Six Eagle Wrestlers Punch Ticket To Division II Championships

As announced officially on NCAA.com on Monday (March 1) night, Ashland University will send six wrestlers to the 2021 NCAA Division II Championships, March 12-13 at America's Convention Center Complex in St. Louis, Mo.
 
The six Eagle grapplers moving on to nationals are senior Christian Wellman at 125 pounds, sophomore Luke Wymer at 141, senior Carson Speelman at 149, sophomore Daniel Beemer at 174, senior Aidan Pasiuk at 184, and senior Tristen Weirich at 285.
 
Speelman (7-1), Beemer (8-1) and Weirich (10-0) all won Super Region 3 championships at their respective weight classes on Saturday (Feb. 27) in Tiffin, Wellman (6-2) and Pasiuk (9-1) were regional runners-up, and Wymer (8-1) moves on as an at-large qualifier.
 
Weirich is a two-time D-II All-American at Ashland, and Pasiuk and Speelman each are one-time All-Americans as Eagles.
 
Last year, seven Ashland wrestlers were set to compete at 2020 NCAA Division II nationals, but they were canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Ashland wrestling boasts seven national champions all-time – Jim Guizzotti at 142 pounds in 1971, Jeff Freedman at 158 in 1979, Jeff Esmont at 190 in 1982, Corey Kline at 134 in 1996, Michael Labry at 133 in 2017, Bret Romanzak at 165 in 2018 and Luke Cramer at 197 in 2018.
 
The Eagles' top team finish in an NCAA Division II Championships is fourth in 1985 and 2002.