LA CROSSE, Wis. – Senior All-American and No. 1 seed 149-pounder Michael Petrella (Reynoldsburg/Bishop Hartley) finished off a second straight perfect season as he won his second straight NCAA Division III National Championship to lead the Ohio Athletic Conference and Central Region Champion Baldwin Wallace University men's wrestling team to a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse at the La Crosse Center.
In addition, to Petrella for BW, senior All-American and No. 3 seed 133-pounder Jaden Hinton (Glassboro, N.J.) was the national runner-up.
The Yellow Jackets were sixth of 66 teams with 61.5 points. BW have now finished in the top 10 for the third straight season. Augsburg (Minn.) University was the champion for the second straight year with 95 points.
Petrella
- Won second straight NCAA Championship
- All-American honors for third straight year (2022 Runner-Up, 2023 National Champion and 2024 Champion)
- Finished 2023-23 season with a record of 43-0
- Has won 76 straight matches
- Won a 17-2 technical fall over Colby Frost of South Maine
- Won a 12-2 major decision over Michael Conklin of The College of New Jersey
- Won a 10-5 decision over Mike Glynn of Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.)
- Won an 11-4 decision over No. 5 seed Zach Sato of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- Won by pinfall in 4:19 over No. 2 seed Tyler Goebel of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Hinton
- Finished Second
- All-American honors for second straight year (2023 Fourth Place and 2024 Second)
- Won by injury default over Gianni Manginelli of Springfield (Mass.)
- Won a 17-1 technical fall over Gabriel Leo-Esparolini of Johnson & Wales (R.I.)
- Won a 9-6 decision over Joe Pins of Wartburg (Iowa)
- Loss by pinfall in No. 5 seed Chase Randall of U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Conn.)
Senior All-American and No. 4 seed 125-pounder Jacob Decatur (Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy)
- Fourth Place
- All-American for third straight year (2022 Champion, 2023 Runner-up and 2024 Fourth Place)
- Won a 4-3 decision over Akhil Vega of Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.)
- Lost a 5-1 decision to James Day of Wabash (Ind.)
- Won by pinfall in 4:40 over Jayden Cardenas of Cortland State (N.Y.)
- Won a 7-3 decision over Mac Cafurello of Roanoke (Va.)
- Won a double overtime decision over No. 6 seed Mason Barrett of Averett (Va.)
- Loss a 1-0 decision to Day of Wabash (Ind.)
Other Yellow Jacket National Qualifiers
Junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference 157-pounder Tommy West (Avon Lake/St. Edward)
- Lost a 15-4 major decision to No. 2 seed Cooper Pontelandolfo of New York University
- Lost a 7-2 decision to Jermaine Butler of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Freshman All-OAC 165-pounder Andrew Supers (Medina)
- Won a 16-1 technical fall over Anthony Taylor of Averett (Pa.)
- Lost a 10-0 major decision to No. 3 seed Cooper Willis of Augsburg (Minn.)
- Lost a 13-4 major decision to Tristan Massie of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Junior All-OAC 174-pounder Carter Lloyd (Brecksville/Brecksville-Broadview Heights)
- Lost an 11-0 major decision to Zeb Gnida of Loras (Iowa)
- Won by pinfall in 2:04 over Xavier Preston of Roanoke (Va.)
- Lost a 9-2 decision to Aiden Ashburn of John Carroll
Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 197-pounder Luke Hopkins (Cuyahoga Heights)
- Lost by pinfall in 39 seconds to No. 1 seed Massoma Endene of Wartburg (Iowa)
- Lost a 14-10 decision to No. 8 seed Jaedyn Harris of McDaniel (Md.)
Senior All-American and No. 5 seed 285-pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe)
- Won a 4-1 decision over Walter West of Luther (Iowa)
- Lost by injury default to No. 4 seed Michael Douglas of Wisconsin-La Crosse
- Lost a 12-2 major decision to Peter Wersinger of The College of New Jersey, while wrestling with an injured shoulder
