#13 Roughnecks Finish 2nd, Send 6 to Nationals
The University of Findlay wrestling team, ranked 13th in the nation, finished second at the Super Regional 2 Championship, which concluded on Sunday, Feb. 26 in Edmond, Okla. The Roughnecks racked up 102 points and will send six wrestlers to the NCAA Division II National Championship, which is scheduled to take place on March 9-10 in Pueblo, Colo.
Central Oklahoma won the event with 127.5 points while Ashland came in third with 96.5 points.
Sophomore Ben Sergent, junior Mason True and senior Michael Lybarger all won individual titles in their respective weight classes while junior Andrew Tumlin and sophomore Adam Walters placed second and third, respectively to move on to nationals.
Sergent, the seventh-ranked wrestler in the 125-pound weight class claimed a regional championship with a 2-1 win over fifth-ranked Garrett Evans of Ouachita Baptist.
True captured his championship in the 165-pound weight class with a 3-2 win over Lake Erie's Vandermeer while Lybarger, the second-ranked wrestler in the 174-pound weight class, earned a 3-1 win over eighth-ranked Kelly Henderson of Central Oklahoma.
Lybarger, who won a national championship last season in the 165-pound weight class, now has 113 career wins for the Roughnecks, which is the third best all-time at Findlay.
Tumlin took second in the 285-pound weight class as he was defeated 1-0 by Ashland's Jacob Southwick, who is ranked seventh.
Walters, the sixth-ranked grappler in the 184-pound weight class, earned his third place finish after pinning Brandon Tressler of King College in only 56 seconds.
In addition, senior Jeremy Espinoza lost his third place match by a score of 12-5 to Ashland's Marc Hoff in the 149-pound weight class, but will advance to nationals as he placed fourth.
Sophomore Ashton Brown placed fifth at 197 after defeating Belmont Abbey's Nick Rees by a 5-3 margin, narrowly missing a trip to the national championship.
Head coach Shawn Nelson was rewarded for his efforts and took home Super Region 2 Coach of the Year honors.
Team Standings
Team Standings
1. Central Oklahoma – 127.5
2. Findlay – 102
3. Ashland – 96.5
4. Limestone – 93
5. King – 91.5
6. Ouachita Baptist – 89
7. Lake Erie – 49
8. Truman – 33.5
9. Tiffin – 32
10. Belmont Abbey – 17.5
11. Central Missouri – 14.5