Mavs Hold Lead After First Day
FINDLAY, Ohio -- The Mavericks advanced six wrestlers into the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament and held onto first place in a bid for their third straight national title after Friday's first day of competition.
UNO leads the meet with 63 points, followed by Nebraska-Kearney at 52.5, Central Oklahoma at 47.5 and Minnesota State, Mankato at 40.5. Saturday, the semifinal matches, and consolation third round and finals will begin at 10 a.m. CST. The championship matches will be at 6:15 p.m.
Heavyweight Les Sigman, looking for his fourth straight national crown, 157-pounder Patrick Allibone, and J. D. Naig, 174, aiming for repeat titles, head the list of semfinalists for the Mavericks. The others still in contention to win a national title include redshirt freshman Cody Garcia, 125; Shane Unger, 149, and Ross Taplin, 165.
The Mavericks have seven wrestlers still in competition. Nate Oviatt, 184, and Nick Edmonds, 197, each lost their first two matches and bowed out. Senior Mitch Waite, No. 2 ranked at 141, a two-time All-American, won his first match before losing 6-5 to Patrick Sharp of New Mexico Highlands. He then dropped a 9-8, overtime, tie-breaker decision to Minnesota State, Mankato's Zach Stevens in the consolation round.
Dan Hilario, ranked No. 7 at 133, lost in the quarterfinals after a first-round win, then came back to edge Brandon Clemmer of Kutztown, 3-2, to move to the consolation third round. He will wrestle No. 6 ranked Ralph Acosta of Upper Iowa Saturday. On February 26 Acosta defeated Hilario, 9-2, for the regional championship.
Garcia, No. 1 ranked at 125, will meet Nick Smith of Minnesota State, Mankato; Unger, No. 6 at 149, will take on No. 7 Shea Timothy of Central Oklahoma; Allibone, the No. 1 ranked 157-pounder, will meet No. 2 David Nordhues of Fort Hays State; Taplin, No. 6, will oppose No. 4 Nathan Baker of Minnesota State, Moorhead; No. 1-ranked Naig at 174, is matched with No. 6 Tom Clark of West Liberty State, and Sigman will face Chris Finn, ranked No. 7, from Central Oklahoma.
Garcia defeated Smith, 6-1, earlier this year in a dual meet, while other Mavs had similar success agains their semifinal foes. Sigman downed Finn, 11-0, in a dual and Unger defeated Timothy, 5-2.
Sigman stretched his winning streak to 70 matches with a technical fall over Andrew Ubben of Fort Hays State.
UNO leads the meet with 63 points, followed by Nebraska-Kearney at 52.5, Central Oklahoma at 47.5 and Minnesota State, Mankato at 40.5. Saturday, the semifinal matches, and consolation third round and finals will begin at 10 a.m. CST. The championship matches will be at 6:15 p.m.
Heavyweight Les Sigman, looking for his fourth straight national crown, 157-pounder Patrick Allibone, and J. D. Naig, 174, aiming for repeat titles, head the list of semfinalists for the Mavericks. The others still in contention to win a national title include redshirt freshman Cody Garcia, 125; Shane Unger, 149, and Ross Taplin, 165.
The Mavericks have seven wrestlers still in competition. Nate Oviatt, 184, and Nick Edmonds, 197, each lost their first two matches and bowed out. Senior Mitch Waite, No. 2 ranked at 141, a two-time All-American, won his first match before losing 6-5 to Patrick Sharp of New Mexico Highlands. He then dropped a 9-8, overtime, tie-breaker decision to Minnesota State, Mankato's Zach Stevens in the consolation round.
Dan Hilario, ranked No. 7 at 133, lost in the quarterfinals after a first-round win, then came back to edge Brandon Clemmer of Kutztown, 3-2, to move to the consolation third round. He will wrestle No. 6 ranked Ralph Acosta of Upper Iowa Saturday. On February 26 Acosta defeated Hilario, 9-2, for the regional championship.
Garcia, No. 1 ranked at 125, will meet Nick Smith of Minnesota State, Mankato; Unger, No. 6 at 149, will take on No. 7 Shea Timothy of Central Oklahoma; Allibone, the No. 1 ranked 157-pounder, will meet No. 2 David Nordhues of Fort Hays State; Taplin, No. 6, will oppose No. 4 Nathan Baker of Minnesota State, Moorhead; No. 1-ranked Naig at 174, is matched with No. 6 Tom Clark of West Liberty State, and Sigman will face Chris Finn, ranked No. 7, from Central Oklahoma.
Garcia defeated Smith, 6-1, earlier this year in a dual meet, while other Mavs had similar success agains their semifinal foes. Sigman downed Finn, 11-0, in a dual and Unger defeated Timothy, 5-2.
Sigman stretched his winning streak to 70 matches with a technical fall over Andrew Ubben of Fort Hays State.
