FORT WAYNE, Indiana - The No. 1-ranked Wartburg wrestling team outscored their opponents 88 - 7 as they advanced to the semifinals of the 2018 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals. Coe College, ranked 11th in the nation, picked up wins over Manchester and No. 9-ranked Ferrum before getting knocked to the consolation side of the bracket by Wartburg in the quarterfinals.
After receiving an opening round bye, the top-ranked Knights kicked off the 2018 NWCA National Duals with a 46 - 3 win over Olivet in round-two. Wartburg's
Brock Rathbun (133lbs),
Martine Sandoval (141lbs),
Jacob Krakow (174lbs) and
Kyle Briggs (184lbs) picked up falls in the second-round victory.
Mike Ross (165lbs) kept his undefeated season (13-0) alive with a 16-0 technical fall over Olivet's fifth-ranked Tyler Grimsley. Also picking up tech. falls for Wartburg were No.1
Logan Thomsen (157lbs), and No.2
Kyle Fank (197lbs).
The Knights met Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) foe, Coe College in the quarterfinal-round. Wartburg came away with a convincing 42 - 4 victory in the match-up to advance to Saturday's semifinal-round where they will face fourth-ranked Ithaca at 11:00 a.m. EST. Second-ranked Fank (197lbs) and Rathbun (133lbs) recorded pins for Wartburg in their quarterfinal team victory. Picking up tech. falls for Wartburg were top-ranked
Cross Cannone (149lbs) and No.1 Thomsen (157lbs.). At 141lbs.
Brady Ruden solidified the lone win for the Kohawks with a 23-13 major decision over Sandovial. At 174lbs. Wartburg saw top-ranked and returning national champion
Eric Devos return to the line-up for an IIAC showdown against Coe's No.5
Jake Voss. Devos showed why he is ranked No.1, coming away with a 10-4 decision.
Eleventh-ranked Coe started off the National Duals with a 43 - 6 opening round win over Manchester University. All eight of the Kohawk's wins came by way of bonus points.
Fletcher Green (133lbs.), Ruden (141lbs.),
Romello Hidalgo-Monjares (157lbs), No.5 Voss (174lbs) and
Brennan Koerperich (285lbs.) all collected falls in the first-round team win.
In second-round action, No.11 Coe picked up a 37 - 6 win over ninth-ranked Ferrum College. Top-Ranked Voss tallied a 16-0 technical fall to add five points to the team score. Recording pins for the Kohawks in the team victory were Ruden, Hidalgo-Monjares,
Josh Edel and
Andrew Holladay.
In the NWCA National Duals semifinal round No.1 Wartburg will face No.4 Ithaca tomorrow, January 5 at 11:00 am EST. The Bombers received a first-round bye and then picked up wins over No. 21 Centenary (34-4) and No.6 UW-Whitewater (31-10). Coe will face No.7 Wabash in the consolation quarterfinals Friday, January 5 at 9:00 am EST. Wabash had an opening round bye and then fell to No.16 North Central in the second-round 19-20. On the consolation side of the bracket Wabash defeated Heidelberg (38-11) and Concordia-Moorhead (30-10).
