Bellarmine men repeat as NCWA Nationals champions with six individual golds, Liberty takes second

BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana – Led by six individual champions, Bellarmine repeated as men’s team champions at the NCWA Nationals. Bellarmine, in transition to NCAA Div. I, had nine of their 10 entries earn All-American honors, all placing fourth or better.

Bellarmine finished up with 245.5 points, with runner-up Liberty at 182 points. Thomas More placed third with 143.5 points, The Apprentice School in fourth with 125.5 points and Lindenwood was fifth with 123.5 points.

The Bellarmine finalists are Damion Ryan (125), Trayce Eckman (133), Gray Ortis (157), Grant O'Dell (165), Cole Nance (174) and Sam Schroeder (184). Nance won the NCWA title for the second straight year.

All of the Bellarmine champions won their finals match with bonus points, except for Eckman, who edged Ethan Vugman of Florida in a wild 18-16 decision.

Liberty and Thomas More each had two champions.

Liberty’s individual champions were Josiah Murphy (235) and Frederick Weaver (285). Both repeated as NCWA champions, and both needed to go into sudden victory to win their finals match. Murphy stopped Joseph Pineda of the Dubuque WC, 4-1 in sudden victory. Weaver beat Jonovan Smith of Caribbean, 2-1 in sudden victory.

Champions for Thomas Moore were Cole Thomas (141) and Ryan Moore (149). Moore knocked off returning champion Zac Cowan of Bellarmine, 7-2. Thomas outscored Bruno Alves of Apprentice, 16-10.

The other individual champion was Cesar Ubico of Utah Tech who edged Ryan Golnick of Lindenwood, 8-6 in the 197-pound finals.

NCWA NATIONALS

At Bossier City, La., March 14-16, 2024

Men’s results

125 LBS

1st Damion Ryan (Bellarmine) MD Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty), 17-4

3rd Austin Kegley (Lindenwood) F Juan Cantu (Texas A&M), 0:51

5th Shay Horton (Thomas More) DEC Kobe Bui (Washington State), 5-0

7th Ben Lindley (Lindenwood) DEC Dominic Ciolli (Ohio State WC), 3-0

133 LBS

1st Trayce Eckman (Bellarmine) DEC Ethan Vugman (Florida), 18-16

3rd Caiden Pelc (Lindenwood) F Dillon Messick (Apprentice), 3:50

5th Kevin Kerns (Central Florida) F Isaiah Duran (UCLA), 1:59

7th Jonathan Tanguma (Washington) MD Chase Arnestad (Liberty), 14-2

141 LBS

1st Cole Thomas (Thomas More) DEC Bruno Alves (Apprentice), 16-10

3rd Thomas Mccane (Central Florida) MD Chase Hall (Bellarmine), 16-3

5th Jordan Robins (Apprentice) MD Kenneth Lambert (Clemson), 10-2

7th Ryan Wilson (Washington State) DEC Zachary Foote (Iowa State WC), 9-6

149 LBS

1st Ryan Moore (Thomas More) DEC Zac Cowan (Bellarmine), 7-2

3rd Lincoln Vick (Iowa State WC) DEC Zachary Ortega (Apprentice), 5-2

5th Justin Barr (Springfield Tech CC) DEC Gabriel Ojeda (UNLV), 5-4

7th Hudson Garcia (Washington State) M FOR Alexander Gamble-Williams (Williamson College of the Trades)

157 LBS

1st Gray Ortis (Bellarmine) F Reid Stewart (Liberty), 7:44

3rd Mitchell Helgert (Washington State) F Keaton Fischer (West Chester), 4:44

5th Kailan Keith (Thomas More) F Max Wise (Stony Brook), 1:36

7th Pearce Phillips (Clemson) FOR Rayme Dagin (Allen)

165 LBS

1st Grant O'dell (Bellarmine) TF Keith Brubach (Slippery Rock), 22-6 6:19

3rd David Over (Liberty) MD Ezekiel Burkholder (Toledo), 18-6

5th Gavin Zoucha (Wayne State College) MD Jolan Martori (Springfield Tech CC), 12-2

7th Landon Kissell (Apprentice) F Peter Haverick (Montclair State), 1:21

174 LBS

1st Cole Nance (Bellarmine) F Talon Pisarchuk (Williamson College of the Trades), 6:56

3rd Kaden Charboneau (Lindenwood) DEC Alex Dorce (Allen), 5-4

5th Wayne Lamont (Stony Brook) DEC Emiliano Saucedo (Iowa State WC), 7-5

7th Josh Seaton (Apprentice) MD Jahmon Spiller (Thomas More), 15-4

184 LBS

1st Sam Schroeder (Bellarmine) TF Ben Liss (Rutgers WC), 17-2 6:41

3rd Graham Carson (Ohio State WC) DEC Riley Hackworth (Florida), 12-6

5th Luke Shaver (Lindenwood) FOR Michael Jackson (Allen)

7th Tim Goddard (Liberty) FOR David Mcelravy (Apprentice)

197 LBS

1st Cesar Ubico (Utah Tech) DEC Ryan Golnick (Lindenwood), 8-6

3rd Glean Gonzalez (Virginia Tech WC) DEC Carder Miller (Liberty), 8-1

5th Matthew Micale (West Chester) M FOR Dominic Love (Florida A&M), 7-3 6:07

7th Josh Luna (Grays Harbor) DEC Jacob Westfall (Western Washington), 7-2

235 LBS

1st Josiah Murphy (Liberty) DEC Joseph Pineda (Dubuque WC), 4-1 SV

3rd Christopher San Paolo (Rowan) F Dylan Jahrling (UNLV), 3:48

5th Jacob Meek (Toledo) M FOR Koby Kidd (Tarleton State)

7th Diara Spencer (Fresno State WC) DEC Franco Fontela (Dubuque WC), 4-1 SV

285 LBS

1st Frederick Weaver (Liberty) DEC Jonovan Smith (Caribbean), 2-1 SV

3rd Daulton Mayer (Thomas More) F Thadd Huff (Bellarmine), 1:09

5th Micah Vuki (Utah Tech) F Wade Wheeler (Liberty), 3:40

7th Keegan Bach (Washington) F David Hernandez (Lindenwood), 1:23

Team Standings

1             Bellarmine           245.5    

2             Liberty  182       

3             Thomas More      143.5    

4             Apprentice           125.5    

5             Lindenwood        123.5    

6             Washington State 99.5      

7             Central Florida    78          

8             Utah Tech            74.5      

9             Allen     69

10           Springfield Tech CC          63

11           Florida  58

12           West Chester       57.5      

13           Ohio State WC    56          

14           UNLV    55          

15           Williamson College of the Trades   48.5      

16           Clemson 47.5

17           Stony Brook        43.5      

18           Slippery Rock     43

19           Toledo   40.5      

20           Iowa State WC    40