MARIETTA, Ga. – Ten Campbellsville University wrestlers advanced to the NAIA National Championships on Saturday as the fifth-ranked Tigers finished third as a team at the NAIA East Regional Qualifying Tournament at Life University on Saturday. Twelve of Campbellsville's top wrestlers competed in the tournament for a top four finish to qualify for the national tournament. CU had eight place in the top four and also picked up two wild card bids.

CU entered the semifinals with a chance to still win the tournament as a team, but some late losses to Indiana Tech, gave the Warriors their first-ever NAIA East Region victory with 149.5 points. Lindsey Wilson College was second with 142 points and Cambellsville finished with 134.5 points.

"It's really disappointing that we were not able to win the region this year. To have the talent and team that we have this year and not win the region is a very big letdown ," said Franky James, CU head coach. "Indiana Tech wrestled a great tournament and had a lot of pins and surprise wins, but for us to beat them twice this year and then have them come in and take the region title, that's disappointing." 

All 12 CU wrestlers advanced to the second round of the championship bracket to start the day.

Cody Steiner was the first of three CU wrestlers to finish runner-up in the tournament, doing so at 125 pounds. Steiner, who is ranked No. 3 in the NAIA has led the East Region all season, but fell in the final, 8-5, to Missouri Baptist's Chris Padilla, who dropped down from his No. 13 ranking at 133 pounds to qualify at 125 pounds.

CU entered two wrestlers at 133 pounds, 141, 149, 165 and 174. The 133-pound weight was the only one to place both Tiger wrestlers in the top four though. Senior Tyler Alsip, ranked No. 7, competed in his last regional tournament, entering as the third seed. Alsip won his first match with a pin and second match by a decision, putting him into the semifinals. Alsip met the No. 2 seed Justin Brooks, ranked No. 3 NAIA, from Indiana Tech, and lost losing by a 6-2 decision t set up a consolation semifinal against teammate Andrew Ferguson.  Instead of wrestling, Ferguson chose to forfeit to the senior and returning All-American.

Alsip went on to win the third place match, defeating Aaron Hane from Missouri Baptist with a pin (2:09). Ferguson wrestled back to finish fourth with pins against Mitch Pawlak of Indiana Tech and Hane. Alsip's third-place finish makes him a four-year NAIA national qualifier.

Second-ranked Brandon Westerman and No. 8 Colby Rinehart ended up meeting for the 141 pound third place match after Westerman lost to Indiana Tech's Travis Barroquillo in the semifinals and Rinehart fell to LWC's Wismit Moinius. The two decided to wrestle, with Rinehart winning, 1-0, to clinch his first NAIA appearance as a Tiger. Westerman was then challenged by fifth-seed Jeremiah Lutz of Brewton-Parker, losing, 7-5. Finishing fifth, Westerman received a wild card to return to the NAIA Championships, where he took third last year.

The region qualifier was 149-pounder Kyle Terry's first tournament after coming back from an injury two weeks ago. Terry battled his way to the finals, falling to the No. 1 seed from Jake Williams of Cumberland University, 10-8 by sudden victory. Also at 149, CU qualified Sam Conners, who received a wild card after battling his way to a fifth-place finish.

Last year's true freshman All-American Shawn McGhee took second place in the 157 pound weight class. McGhee lost in the finals match to the No. 1 ranked Joe Cozart from Lindsey Wilson for the second time this season. At 165 pounds, Treyvontay Rhodes will be going to his first national tournament after finishing fourth in the tournament, and Travis McIntosh will make his first NAIA Tournament appearance with a fourth-place finish at 174 pounds, the heaviest weight CU will compete in at the NAIA Championships.

Marvin Lawrence (165 pounds) and Kyle Sweedman (174 pounds) also competed for CU but did not qualify.

CU will now prepare for its 10th NAIA Championships appearance in 10 seasons. This year's tournament is condensed into two days, March 7-8, and will be hosted in Topeka, Kan.

 "If we can have a great tournament in two weeks that will definitely help us forget about today," said James.

Story by Toria Alsip

NAIA Eastern Qualifier Results for Campbellsville

125 - Cody Steiner (2-1) placed 2nd and scored 14.00 team points.
Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal - Steiner (CU) def. Immanuel Henderson (Brewton-Parker), Maj. Dec. 16-5.
Semifinal - Steiner (CU) def. Kristopher McKinley (Indiana Tech), Dec. 10-4
Final - Chris Padilla (Missouri Baptist) def. Steiner (CU), Dec. 8-5.

133 – Tyler Alsip (4-1) placed 3rd and scored 17.50 team points.
Round 1 - Alsip (CU) def. Joshua Shelton (Truett-McConnell), Fall
Quarterfinal - Alsip (CU) def. Aaron Hane (Missouri Baptist), Dec. 10-8
Semifinal - Justin Brooks (Indiana Tech) def. Alsip (CU), Dec. 6-2
Cons. Semi - Alsip (CU) def. Drew Ferguson (CU), Forfeit
3rd Place - Alsip (CU) def. Aaron Hane (Missouri Baptist), Fall 2:09

133 - Andrew Ferguson (5-2) placed 4th and scored 14.00 team points.
Round 1 - Ferguson (CU) def. Michael Carmoega (Life), Fall 3:50
Quarterfinal - Keaton Thomas (Lindsey Wilson) def. Ferguson (CU), Dec. 9-2
Cons. Round 2 - Ferguson (CU) def. Will Hale (Brewton-Parker), Dec. 8-3
Cons. Round 3 - Ferguson (CU) def. Andrew Tillman (Cumberlands), Maj. Dec. 10-2.
Cons. Semi - Alsip (CU) def. Ferguson (CU), Forfeit.
5th Place - Ferguson (CU) def. Mitch Pawlak (Indiana Tech), Fall 3:56.
4th Place - Ferguson (CU) def. Aaron Hane (Missouri Baptist), Dec. Dec 9-7.

