#9 Roughnecks in 4th at Super Regional 2
The University of Findlay wrestling team, ranked ninth nationally, is currently in fourth place at the NCAA Division II Super Region 2 Tournament with 76 points. The Roughnecks wrapped up the first day of competition on Feb. 23 in Ashland, Ohio with four wrestlers reaching the finals in their respective weight classes.
Junior Ben Sergent, who is ranked eighth in the nation in the 125-pound weight class, went 3-0 with two pins on the first day of competition to reach the finals. He defeated Ouachita Baptist's Garrett Evans in the semifinals with a pin in 7:55 and will face Ashland's Max Byrd, who is ranked seventh nationally, for the championship tomorrow.
Senior Mason True reached the finals of the 165-pound weight class by sporting a 2-0 record. He reached the championship by defeating second-ranked Matt Vandermeer by a score of 3-0 in the semifinals and will face the top-ranked wrestler in the nation in Notre Dame's Joey Davis in the finals tomorrow.
Junior Adam Walters, who is ranked second in the nation in the 184-pound weight class, finished Saturday with a 2-0 record as he reached the championship round. Walters won by a score of 3-2 in the semifinals against Central Oklahoma's Tanner Keck and is scheduled to compete against Ouachita Baptist's Dallas Smith, who is ranked third in the nation, for the regional title.
Senior Andrew Tumlin, ranked seventh nationally, was the final Roughneck to reach the championship round as he accumulated a 2-0 record on Saturday. Tumlin claimed a pin over eighth-ranked Cody Dauphin of Central Oklahoma in the semifinals and will prepare to battle fifth-ranked Orlando Scales of Notre Dame in the finals on Sunday.
All four wrestlers who reached the finals on Saturday have qualified for the 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship, which will take place on March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
Sophomore Joey White is still alive in the consolation bracket with a chance to qualify for the national championship as well after going 3-1 on Saturday. He is scheduled to wrestle Central Oklahoma's Trison Graham tomorrow as he continues his quest to compete at nationals.