Five AU Wrestlers Earn Nationals Spots, Eagles Win Regional Team Title

Ashland University's wrestling team has been on some kind of roll over the last five weeks.
 
It started with winning the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship for the third time in four years.
 
It continued with six straight dual victories.
 
And it kept going on Saturday (March 2), as the No. 14-ranked Eagles won the NCAA Division II Region 3 team championship at West Liberty, W.Va. – and saw five grapplers qualify for the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships in the process.
 
Team-wise, Ashland finished with 128.5 points, topping the 11-team field. The host Hilltoppers were second (125), and Glenville State third (122.5). This is the first time the Eagles have won a regional title since 2018.
 
Individually, five Ashland wrestlers will go to nationals March 15-16 in Wichita, Kan.:

• Redshirt freshman 125-pounder Luke Acuna blew through the bracket at his first regional, going 3-0 with a pin in 2:28, a 21-0 technical fall and an 8-5 decision in the first-place match.
• Sophomore Sevriano Garza also went 3-0 to win the 165-pound weight class, recording a 14-3 major decision and two decisions, including a 5-3 win in the title match.
• No. 10-ranked sophomore Nate Barrett finished second at 174 pounds, going 2-1 with a 19-4 technical fall and 4-2 decision before losing in the first-place match.
• No. 2-ranked graduate Daniel Beemer was the runner-up at 184 pounds, earning pins in 4:28 and 1:54, and a 20-2 technical fall, before a loss in the title bout.
• No. 5-ranked graduate Drew Wiechers took third at 157 pounds, going 3-1 with three pins in 1:51, 2:54 and 3:16.

Senior Walker Uhl took fourth at 197 (3-2, pin, major decision), senior Tyler Masters took fifth at 133 (4-2, pin), sophomore Wyatt Bailey was fifth at 285 (3-2, pin, major decision), and freshman Hayden Kuhn was sixth at 149 (1-3, pin).