St. Cloud State powers to first NCAA Division II championship
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
St. Cloud State’s Tim Prescott capped a superb title by winning a national title at 125 pounds on Saturday night. Mark Lundy photo.
ST. LOUIS – Tim Prescott and his teammates saved their best for last.
Prescott was third in the regional tournament for a team that finished second.
But none of that matters now.
Prescott and his St. Cloud State Huskies are NCAA Division II wrestling champions.
Prescott avenged a pair of losses to down returning runner-up T.J. North of Augustana 3-2 to give his team the outright team title at the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday night before 2,500 fans at the Chaifetz Arena.
St. Cloud State captured its first NCAA wrestling title in school history. The Huskies were second for three straight years from 2011-13.
Fourth-ranked St. Cloud State won the title with 84.5 points. Prescott, a junior, won the first championship bout at 125 pounds.
“It doesn’t even feel real – I’m just speechless right now,” Prescott said. “It’s just amazing to do this and do it for our team. This means a lot right now. I can’t even describe how amazing this feels. It’s awesome.”
Three-time team champion and third-ranked Nebraska-Kearney finished second with 76.5 points.
St. Cloud State coach Steve Costanzo said this is the first NCAA title St. Cloud State, located in central Minnesota, has won in any sport. Costanzo coached Dana College (Neb.) to the 2006 NAIA national title.
“I told our guys we had to duplicate the type of performance we had in the second round yesterday – and that’s exactly what we did today,” said Costanzo, whose team placed second in its NCAA regional. “It was a tremendous team effort. We had guys going out and getting bonus points and that was huge for us.
“We only brought six guys, so we had to be flawless to win this. Our guys did an outstanding job. This obviously means a lot to our school and to our program.”
Tournament host and second-ranked Maryville finished third with 61 points. This is just the fourth season for the Maryville wrestling program. The Saints were also third in this tournament last year.
Romero Cotton of Nebraska-Kearney repeated as champion at 197 pounds, scoring an overtime takedown to top Newberry’s Huston Evans 3-1 in the finals. Cotton has made three straight trips to the finals.
UNK junior Daniel DeShazer captured his second NCAA title in the past three years, outlasting Ashland’s Michael Labry in the 133 finals. DeShazer and Labry finished two cycles of overtime tied 6-6, but DeShazer won by virtue of accumulating more riding time. DeShazer has made three straight trips to the finals.
“It feels amazing – I wish I would’ve been able to say it last year,” DeShazer said of being a two-time champ. “Falling off last year made me hungry and made me work harder and made me grind more. I came here to take care of business.”
Top-ranked Joey Davis of Notre Dame scored a takedown in the final minute to down Maryville’s Zeb Wahle 3-2 to earn the championship at 174. The junior is now a three-time national champion. He finished 32-0 this season and is now 108-0 in his career.
He will look to become the fifth wrestler to win four NCAA Division II titles next season.
“I played it smart and got my title again,” Davis said. “I knew I was going to get that takedown eventually. It means a lot to win this again, especially going undefeated. It’s overwhelming.”
Wahle had dropped a one-point match and an overtime decision previously to Davis.
Senior Daniel Ownbey of UNC-Pembroke repeated as champion at 141. He becomes the first two-time national champion in his school’s history. He beat Western State’s Corbin Bennetts 13-5 in the finals.
“Finishing with a dominating style, it’s unbelievable,” Ownbey said. “I went out there to make school history to become our first two-time NCAA champion. I went out there to dominate and I loved it.”
Frank Cagnina of Central Missouri (149) and Ziad Haddad of Kutztown (285) also repeated as champions.
Colorado Mesa’s James Martinez became his school’s first national champion after earning a wild 8-7 win over Anderson’s Sean Turner in the 157 finals.
Returning runner-up finisher Chris Watson of Central Oklahoma won the 165 title with a 7-2 win over Lake Erie’s Matt Vandermeer. Watson was named Outstanding Wrestler.
Dallas Smith of Ouachita Baptist held off Nick Burghardt of Maryville 4-3 in the 184 finals. Smith becomes his school’s first NCAA champion. Smith was second in this event in 2013.
Mercyhurst’s Mike Wehler was named Coach of the Year. His team finished fourth.
NCAA Div. II Championships
March 13-14, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Mo.
