WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. - Second-ranked Campbellsville University wrestling claimed six individual champions en route to winning its first-ever NAIA East Region title Saturday at University of the Cumberlands' O. Wayne Rollins Center. The Tigers dominated the day, collecting 183.5 team points - 66 points more than second-place Missouri Baptist University.
"That has to be close to a record. I haven't seen that happen in too many regionals," said CU head coachÂ
Franky James, named NAIA East Region Coach of the Year. "For us to do this well at the region, sets us up for the national tournament."
All twelve grapplers qualified for the NAIA National Championships, which will be March 1-3 in Des Moines, Iowa. Six Tigers will enter as a No. 1 seed in their weight, with two going as No. 2 seeds, two at No. 3 and one No. 4 seed.
"That was the plan coming in here and everything fell together. The guys wrestled great. They were really, really good," said James. "It was scary coming off a three week layoff, but I think everything came together with the training and the preparation. We came out with aggression and scored some bonus points. To wrestle this good after a three-week break, I really think we're still peaking at the right time."
Campbellsville's first region champion of the day came at 133 pounds, as Tim Thurston defeated Keith Klink of Lindsey Wilson College, 7-5. Tyler Alsip, who fell to Klink, 7-4, in the semifinals, wrestled back for the Tigers to finish third with a 13-2 major decision over Shorter University's Nathan Galloway.
At 141 pounds, Chris Teague upset teammate Tommy Pretty, 3-1. Both Tiger grapplers scored escape points entering the third round, but Teague scored a takedown in the final seconds to win.
The Tigers' qualifier at 149 pounds is sophomore Matt Milton, who finished fifth but earned the qualifying bid because he beat fourth-place finisher Daniel Reimer of Calumet in the second round of the day.
Conor Young and Nick Waldrop both qualified for the Tigers at 157 pounds, with Young claiming the top spot in the weight with a pin over Lindsey Wilson's Charles Pingleton. Waldrop placed third in the weight with three pins on the day, losing only to Pingelton, 6-3, in the semifinal.
Josh Ashbrook, Allen Scruggs and Jamelle Jones also claimed No. 1 seeds at 174, 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Ashbrook went 3-0 on the day, defeating Indiana Tech's Tanner Martin in the 174-pound final. Scruggs was also 3-0, closing out his birthday weekend with a pin over Missouri Baptist's Weston Jeleher in a time of 8:30.
At 197 pounds, Jones held off teammate
Spencer Adams with a 4-2 decision. Jones had two pins en route to the final, while Adams had a pin and a 6-0 decision.
At 165 pounds, freshman
Paul Gryniuk fell just short of a Top 4 seed for the NAIA National Championships with a fifth-place finish. Gryniuk got pinned in the first round, but wrestled back to the consolation semifinals before falling to eventual fourth-place finisher Kafuba Donzon of Indiana Tech by a 15-6 major decision. Gryniuk won fifth place with a quick pin (0:39) over Calumet's Jonathan Tyler, but was unable to challenge Donzon for the No. 4 seed for nationals.
Campbellsville will travel to Des Moines, Iowa the last week of February in preparation for the NAIA National Championships, March 1-3.
NAIA EAST REGION BRACKETS
NAIA EAST TEAM STANDINGS
Campbellsville University results, weight-by-weight
133 POUNDS
First Round
Tyler Alsip (CU) def. Chris Padilla (Mo. Baptist), Maj. Dec. 20-11
Quarterfinals
Tim Thurston def. Brett Yabrough (Ind. Tech), Dec. 8-6
Tyler Alsip (CU) def. Travis Barroquillo (Ind. Tech), Pin 4:40
Semifinals
Tim Thurston (CU) def. Jacob McCombs (LWC), Dec. 10-4
Keith Klink (LWC) def.
