Five Pioneer wrestlers earn trip to DIII National Championship
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team competed at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, Feb. 27 hosted by Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, finishing third overall as a team and sending five Pioneers through to the NCAA Division III National Championships.
February 27, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. —The University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team competed at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, Feb. 27 hosted by Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, finishing third overall as a team and sending five Pioneers through to the NCAA Division III National Championships.
The five Pioneers moving on include seniors Cole Ferguson and Mason Bohm, and freshmen Jon Goetz, Grant Wedepohl and D'Andre Johnson. They represent the highest number of national competitors for UW-Platteville since the 1997-98 team sent six on to nationals.
In the 125-weight class, Ferguson fought his way to the championship match, but fell to his undefeated Concordia-Moorhead opponent late in the third round, earning a second place finish at the West Regional.
Bohm also faced a Concordia-Moorhead grappler, but this time in the third place match. Bohm defeated his opponent by a 9-4 decision, earning third place in the 149-weight class and tacking on another win to his 21-7 overall record.
In the 174-championship match, two freshmen in Goetz and Garrett Beaman of St. Olaf competed for the title, but it was Beaman who came out on top in a 3-1 decision after a hard fought three rounds, Goetz claiming the second place title.
When it came time for the 184-weight class championship match, Wedepohl showcased his skills in his 6-0 shutout win against his Concordia-Moorhead opponent, earning the first place title and adding to his 21-3 overall record.
The last Pioneer wrestler to make it through to the national meet was Johnson, who earned third place after his 3-2 decision over his Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent in Justin Karkula of UW-Eau Claire, putting another win in his 25-8 season record.
As a team, the Pioneers earned a total of 104 points in the West Regional, just ahead of fellow WIAC contender UW-Eau Claire and falling close behind second place finisher Concordia-Moorhead and regional champion and host Augsburg College.
The five Pioneers will compete in the NCAA Division III National Championship on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Written by: Carly Willman, University Information and Communications, 608.342.1194, willmanc@uwplatt.edu