WICHITA, Kan. - (PDF Brackets) The 65th Annual NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship event got underway Friday and despite a delay in the start of the competition, the first two sessions were packed with action. Grand View (Iowa) leads the team race, with reigning champions Life (Ga.) firmly in second place thanks in large part to qualifying a full 12-man roster.
Montana State-Northern leads the pack of Cascade Collegiate Conference teams, sitting tied for sixth with 44.5 points. Menlo College and Eastern Oregon University are neck-and-neck in 11th and 12th, respectively, while Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University rounds out the top-15 teams.
Day 1 Notes
- During Session I, championship dreams began the day from 280 wrestlers representing 62 member schools.
- St. Ambrose (Iowa) and Cornerstone (Mich.) made their debut as first year programs.
- Two unseeded wrestlers have reached the semifinals 141 - Cade Manion (Oklahoma City) and 157 - Trevord Burdick (Reinhardt).
- Eight of the 10 top seeds are into the semifinals as Cole Luallen (149) and Nate Wheeler (157) were knocked off.
- Six reigning National Champions are still in the hunt - Isaac Bartel (MSUN), Brandon Orum, Conner Grimson, Eric Vermillion, and Baterdene Boldmaa.
- Due to the extra year of eligibility, wrestlers earned All-American status for the fith time in their career during Session II.
- Martin Wilkie of Montana State-Northern is the lowest seeded wrestler to reach the semifinals
- Vanguard (Calif.) saw teammates meet with a spot as an All-American on the line; Armon Fayyazi clinched his third Top Eight finish which increases his school record
Team Standings
| Place |
Institution |
Points |
|
| 1 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
123.5 |
|
| 2 |
Life (Ga.) |
90.0 |
|
| 3 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
62.5 |
|
| 4 |
Indiana Tech |
49.0 |
|
| 5 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
45.5 |
|
| 6 |
Doane (Neb.) |
44.5 |
|
| 6 |
Montana State-Northern |
44.5 |
Recap |
| 8 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
38.5 |
|
| 9 |
Thomas More (Ky.) |
35.5 |
|
| 10 |
Marian (Ind.) |
34.5 |
|
| 11 |
Menlo (Calif.) |
31.5 |
Recap |
| 12 |
Eastern Oregon |
31.0 |
Recap |
| 13 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
29.5 |
|
| 14 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
26.5 |
|
| 15 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
23.0 |
Recap |
| 16 |
Baker (Kan.) |
22.5 |
|
| 17 |
Oklahoma City |
21.5 |
|
| 17 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
21.5 |
Recap |
| 19 |
Lourdes (Ohio) |
19.0 |
|
| 20 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
17.0 |
|
| 21 |
Southern Oregon |
16.5 |
Recap |
| 22 |
Missouri Valley |
16.0 |
|
| 22 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
16.0 |
|
| 24 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
15.0 |
|
| 25 |
Brewton-Parker (Ga.) |
14.5 |
|
| 25 |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
14.5 |
|
| 27 |
Corban (Ore.) |
14.0 |
Recap |
| 28 |
Providence (Mont.) |
12.0 |
Recap |
| 29 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
10.5 |
|
| 29 |
Williams Baptist (Ark.) |
10.5 |
|