PARK CITY, Kan. – It was a monumental day for the (RV) Corban University men's wrestling program, which saw two of its members become the first to represent the school at the NAIA National Championships on Friday.
RESULTS
Cooper McCullough and No. 6-ranked Levi Perry took the mat on day one of the NAIA's biggest stage, with both falling just shy of becoming the squad's first All-Americans.
In the Navy and Gold's inaugural match at the national tournament, Perry (174 pounds) claimed a decisive victory over No. 16 Concordia's DeAndre Chery (Major decision, 13-5), who ranks 15th in the NAIA at 174 pounds.
No. 10-ranked Coleman Bryant (No. 7 Southeastern) managed to pin Perry (4:07) in the following round, however, forcing the star grappler into the consolation bracket.
"Levi took a risk and attempted a throw, but he got caught on his back," said head coach Keegan Davis afterwards. "After battling back to the 'blood rounds,' he lost by one to fall just short of placing."
The junior from Kuna, Idaho showed his resiliency in his first consolation match, earning a gritty triumph over Indiana Tech's Scott Sopko (No. 17 in the NAIA) to survive and advance. He then followed that up with another victory versus No. 11 Chase Short (Montana State-Northern), putting him just one triumph away from earning All-American accolades.
At 157 pounds, McCullough received a bye through the first round of action, which set him up for a face-off with No. 14-ranked Steven Weathers of Missouri Baptist. The two went toe-to-toe in a low-scoring affair, with McCullough earning a trip to the quarterfinals via a 5-2 decision.
The win setup a matchup between McCullough and the NAIA's top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, No. 1 Grand View's Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer. McCullough battled valiantly against the title favorite, falling by way of major decision (16-6).
With the defeat, both McCullough and Perry were positioned just a win away from placing in the NAIA top-eight, vying for All-American plaudits in the fourth round of the consolation bracket.
Both fell in hard-fought battles, however, as No. 13 Arman Fayyazi (Vanguard) edged Perry in a three-round heartbreaker (3-2), and Southeastern's Dylan Chatterton pulled away late to claim a 7-3 victory over McCullough.
"Cooper wrestled well, but he had a tough draw and ran into two very good competitors," Davis stated. "There will be several people that he beat a couple weeks ago that will end up being All-Americans. Overall, I thought he had a great year and competed like a true Warrior."
Speaking on Perry, Davis commented: "Levi battled all the way back to the 'blood rounds,' and came just one point short of placing."
Despite the bitter ending, the duo's incredible run marks an impressive introduction for the Warrior men's wrestling program, which nearly saw a pair of All-American efforts in just its first season of competition.
"Both of these guys handled their losses with class and humility," added Davis. "I'm proud of the growth they have made, both as competitors and as people."
With virtually the entire roster—including both McCullough and Perry—set to return in 2021, the future is bright for Corban's squad.