Kamali secures All-American honors, Herrema and Phelps bow out at NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – After losing his first match, The University of Olivet senior Benyamin Kamali won his next two matches to secure All-American honors at 125 pounds, while seniors Tyler Herrema and Dylan Phelps won their first match before losing the next two to end their seasons at the 2025 NCAA Championships at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

In his first match, Kamali was pinned by Isaic Paulino from Roanoke (Va.) College. Dropping to the consolation bracket, Kamali pinned Malik Asfour from Delaware Valley (Pa.) College 37 seconds into the second period. Kamali then faced Gavin Bradley from Castleton (Vt.) University in the blood round. Three first-period takedowns propelled Kamali to a 12-5 win. He will face Jake Craig from Southern Maine University tomorrow morning.

As an unseeded wrestler in the 141-pound bracket, Phelps beat Jake Eckerle from Johnson & Wales (R.I.) University, 4-3, in his first match. Phelps scored a takedown around the midpoint of the first period. Eckerle was able to escape to make the score 3-1. Eckerle chose bottom to start the second period and got out for a 3-2 score to begin the third period. This time, Phelps went down and escaped to make the score 4-2. Two stalling calls gave Eckerle a point late in the period.

In the quarterfinals, Phelps lost a heartbreaking 4-1 sudden-victory decision to Sean Conway from University of Chicago (Ill.). Both wrestlers earned escape points when they went down to start the second and third period. Conway won the match with a takedown in overtime. Phelps fell 4-2 to Tommy Thongseng from Wartburg (Iowa) College in the blood round. The match was nearly the same way as the first round, except Phelps' opponent had the first-period takedown to earn the win.

Unseeded at 149 pounds, Herrema upset No. 8 seed Zach Sato from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 10-4, in his first match. Herrema led 4-3 to begin the third period. He quickly got out and scored a takedown before using a tilt to score a two-point near fall to make the score 10-3. Sato scored an escape but no other points. Herrema was then pinned by the top seed and No. 5 seed to end his championship run.

Action resumes tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.