second and senior 157-pounder Richie Burke (Ithaca, N.Y./ Ithaca) and senior 184-pounder Justin Ransom (Madison) were third. The top three wrestlers in each weight class qualify for the national tournament.
Ginnetti, who qualified a year ago for the national tourney by placing third at 133 pounds, had a perfect 4-0 mark at 125 pounds. He pinned Jimmy Murphy of Thomas More, Ky. In 51 seconds; pinned John Carroll University's Andrew Perelka, who was ranked ninth in Div. III, in 1:16; beat No.2-seed and 4th-ranked Carlos Champagne of Wabash, 6-4 in the first period of sudden victory; and defeated top-seeded and No.8-ranked Jordan Burkholder of Muskingum, 13-4, in the championship match.Ginnetti advances to his second Div. III national tourney with a 25-8 record this season and an 85-28 career mark.
Nash, who qualified for his second straight national tourney, had a 3-1 record before losing to No.1-seed and No.1-nationally-ranked Jordin James of the University of Mount Union, 11-6 in the finals at 133 pounds. A year ago, Nash qualified nationally at 141 pounds. He advanced to the championship match by pinning Thomas More's Kelly Gay in 4:13 and JCU's Spencer Dusi in 4:15 and then disposing of No.3-seed Dustin Doster of Wabash, 3-2, in the semifinals. Nash advances to the national tourney with a 26-9 season slate and a 79-35 career mark.
Arroyo, who was seeded second and is ranked fifth in Div. III at 165, earned his third straight national berth by placing second. He pinned Tyler Houston of Defiance College in the first round in 2:34; earned a 19-1 technical fall win in 4:36 over Tanner Walker of Muskingum University; beat #3-seed Tyler Grimsley of Olivet, Mich. College, 9-2; and lost in the last seconds of the championship match to top-seeded and 10th-ranked Kyle Hatch of Wabash, 10-6. Arroyo, who is 27-2 this winter and 119-19 in his career. His 119 wins ranks third in BW history.
Lehman advances to his second straight national tourney after competing in Cleveland at 184 pounds a year ago. He received a first-round bye and then earned a 16-1 (7:00) technical fall over James Caniglia of Thomas More and won 10-1 by major decision against Otterbein's Corbin Bunsold. In the championship match, he lost to No.3-seed and 9th-ranked Antonio McCloud of the College of Mount St. Joseph, 3-2. Lehman carries a 24-3 mark this season and an 86-21 slate to the nationals.
Burke qualified for his first national tourney with a third-place finish with a 4-1 record. He pinned his first opponent, Devonte Gaskill of Defiance in 36 seconds; beat Daniel Novak of JCU, 5-1; lost 7-4 to No.2-seed Jared Timmerman of Wabash; shut out Bryce Wittman of OWU, 4-0; and earned his national berth with a strong, 16-0 technical fall in 4:02 over Cole Hersch of Olivet.Burke is now 22-7 this season and 72-36 for his career.
Ransom advances to his second national tourney with a 4-1 mark and a third-place finish. He competed at 174 pounds last season. He advanced by pinning Christian Hipsher of John Carroll in 16 seconds, beat No.4-seed Ethan Herrin of Wabash, 4-3 and then lost to No.1-seed and 5th-ranked Dylan Roth of Heidelberg, 5-2. He came back to beat Luke Carver of Trine, Ind. University, 8-1, and earned a third by beating Avery Jones of Thomas More, 10-5. Ransom heads to the nationals with a 24-7 season slate and a 71-26 career mark.
In addition, senior 285-pounder James Ritchie (Carlisle) had a 3-2 record and placed fourth. He ends his season at 28-13 and his career at 59-36. Sophomore 141-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./ Tamaqua) had a 3-3 mark to place sixth. He finishes his season at 31-10 and owns a 55-22 career record. Sophomore 149-pounder Stan Bleich (Sheffield Lake/ Elyria Catholic), a Div. III national qualifier at 149 last winter, had a 2-3 slate and placed sixth. He had a 29-7 slate this season and will enter his junior campaign at 61-18 in his career. Junior 174-pounder Adam Green (Austintown/ Fitch) had a 1-2 mark at the regional.
