TOPEKA, Kan. – Campbellsville University's three All-Americans closed the 2014 NAIA Wrestling National Championships with a 2-5 day on the mats, but ended the tournament with on a high-note with an upset win at 165 pounds.
Redshirt freshman Trevontay Rhodes bounced back from a loss in the consolation semifinals to control an 11-3 major decision over 2013 national runner-up Eric Lopez of Menlo College in the seventh-place match. The win gives Rhodes the team lead for wins in 2014 with a 25-12 final record. He was 3-2 in the national tournament.
"It's good to see Trey finish with a win in the national tournament and to beat the runner-up and guy who was ranked No. 1 two weeks ago before regionals. That's a big way for our freshman to finish off our year," CU head coach Franky James said. "He's had a great year. He's tough. He fights for every point in every match. He works hard, and worked really hard in the summer to have a good season and he did it. He keeps getting better and better."
Rhodes was the first wrestler from Westside High School in Augusta, Ga., to ever sign to compete in college wrestling. Now he is Westside's first-ever collegiate wrestling All-American and is 20th Tiger to add his name to CU's All-America board in its wrestling room.
Campbellsville entered the final day of the two-day tournament with hopes of a national finalist, as 141-pound senior Brandon Westerman remained on the championship side of the bracket.
Westerman had a tall task in the national semifinal, battling against the defending national champion Gustavo Martinez of Grand View University. The senior from Powder Springs, Ga., countered two takedowns with three escape points, but he was unable to score a takedown himself to cancel out Martinez's riding time point in a 5-3 loss. He went on to lose by pin and a 5-2 decision to finish sixth. Westerman finished 3-3 in the tournament.
Shawn McGhee was Campbellsville's highest finisher, placing fifth at 157 pounds. The sophomore from Steubenville, Ohio, faced Grand View's Quinten Haynes in the consolation semifinals. The two battled to a scorless tie in the first two periods, but Haynes was able to ride out McGhee for the entire two-minute second period to gain a riding time advantage. McGhee scored a quick takedown to start the third period and took a 2-0 lead, but Haynes escaped and used his riding time to force sudden victory. He won, 4-2, with a close takedown. McGhee placed fifth with a medical forfeit win over Oklahoma City University's Zach Skates, who dislocated his shoulder in his previous match.
Campbellsville finished 10th as a team, tied with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with 41.5 team points.
Grand View University ran away with its third-straight NAIA title with four individual national champions and 193 team points, tying Dana College's (Neb.) 2006 record for the most team points in NAIA Championship history. University of Great Falls (84.5) edged Montana State University Northern (83.5) after MSUN's Ethan Hinebauch lost in the 197-pound final.
CU finished fourth among NAIA East Region teams, as Lindsey Wilson College was fifth with 73.5 points and two national champs, Cumberland University (Tenn.) was tied for sixth with 59.5 points and one national champ, and region champ Indiana Tech finished eighth with 56 points.
CU entered 10 Tigers in the NAIA National Championships, which combined for an overall 13-21 record. McGhee led CU with a 5-2 record in the tournament for the second-straight year, making him 10-4 for his career in the NAIA Championships.
Campbellsville concludes its season, which saw a school-record 24 dual meet wins, the most in all of college wrestling this season. The Tigers were third in the NAIA Region Qualifier on Feb. 22 and placed fifth at the NAIA National Duals in January.
To review round-by-round recaps and complete coverage of Campbellsville University's trip to the NAIA National Championships, visit CU's National Championships Central page, here.
