CLEVELAND – Eight Baldwin Wallace University men's wrestlers qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships as the No. 4 nationally ranked and Ohio Athletic Conference Champion Yellow Jackets won the NCAA Division III Central Regional Championships hosted by Case Western Reserve University in the Veale Center.

BW was first of 20 teams with 175.5 points.   The Yellow Jackets have now won the regional championship in three of the last five years and have finished in the top two in seven straight seasons. 

The top-three wrestlers in each weight class earn All-Central Region honors and qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships.

The eight BW qualifiers included four champions, three runner-up wrestlers and one third place finisher.

Qualifying Yellow Jackets

Senior No. 3 nationally ranked and regional top-seeded All-American 125-pounder Jacob Decatur (Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) – Champion

• Won a 19-2 technical fall over Shaun Pratt of Trine (Ind.)
• Won a 15-5 major decision over Eddie Wallace of John Carroll
• Won a 1-3 major decision over No 4 regionally ranked Colin Mellott of Ohio Northern
• Won a 7-1 extra time decision over No. 10 nationally ranked and No. 2 regionally ranked James Day of Wabash (Ind.) 

Junior No. 1 nationally and regionally ranked All-American 149-pounder Michael Petrella (Reynoldsburg/Bishop Hartley) – Champion

• Won by pinfall in 1:32 over Luke Milanovich of Ohio Wesleyan
• Won by pinfall in 6:50 over Zachary Platte of Adrian (Mich.)
• Won a 12-3 major decision over No. 5 regionally ranked Kale Buckiso of John Carroll
• Won a 5-1 decision over No. 9 nationally ranked and No. 2 regionally ranked Chase Sumner of Ohio Northern

Senior No. 4 regionally ranked, All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 174-pounder Luke Hopkins (Cuyahoga Heights) – Champion

• Won an 18-3 technical fall over Jimmy Thomas of Hiram
• Won by pinfall in 4:26 over Alexander Ruth of Wilmington
• Won a 3-0 decision over Adam Myers of Ohio Northern
• Won a 5-4 decision over No. 6 regionally ranked Eddie Williams of Alma (Mich.)
• Won an 8-4 decision over No. 3 regionally ranked Derick Duvall of Adrian (Mich.) 

Senior No. 4 nationally ranked and regional top-seeded All-American 197-pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe) – Champion

• Won a 17-2 technical fall over Caleb Tackett of Wilmington
• Won a 9-2 decision over Caden Friedt of Wabash (Ind.)
• Won an 8-1 decision over No. 4 regionally ranked Jarrod Setliff of Otterbein
• Won a 12-0 major decision over No. 2 regionally ranked Dylan Wellbaum of Adrian (Mich.)

Junior No. 3 nationally ranked and regional top-seeded All-Ohio Athletic Conference 133-pounder Jaden Hinton (Glassboro, N.J.) – Second Place

• Won a 17-2 technical fall over Jacob Gregg of Case Western Reserve
• Won an 18-1 technical fall over Stuart Donlan of Olivet (Mich.)
• Won a 15-0 technical fall over No 4 regionally ranked Dylan Le of Ohio Northern
• Lost by medical forfeit to No. 6 nationally ranked and No. 2 regionally ranked Andrew Perelka of John Carroll

Senior No. 3 regionally ranked 141-pounder Zak Anderson (Elyria/Midview) – Second Place

• Won a 12-1 major decision over Gabe Bulugaris of Ohio Wesleyan
• Won a 5-1 decision over Art Martinez of Case Western Reserve
• Won a 9-2 decision No. 2 regionally ranked Evan Burge of Wabash (Ind.)
• Lost by pinfall in 1:52 No. 2 nationally ranked and regional top-seed Jacob Reed of Ohio Northern 

No. 9 nationally ranked and regional top-seeded All-OAC 157-pounder Tommy West (Avon Lake/St. Edward) – Second Place

• Won a 9-4 decision over Ramiro Guerrero of Olivet (Mich.)
• Won a 4-0 decision over Trenton DiGenova of Adrian (Mich.)
• Won a 3-0 decision over No. 4 regionally ranked Nick Nettleton of Mount Union
• Lost an 8-7 decision to No. 13 nationally ranked and No. 2 regionally ranked Patrick McGraw of John Carroll

Senior No. 4 regionally ranked, All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 285-pounder Matthew Werts (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) – Third Place

• Won a 1-0 decision over Joe Shoup of Ohio Wesleyan
• Lost a 5-4 decision to No. 5 regionally ranked Logan Painter of Ohio Northern
• Won a 5-4 extra time decision to Joe Maier of Alma (Mich.)
• Won by pinfall in 5:55 over Gary Powell of Mount St. Joseph
• Won a 3-1 extra time decision over No. 3 regionally ranked Christopher Krum of Albion (Mich.)
• Won a 2-0 extra time decision over Painter of Ohio Northern

Other BW Wrestlers

Junior Academic All-OAC 165-pounder Hunter Kupniewski (North Royalton) – Fifth Place

• Won a 16-0 technical fall over Jacob Horsch of Heidelberg
• Lost a 6-4 decision to No. 8 nationally ranked and second regionally ranked Chad Hardrick of Ohio Northern
• Won by pinfall in 1:22 over Ethan Nash of Trine (Ind.)
• Won an 8-6 decision over Brixton Bright of Albion (Mich.)
• Won a 7-2 decision over No. 6 regionally ranked Mawuli Nevis of Wabash (Ind.)
• Lost a 15-3 major decision to No. 5 regionally ranked Chris Anderson of Mount Union
• Won a 10-1 major decision over Tyler Bodovetz of Ohio Wesleyan

Senior Academic All-OAC 184-pounder Griffin Rathburn (New Albany/Bishop Hartley)  

• Won by pinfall in 4:07 over Demarco Owens of Wilmington
• Lost a 5-0 decision to No. 2 regionally ranked Gavin Layman of Ohio Northern
• Lost a 12-6 decision to Justin Carnahan of Olivet (Mich.)

The NCAA Division III National Championships will be contested on Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.