Top 10 teams
St. Cloud State 84.5, Nebraska-Kearney 76.5, Maryville 61, Mercyhurst 58, Ouachita Baptist 55.5, Notre Dame 50, McKendree 44.5, Western State 40, Tiffin 37.5, Colorado Mesa 34.
Medal matchups
125 pounds
1st – Tim Prescott (St. Cloud State) dec. T.J. North (Augustana), 3-2
3rd – Gerald Huff (Adams State) dec. Da’Wayne Robertson (Minnesota State Mankato), 13-8 SV1
5th – Dustin Warner (Wheeling Jesuit) dec. Joshua Kieffer (Indianapolis), 9-4
7th – Ivan McClay (Notre Dame) dec. Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst), 4-3
133 pounds
1st – Daniel DeShazer (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Michael Labry (Ashland), 6-6 TB2
3rd – Nate Rodriguez (Ouachita Baptist) dec. Dakota Bauer (Maryville), 6-1
5th – Mike Rhone (St. Cloud State) dec. Joseph Calderone (Long Island), 6-3
7th – Nick Crume (Indianapolis) dec. Blake Bosch (Minnesota State Moorhead), 8-6 SV1
141 pounds
1st – Daniel Ownbey (UNC-Pembroke) dec. Corbin Bennetts (Western State), 13-5
3rd – Maurice Miller (Notre Dame) dec. Michael Screptock (Tiffin University), 3-2
5th – Keith Surber (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Josh Myers (Ouachita Baptist), 8-4
7th – Darren Wynn (McKendree) pinned Kyle Webb (Lindenwood), 1:42
149 pounds
1st – Frank Cagnina (Central Missouri) vs. Terrel Wilbourn (Lindenwood), 5-2
3rd – Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Nick Goebel (University of Findlay), 3-2
5th – Scott Bosak (Belmont Abbey) dec. Jeremy Landowski (Mercyhurst), 8-3
7th – Larry Bomstad (St. Cloud State) pinned Brent Fickel (Ashland), 1:13
157 pounds
1st – James Martinez (Colorado Mesa) dec. Sean Turner (Anderson), 8-7
3rd – Clint Poster (St. Cloud State) dec. Jonatan Rivera (Notre Dame College), 7-6
5th – Derrick Weller (Lindenwood) dec. Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst), 8-6 SV1
7th – Matt Martoccio (Kutztown) dec. Greg Hegarty (Maryville), 6-4
165 pounds
1st – Chris Watson (Central Oklahoma) dec. Matt Vandermeer (Lake Erie), 7-2
3rd – Gabe Fogarty (St. Cloud State) dec. Devin Aguirre (Nebraska-Kearney), 12-6
5th – Nick Fishback (Wisconsin-Parkside) dec. JaCobi Jones (Colorado State University-Pueblo), 16-9
7th – Cody Quinn (Minnesota State Mankato) dec. Nicolas Haferkamp (McKendree), 10-2
174 pounds
1st – Joey Davis (Notre Dame) dec. Zeb Wahle (Maryville), 3-2
3rd – August Mizia (Mercyhurst) dec. Jacob Begin (Southwest Minnesota State), 1-0
5th – Archie Williams (Central Missouri) dec. John Blankenship (Pitt-Johnstown), 8-5
7th – Payne Hatter (Ouachita Baptist) pinned Randy Boerner (Colorado Mesa), 2:20
184 pounds
1st – Dallas Smith (Ouachita Baptist) dec. Nick Burghardt (Maryville), 4-3
3rd – John Vogt (McKendree) dec. Terrence Smith (Shorter), 9-4
5th – Jacob Waste (California Baptist) dec. Dakota DesLauriers (Mercyhurst University), 3-2
7th – Kyle Piatt (Western State) dec. Caleb Rivera (Limestone College), 13-2
197 pounds
1st – Romero Cotton (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Huston Evans (Newberry), 3-1 SV
3rd – Julian Smith (McKendree) dec. Jacob Cramer (Tiffin), 8-6 SV2
5th – Samuel Mangum (Western State) dec. Jayd Docken (Augustana), 3-2
7th – Ryan Beltz (Maryville) dec. Joe Gomez (Northern State), 9-3
285 pounds
1st – Ziad Haddad (Kutztown) dec. Austin Goergen (St. Cloud State), 8-6
3rd – Jack Page (Fort Hays State) dec. Garrett Grey (Tiffin), 13-2
5th – Andy Welton (Mercyhurst) dec. Chris Giddens (UNC Pembroke), 7-2
7th – Peter Anguiano (Western State) dec. Jordan Passehl (Colorado Mesa), 3-1
ST. LOUIS – Tim Prescott and his teammates saved their best for last.
