Tough showing for wrestling at nationals

HERSHEY, Pa. -- The Pioneer wrestling team had a tough showing at nationals, but junior 125-pound Cole Ferguson managed to earn an elite victory before falling to the national champion.

Ferguson earns victory at wrestling nationals

Three UW-Platteville wrestlers faced the top competitors in the country at the NCAA Division III national championships, March 13-14 in Hershey, Pa.

Cole Ferguson earned the lone Pioneer victory, knocking off Coe's Jan Rosenburg 9-4 in first-round action. Ferguson earned his 28th victory on the season. He then took eventual national champion Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg to the three-period limit before falling 10-3. Ferguson was stopped in the consolation bracket by Wartburg's Jake Agnitsch, 5-2.

Mason Bohm (149) and Michael Cole (184) both dropped two matches to highly ranked wrestlers at their respective weights. Bohm was eliminated by third-seeded and eventual national runner-up Vincent Fava of Delaware Valley, while Cole was defeated in his initial match by Heidelberg's Richard Dowdley, who improved to 38-2. Bohm finished the year with a 22-13 record, while Cole was 13-14.

Ferguson and Bohm are both juniors, and Cole is a sophomore, giving the Pioneers a strong foundation heading into the 2015-16 campaign.​