Dragons send 5 wrestlers to NCAA National Championships

Tiffin University qualified five grapplers for the NCAA National Championships.
Tiffin University qualified five grapplers for the NCAA National Championships.

Tiffin University had a strong day at the Super Region 3 Championships, finishing 4th overall and sending five wrestlers to the NCAA National Championships.

West Liberty won the event with 142 points while Ashland was second with 111.5. Lake Erie was third with 104 while TU and Findlay tied with 88 points for fourth place.

Nicholas Mason won his fourth region championship at 197 pounds, powering his way through the field with three falls in three matches wrestled. He beat Bluefield State in 2:36, Davenport in 2:03, and West Liberty in 1:29 in the semifinals. He then claimed the title by medical forfeit over Ashland.

TU also had two second-place finishes. David Henson (285) landed his first NCAA trip with two wins in three bouts. He won by disqualification over Glenville State, then beat Findlay 4-0 to land a trip to the championship. He fell in 1:41 to West Liberty to place second.

Bryce Allison (133) also got two wins. He posted a 16-1 tech fall victory over West Liberty, then beat Findlay 3-2 in a tight win. He fell in the title match 3-1 to Lake Erie.

Branden Mendoza (125) also finished third to earn a trip to nationals. Mendoza opened with an 8-1 win over Findlay but then fell 8-2 to West Liberty. He bounced back nicely, however, edging Lake Erie 6-4 and Findlay in a rematch 3-1 to place third.

Matt Zuckerman (141) also finished third. He opened with a 6-2 win over Glenville State before falling 4-0 to West Liberty. He then edged Davis & Elkins 2-0 to reach the third-place bout, which he won 9-4 over Notre Dame.

Bryan LaVearn (165) just missed a return trip to nationals with a 4th place finish. He beat Davis & Elkins 14-6 in a major decision, fell to Ashland 5-3, then beat Notre Dame 5-0 to land in the third-place bout. He then fell by injury default to West Liberty in 2:10.

Dylan Mansor (157) also picked up one win on the day, beating Bluefield State 19-0 by tech fall.