Prescott was third in the regional tournament for a team that finished second.
But none of that matters now.
Prescott and his St. Cloud State Huskies are NCAA Division II wrestling champions.
Prescott avenged a pair of losses to down returning runner-up T.J. North of Augustana 3-2 to give his team the outright team title at the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday night before 2,500 fans at the Chaifetz Arena.
St. Cloud State captured its first NCAA wrestling title in school history. The Huskies were second for three straight years from 2011-13.
Fourth-ranked St. Cloud State won the title with 84.5 points. Prescott, a junior, won the first championship bout at 125 pounds.
“It doesn’t even feel real – I’m just speechless right now,” Prescott said. “It’s just amazing to do this and do it for our team. This means a lot right now. I can’t even describe how amazing this feels. It’s awesome.”
Three-time team champion and third-ranked Nebraska-Kearney finished second with 76.5 points.
St. Cloud State coach Steve Costanzo said this is the first NCAA title St. Cloud State, located in central Minnesota, has won in any sport. Costanzo coached Dana College (Neb.) to the 2006 NAIA national title.
“I told our guys we had to duplicate the type of performance we had in the second round yesterday – and that’s exactly what we did today,” said Costanzo, whose team placed second in its NCAA regional. “It was a tremendous team effort. We had guys going out and getting bonus points and that was huge for us.
“We only brought six guys, so we had to be flawless to win this. Our guys did an outstanding job. This obviously means a lot to our school and to our program.”
Tournament host and second-ranked Maryville finished third with 61 points. This is just the fourth season for the Maryville wrestling program. The Saints were also third in this tournament last year.
Romero Cotton of Nebraska-Kearney repeated as champion at 197 pounds, scoring an overtime takedown to top Newberry’s Huston Evans 3-1 in the finals. Cotton has made three straight trips to the finals.
UNK junior Daniel DeShazer captured his second NCAA title in the past three years, outlasting Ashland’s Michael Labry in the 133 finals. DeShazer and Labry finished two cycles of overtime tied 6-6, but DeShazer won by virtue of accumulating more riding time. DeShazer has made three straight trips to the finals.
“It feels amazing – I wish I would’ve been able to say it last year,” DeShazer said of being a two-time champ. “Falling off last year made me hungry and made me work harder and made me grind more. I came here to take care of business.”
Top-ranked Joey Davis of Notre Dame scored a takedown in the final minute to down Maryville’s Zeb Wahle 3-2 to earn the championship at 174. The junior is now a three-time national champion. He finished 32-0 this season and is now 108-0 in his career.
He will look to become the fifth wrestler to win four NCAA Division II titles next season.
“I played it smart and got my title again,” Davis said. “I knew I was going to get that takedown eventually. It means a lot to win this again, especially going undefeated. It’s overwhelming.”
Wahle had dropped a one-point match and an overtime decision previously to Davis.
Senior Daniel Ownbey of UNC-Pembroke repeated as champion at 141. He becomes the first two-time national champion in his school’s history. He beat Western State’s Corbin Bennetts 13-5 in the finals.
“Finishing with a dominating style, it’s unbelievable,” Ownbey said. “I went out there to make school history to become our first two-time NCAA champion. I went out there to dominate and I loved it.”
Frank Cagnina of Central Missouri (149) and Ziad Haddad of Kutztown (285) also repeated as champions.
Colorado Mesa’s James Martinez became his school’s first national champion after earning a wild 8-7 win over Anderson’s Sean Turner in the 157 finals.
Returning runner-up finisher Chris Watson of Central Oklahoma won the 165 title with a 7-2 win over Lake Erie’s Matt Vandermeer. Watson was named Outstanding Wrestler.
Dallas Smith of Ouachita Baptist held off Nick Burghardt of Maryville 4-3 in the 184 finals. Smith becomes his school’s first NCAA champion. Smith was second in this event in 2013.
Mercyhurst’s Mike Wehler was named Coach of the Year. His team finished fourth.
NCAA Div. II Championships
March 13-14, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Mo.
Top 10 teams
St. Cloud State 84.5, Nebraska-Kearney 76.5, Maryville 61, Mercyhurst 58, Ouachita Baptist 55.5, Notre Dame 50, McKendree 44.5, Western State 40, Tiffin 37.5, Colorado Mesa 34.
