Olivet College’s Ceslick and Myers finish one win shy of earning All-American honors

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Olivet College seniors Jake Ceslick (Alpena) and James Myers (Monroe/Indian Creek) both finished one win shy of earning All-American honors at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Cornell College is hosting the championships at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Unseeded at 285 pounds, Jake Ceslick (Alpena) won two bouts. He came from behind to win his first match, 10-7, over Joe Camlin from McDaniel (Md.) College. After giving up a takedown and two-point near fall in the early stages of the bout, Ceslick scored a reversal with 1:16 left in the opening period. Camlin had escapes late in the first period and the start of the second period to take a 6-2 lead.

Ceslick took down Camlin at the 1:11 mark of the middle period and rode him out to get the riding time advantage in his favor and trail by two, 6-4. Ceslick chose the neutral position to begin the third period, and it worked to his advantage, scoring a takedown and tying the match at 6-6 in the first 30 seconds. With 48 seconds left, Camlin escaped to take a 7-6 lead, but he was called for stalling a second time with 33 seconds left and the bout was tied at 7-7. Ceslick got the takedown with 11 seconds left and the riding time point for the final 10-7 margin.

In the "true" first round match, Ceslick lost 6-0 to No. 4 seed James Buss from Loras (Iowa) College. In his first consolation bracket bout, Ceslick defeated William Fletcher from Wilkes (Pa.) University, 5-2, with a reversal in the third period being the difference. The score was tied at 2-2 to start the final period, and with Ceslick starting down, he scored the reversal 13 seconds into the period and hung for the win.

In the next round of the consolation bracket, Ceslick was eliminated from the championships with a 7-2 loss to Tom Bouressa from Concordia University-Moorhead (Minn.).

At 165 pounds, Myers suffered a 3-2 loss to No. 3 seed Joey Favia from Stevens (N.J.) Institute of Technology in the first round. Both wrestlers earned escape points after having the choice to start down at the start of second and third periods. Favia was able to score a takedown with one minute left in the bout, with Myers getting an escape point 14 seconds later.

Dropping into the consolation bracket, Myers beat Joseph Kubica from University of Dubuque (Iowa), 5-1. Choosing down to begin the second period, Myers escaped in only seven seconds to take a 1-0 lead. The bout would stay that way until the third period. Kubica went down to start the final period and Myers turned him on his back for a three-point near fall for a 4-0 lead. Kubica managed to get out with six seconds left in the bout but it was not enough, as Myers also earned the riding time point en route to the 5-1 win.

Myers was bounced from the championships after losing 6-4 to No. 5 seed Cedric Gibson from University of Wis.-Whitewater. To begin the final period, the score was tied at 4-4. Gibson earned an escape in the period and built enough time for the riding time to make the final score.