Wrestling team finishes in third-place at NCAA Midwest Regional

The Olivet College wrestling team finished in third-place at the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional, which was hosted by Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pa. The host Aggies won the team championship with 132.5 points, followed by Trine (Ind.) University at 94.5 points. Third through sixth-place was separated by just 7.5 points, as the Comets were third with 89 points, followed by Waynesburg (Pa.) College, 87; College of Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio), 84; and Wabash (Ind.) College, 81.5.

Individually, sophomore Steve Mena (Martin) received the most falls/least time award, recording three pins in a total time of 4 minutes, 16 seconds. Junior Vince Tucker (Clio) was second at 141 pounds, but received one of the regional's six wild-card berths to the national championships.

After receiving a bye in the first round, Tucker beat Jeff Marianetti from Thiel (Pa.), 10-7, and Thomas Pompei from Trine, 6-3, to advance to the championship bout. In that match, he fell to Jake Strausbaugh from Wabash, 9-4.

Junior Adam Wilson (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) finished in third-place at 133 pounds. He beat Will Sheets, 4-3, in his first match and then fell to Nick Garber from Waynesburg in the next round, 9-4. Dropping to the consolation bracket, Wilson defeated Brandon Sansom from Washington & Jefferson, 7-3 and then beat Sheets, again, 6-3, in the third-place bout.

Mena was third at 149 pounds. In the first round, he pinned Adam Ulmer from Manchester in 1:49. Mena lost by an 11-9 score to top-seed Emmanual Ajabe from Delaware Valley. He won his next two matches by pin, Dan Gainey from Thiel (:44) and Johnny Dillon from Wabash (1:53). In the third-place match, he defeated Thomas Fehring, 10-3, in the third-place match.

Also finishing in third was sophomore Trevor Tyler (Roscommon) at 174 pounds. He pinned Chad Ulmer from Manchester, 6:58, in his first match and fell to Dan Daddino from Delaware Valley in the semifinals. After pinning Waynesburg's Cody Catalina in the consolation bracket semis, Tyler beat Greg Rhoads from Wabash, 3-1, in the third-place bout.

Junior Jim Neal (Marysville) finished in fifth-place at 165 pounds. Freshman Josh Crawford (Birch Run) and senior Joe McAllister (Sault Ste. Marie) were sixth at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.

The 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships will take place Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.