Medal matchups
125 pounds
1st – Tim Prescott (St. Cloud State) dec. T.J. North (Augustana), 3-2
3rd – Gerald Huff (Adams State) dec. Da’Wayne Robertson (Minnesota State Mankato), 13-8 SV1
5th – Dustin Warner (Wheeling Jesuit) dec. Joshua Kieffer (Indianapolis), 9-4
7th – Ivan McClay (Notre Dame) dec. Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst), 4-3
133 pounds
1st – Daniel DeShazer (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Michael Labry (Ashland), 6-6 TB2
3rd – Nate Rodriguez (Ouachita Baptist) dec. Dakota Bauer (Maryville), 6-1
5th – Mike Rhone (St. Cloud State) dec. Joseph Calderone (Long Island), 6-3
7th – Nick Crume (Indianapolis) dec. Blake Bosch (Minnesota State Moorhead), 8-6 SV1
141 pounds
1st – Daniel Ownbey (UNC-Pembroke) dec. Corbin Bennetts (Western State), 13-5
3rd – Maurice Miller (Notre Dame) dec. Michael Screptock (Tiffin University), 3-2
5th – Keith Surber (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Josh Myers (Ouachita Baptist), 8-4
7th – Darren Wynn (McKendree) pinned Kyle Webb (Lindenwood), 1:42
149 pounds
1st – Frank Cagnina (Central Missouri) vs. Terrel Wilbourn (Lindenwood), 5-2
3rd – Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Nick Goebel (University of Findlay), 3-2
5th – Scott Bosak (Belmont Abbey) dec. Jeremy Landowski (Mercyhurst), 8-3
7th – Larry Bomstad (St. Cloud State) pinned Brent Fickel (Ashland), 1:13
157 pounds
1st – James Martinez (Colorado Mesa) dec. Sean Turner (Anderson), 8-7
3rd – Clint Poster (St. Cloud State) dec. Jonatan Rivera (Notre Dame College), 7-6
5th – Derrick Weller (Lindenwood) dec. Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst), 8-6 SV1
7th – Matt Martoccio (Kutztown) dec. Greg Hegarty (Maryville), 6-4
165 pounds
1st – Chris Watson (Central Oklahoma) dec. Matt Vandermeer (Lake Erie), 7-2
3rd – Gabe Fogarty (St. Cloud State) dec. Devin Aguirre (Nebraska-Kearney), 12-6
5th – Nick Fishback (Wisconsin-Parkside) dec. JaCobi Jones (Colorado State University-Pueblo), 16-9
7th – Cody Quinn (Minnesota State Mankato) dec. Nicolas Haferkamp (McKendree), 10-2
174 pounds
1st – Joey Davis (Notre Dame) dec. Zeb Wahle (Maryville), 3-2
3rd – August Mizia (Mercyhurst) dec. Jacob Begin (Southwest Minnesota State), 1-0
5th – Archie Williams (Central Missouri) dec. John Blankenship (Pitt-Johnstown), 8-5
7th – Payne Hatter (Ouachita Baptist) pinned Randy Boerner (Colorado Mesa), 2:20
184 pounds
1st – Dallas Smith (Ouachita Baptist) dec. Nick Burghardt (Maryville), 4-3
3rd – John Vogt (McKendree) dec. Terrence Smith (Shorter), 9-4
5th – Jacob Waste (California Baptist) dec. Dakota DesLauriers (Mercyhurst University), 3-2
7th – Kyle Piatt (Western State) dec. Caleb Rivera (Limestone College), 13-2
197 pounds
1st – Romero Cotton (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Huston Evans (Newberry), 3-1 SV
3rd – Julian Smith (McKendree) dec. Jacob Cramer (Tiffin), 8-6 SV2
5th – Samuel Mangum (Western State) dec. Jayd Docken (Augustana), 3-2
7th – Ryan Beltz (Maryville) dec. Joe Gomez (Northern State), 9-3
285 pounds
1st – Ziad Haddad (Kutztown) dec. Austin Goergen (St. Cloud State), 8-6
3rd – Jack Page (Fort Hays State) dec. Garrett Grey (Tiffin), 13-2
5th – Andy Welton (Mercyhurst) dec. Chris Giddens (UNC Pembroke), 7-2
7th – Peter Anguiano (Western State) dec. Jordan Passehl (Colorado Mesa), 3-1
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