Tyler Alsip (CU), Dec. 7-4
Finals
Tim Thurston (CU) def. Keith Klink (LWC), Dec. 7-5
Wrestle Back Quarterfinals
Tyler Alsip (CU) vs. Chris Padilla (Mo. Baptist), Dec. 10-8
Third-Place Match
Tyler Alsip (CU) def. Nathan Galloway (Shorter), Maj. Dec. 13-2
141 POUNDS
Quarterfinals
Tommy Pretty (CU) def. William Scheve (Cumberland), Maj. Dec. 8-0
Chris Teague (CU) def. Adam Fahs (Ind. Tech), Maj. Dec., 13-1
Semifinals
Tommy Pretty (CU) def. Martin Rubalcaba (Mo. Baptist), Pin 4:37
Chris Teague (CU) def. DaMonte Riley (LWC), Dec. 4-1
Finals
Chris Teague (CU) def.
Tommy Pretty (CU), Dec. 3-1
149 POUNDS
First Round
Matt Milton (CU) def. Derek Murdock (Univ. Cumberlands), Maj. Dec. 13-3
Quarterfinals
Matt Milton (CU) def. Daniel Reimer (Calumet), Maj. Dec. 12-3
Semifinals
Reece Lefever (Ind. Tech) def.
Matt Milton (CU),
Wrestle Back Quarterfinals
Derek Murdock (Cumberlands) def.
Matt Milton (CU) , Dec. 5-4
Fifth-Place Match
Matt Milton (CU) def. Robert Collum (Shorter), Dec. 8-1
157 POUNDS
First Round
Conor Young (CU) def. Jacob Shirley (Cumberland), Maj. Dec. 13-3
Nick Waldrop (CU) def. Brody Lively (Truett-McConnell), Pin 0:59
Quarterfinals
Conor Young (CU) def. Dalton Lane (Shorter), Tech Fall 19-3
Nick Waldrop (CU) def. Harrison Courtney (LWC), Pin 5:16
Semifinals
Conor Young (CU) def. Uxsunn Ramirez (Mo. Baptist), Dec. 5-3
Charles Pingleton (LWC) def.
Nick Waldrop (CU), Dec. 6-3
Final
Conor Young (CU) def. Charles Pingleton (LWC), Pin 5:11
Wrestle Back Quarterfinals
Nick Waldrop (CU) def. Gregory Lane (Shorter), Dec. 8-4
Third-Place Match
Nick Waldrop (CU) def. Harrison Courtney (LWC), Pin 6:58
165 POUNDS
First Round
Jonathan Tyler (Calumet) def.
Paul Gryniuk (CU), Pin 4:05
Wrestle Back Second Round
Paul Gryniuk (CU) def. Ezekiel Hunt (Cumberland), M. For.
Wrestle Back Third Round
Paul Gryniuk (CU) vs. Zachary Barkett (Cumberlands)
Wrestle Back Quarterfinals
Kafuba Donzon (Ind. Tech) def.
Paul Gryniuk (CU), Maj. Dec. 15-6
Fifth-Place Match
Paul Gryniuk (CU) def. Johnathan Tyler (Calumet), Pin 0:39
174
Quarterfinals
Josh Ashbrook (CU) def. Nick Sasfy (Cumberland), Dec. 11-9
Semifinals
Josh Ashbrook (CU) def. James Haywood (LWC), Dec. 10-3
Finals
Josh Ashbrook (CU) def. Tanner Martin (Ind. Tech), Dec. 3-2
184 POUNDS
Quarterfinals
Allen Scruggs (CU) def. Joseph Hinchman (Shorter), Dec. 9-4
Semifinals
Allen Scruggs (CU) def. Scott Stewart (Cumberland), Dec. 3-2
Finals
Allen Scruggs (CU) def. Weston Keleher (Mo. Baptist), Pin 8:30
197 POUNDS
Quarterfinals
Jamelle Jones (CU) def. Bret Haley (Shorter), Pin 0:55
Spencer Adams (CU) def. Joseph Jerome (Truett-McConnell), Pin 2:48
Semifinals
Jamelle Jones (CU) def. Courtney Freeman (Cumberlands), Pin 0:24
Spencer Adams (CU) def. Lucas Keene (Mo. Baptist), Dec. 6-0
Finals
Jamelle Jones (CU) def.
Spencer Adams (CU), Dec. 4-2
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