WVU Tech Wrestlers Compete at National Tournament

March 5, 2011

Complete results AT THIS LINK

Second year head coach Jake Brumbelow packed up three of his wrestlers and headed to the 2011 NAIA Wrestling National Championships. For Zach Freet (Glen Rock, PA) and John Walters (Camden, DE) it was their first trip to the event. For Ben Wood (Charleston, WV) it was his third consecutive trip to the tournament after placing 4th at the regional tournament – the highest finish by any Tech wrestler since the program began.

Freshman, John Walters, competed for the Golden Bears in the 141 weight class. After receiving a first round bye, Walters took to the mat against Jeff Rau from Grand View University, eventually dropping a 6-3 decision in his first ever National Tournament match. Rau's Grand View University eventually finished the tournament with a 5th place team finish.

Walters picked up his first victory of the tournament with a 5-4 decision over Hannibile- LaGrange's Garth Ginder before being edged in a 2-1 decision by Matt Dowell (Northwestern College) in the following match.

Fellow freshman, Zach Freet suffered a similar fate in his first tournament appearance in the 285 weight class. The Glen Rock native ran into Levi Roberson from Midland in the first round, losing 10-0. Roberson continued to dominate the 285 weight class all the way to a second place finish behind Notre Dame's Orlando Scales.

After receiving a bye in his next round Freet dropped an 8-2 decision to York's Ray Johnson to bow out of the tournament, 0-2.

In his third a final appearance in the Gold and Blue, Ben Wood drew Morningside's fifth seeded, Brian Block for a first round match up. Wood was sent to the “wrestleback” bracket after falling (4:51) while Block cruised his way to a 5th place finish in the 174 weight class.

Wood also received a bye for his next round before bowing out with a 4-1 decision to Dickinson State University's Cameron Scrempp.

The pair of losses wraps up a decorated career for Wood who has been named twice as a MSC Academic All-Conference and once (so far) as an NAIA Academic All-American. The Charleston native also owns nearly every wrestling record for the fledgling Golden Bear Wrestling program included highest Regional finish, most victories at Regional Tournament, most appearances at the National Tournament and most victories at the National Tournament. Ben is also the only member of the first wrestling team at WVU Tech to wrestle all four years.


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