141 - Brandon Westerman (3-3) placed 5th and scored 10.50 team points.
Round 1 - Westerman (CU) def. Ethyn Holbrook (Cumberland), Fall.
Quarterfinal - Westerman (CU) def. Ryan Cecil (Life), Dec 5-1.
Semifinal - Travis Barroquillo (Indiana Tech) def. Westerman (CU), Fall 5:36.
Cons. Semi - Westerman (CU) 3-3 def. Calob Perkins (Cumberlands), Dec. 4-1.
3rd Place - Colby Rinehart (CU) def. Westerman (CU), Dec 1-0
4th Place  - Jeremiah Lutz (Brewton-Parker) def. Westerman (CU), Dec 7-5.

141 - Colby Rinehart (3-1) placed 3rd and scored 11.50 team points.
Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal - Rinehart (CU) def. Dillan Schouw (Life), Dec. 10-6.
Semifinal - Wismit Moinius (Lindsey Wilson) def. Rinehart (CU), Maj. Dec. 10-2.
Cons. Semi - Rinehart (CU) def. Jeremiah Lutz (Brewton-Parker), Dec. 5-4.
3rd Place - Rinehart (CU) def. Brandon Westerman (CU), Dec. 1-0

149 - Sam Conners (3-2) placed 5th and scored 10.00 team points.
Round 1 - Conners (CU) def. Stephen Myers (Lindsey Wilson), Dec. 7-2.
Quarterfinal - Conners (CU) def. Robbie Collum (Brewton-Parker), Maj. Dec. 9-1.
Semifinal - Jake Williams (Cumberland) def. Conners (CU), Maj. Dec. 12-3.
Cons. Semi - Stephen Myers (Lindsey Wilson) def. Conners (CU) Dec. 5-4.
5th Place - Conners (CU) def. Orlando Medina (Brewton-Parker), Maj. Dec. 10-1
4th Place - Myers (Lindsey Wilson) won by rule over Conners (CU).

149 - Kyle Terry (3-1) placed 2nd and scored 16.00 team points.
Round 1 - Terry (CU) def. Martin Rubalcaba (Missouri Baptist), Maj. Dec. 16-3.
Quarterfinal - Terry (CU) def. Rowdy Prior (Life), Fall 4:23.
Semifinal - Terry (CU) def. Isaac Thomas (Lindsey Wilson), Dec. 7-4.
Final - Jake Williams (Cumberland) def. Terry (CU), SV-1 10-8.

157 - Shawn McGhee (2-1) placed 2nd and scored 15.00 team points.

Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal - McGhee (CU) def. Elmer Francisco (Missouri Baptist), Fall 0:23.
Semifinal - McGhee (CU) def. Oliver Brukardt (Life), Dec. 8-4.
Final - Joe Cozart (Lindsey Wilson) def. McGhee (CU), Dec. 7-2.

165 - Marvin Lawrence (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.
Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal - Jacob Shirley (Cumberland) def. Lawrence (CU), Maj. Dec. 16-6.
Cons. Round 2 - Bradley Ponchak (West Virginia Tech) def. Lawrence (CU), Dec. 8-1.

165 - Treyvontay Rhodes (3-2) placed 4th and scored 14.00 team points.
Round 1 - Bye
Quarterfinal – Rhodes (CU) def. Kirk Johnson (Cumberland), Maj. Dec. 10-1.
Semifinal - Ream Cameron (Missouri Baptist) def. Rhodes (CU), Dec 10-5.
Cons. Semi - James Bennett (Indiana Tech) def. Rhodes (CU), Dec 4-3.
5th Place - Rhodes (CU) def. Jacob Shirley (Cumberland), Fall 1:33.
4th Place - Rhodes (CU) def. Jemson Villard (St Andrews), Fall 2:45.

174 - Kyle Sweedman (2-2) place is unknown and scored 3.50 team points.
Round 1 - Sweedman (CU) def. Denzel Leggett (St Andrews), Dec 8-3.
Quarterfinal - Erick Gomez (Lindsey Wilson) def. Sweedman (CU), Dec 7-1.
Cons. Round 2 - Sweedman (CU) def. Mitch Abreu (Truett-McConnell), Medical Forfeit
Cons. Round 3 - Heath McGregor (Brewton-Parker) def. Sweedman (CU), Dec. 3-1.

174 - Travis McIntosh (3-2) placed 4th and scored 10.50 team points.
Round 1 – Bye
Quarterfinal - Kyle Delaune (Cumberland) def. McIntosh (CU), Dec 11-4.
Cons. Round 2 - McIntosh (CU) def. Daniel Toth (Cumberlands), Medical Forfeit
Cons. Round 3 - McIntosh (CU) def. Deandre Sims (Life), Dec 10-4.
Cons. Semi - McIntosh (CU) def. Erick Gomez (Lindsey Wilson), Dec 7-2.
3rd Place - Kyle Delaune (Cumberland) def. McIntosh (Campbellsville), Dec 9-5
4th Place - McIntosh (Campbellsville) 3-2 won by rule over Gomez (Lindsey Wilson)