Menlo College, which is making a transition from the NAIA to the NCAA, won the men’s team title at the 2025 National Collegiate Wrestling Association Nationals (NCWA).
Menlo finished with 214.5 points, with the Apprentice School in second with 187.5 points and Tarleton State in third with 183.5 points. Liberty, with 146.5 points, placed fourth and Life was fifth with 111.5 points.
Menlo had three individual champions, Elijah Valencia (125), Noah Elliott (149) and Ledger Petracek (174), and had 10 All-Americans.
Valencia scored a 4-1 decision in the finals over Trevor Wilcox of Thomas More. Elliott was a 4-1 winner of Thomas McCane of Central Florida. Petracek controlled Nirrideen Ahmad-Staats of Williamstown Trade, 8-1.
The Apprentice School was led by individual champion Bruno Alves, who defeated Matthew Ellis in the 133-pound finals, 7-2. Alves was an NCWA national runner-up last year. The Apprentice School had 11 All-Americans.
Tarleton State made a big statement with three individual champions, Zachery Espalin (141), Joseph Liescheski (165) and Koby Kidd (235).
Espalin was dominant in his 20-4 technical fall over Ryan Wilson of Washington State. Liescheski defeated his Tarleton State teammate Finn Shepard in the finals, 6-4. Kidd was an 8-4 winner over Caleb Hartung of the Apprentice School, 8-4.
There were no repeat men’s champions this year, but two of last year’s runners-ups became champions this year, Alves and Jonovan Smith of Caribbean (285).
Smith, who was a 2024 Olympian for Puerto Rico and attends Caribbean, a college in Puerto Rico, defeated Micah Vuki of Utah Tech, 6-3 in the finals.
Other individual men’s champions were Matox Allen of Liberty (157), Graham Carson of Ohio State (184) and Paul Detwiler of Maryland (197).
Allen needed to go into sudden victory to defeat Rafael Garcia of Ana G Mendez, 6-3. Carson pinned Maximus Zamora of Menlo in 2:02. Detwiler was a 9-5 winner over Diego Morales of Menlo.
NCWA NATIONALS
At Bossier City, La., March 13-15, 2025
125 lbs
1st Elijah Valencia (Menlo) DEC Trevor Wilcox (Thomas More), 4-1
3rd Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty) F Juan Cantu (Texas A&M), 1:57
5th Julian Sanchez (Menlo-NCWA) MD Charlie Smiarowski (UCF), 13-2
7th Lucas Vannostrand (Apprentice) TF Dominic Ciolli (Ohio State), 17-1
133 lbs
1st Bruno Alves (Apprentice) DEC Matthew Ellis (Thomas More), 7-2
3rd Aidan Medina (Tarleton State) F Jeremiah Steele (Menlo), 2:12
5th Blaise Verdino (Liberty) DEC Gaetano Tedesco (Florida A&M), 5-4
7th Giancarlo Plaza (Menlo-NCWA) MD Benjamin Levy (Virginia Tech), 15-4
141 lbs
1st Zachery Espalin (Tarleton State) TF Ryan Wilson (Washington State), 20-4
3rd Fernando Barreto (Vanguard) TF Ivan Acosta (Menlo), 22-7
5th Ethan Vugman (Florida) F Garrett Good (Liberty), 1:10
7th Kenneth Lambert (Clemson) DEC Jakob Brown (Apprentice), 7-4
149 lbs
1st Noah Elliott (Menlo) DEC Thomas Mccane (UCF), 4-1
3rd David Norris (Apprentice) DEC Josiah Johnson (Washington State), 2-0
5th Thomas Freking (Iowa State) DEC Zachary Casias (Tarleton State), 13-8
7th Camron Crump (Life) DEC Andrew Brevot (RPI), 3-1
157 lbs
1st Matox Allen (Liberty) DEC Rafael Garcia (Ana G Mendez), 6-3 SV
3rd Lane Snyder (Tarleton State) DEC Ezekiel Lara (Menlo), 6-4
5th Mitchell Helgert (Washington State) F Sam Gallardo (UNLV), 3:57
7th Enrique Santana (Life) DEC Logan Eastman (Apprentice), 8-6
165 lbs
1st Joseph Liescheski (Tarleton State) DEC Finn Shepard (Tarleton State), 6-4
3rd Keith Brubach (Slippery Rock) TF Victor Petkov (UConn), 19-4
5th Landon Kissell (Apprentice) FOR Drake Bowers (Liberty)
7th Jorden Roberts (Life) FOR Seth Borba (Menlo)
174 lbs
1st Ledger Petracek (Menlo) DEC Nurrideen Ahmad-statts (Williamson Trade), 8-1
3rd Ethan Baker (Apprentice) DEC Matthew Riehle (Hillsdale), 4-2
5th Nikita Smatov (Menlo-NCWA) DEC Ronald Black (Liberty), 8-4
7th Matthew Henson (Apprentice) FOR Zachary Kaminski (Liberty)
184 lbs
1st Graham Carson (Ohio State) F Maximus Zamora (Menlo), 2:02
3rd Josh Seaton (Apprentice) TF Ryan Fredette (Maine Maritime), 23-4
5th Connor Cooper (Life) DEC Gavin Blondeaux (Tarleton State), 11-7
7th Ibraheem Ahmed (Tarleton State) DEC Liam Schram (Thomas More), 6-4
197 lbs
1st Paul Detwiler (Maryland) DEC Diego Morales (Menlo), 9-5
3rd Cesar Ubico (Utah Tech) MD David Darroch (Washington State), 16-2
5th David Mcelravy (Apprentice) DEC Gabriel Hayes (Liberty), 5-0
7th Ryan Krimpelbein (Life) FOR David Mercado (Florida State)
235 lbs
1st Koby Kidd (Tarleton State) DEC Caleb Hartung (Apprentice), 8-4
3rd Keelen Mitcham (Washington State) F James Baldwin (LSU), 1:26
5th Dylan Jahrling (UNLV) F Russell Fickett (UCF), 2:42
7th Devin Dudley (Life) FOR Seth Ellsmore (Liberty)
285 lbs
1st Jonovan Smith (Caribbean) DEC Micah Vuki (Utah Tech), 6-3
3rd Ted-Spencer Dacus (Life) DEC Nelson Toro (UCF), 4-2
5th Cole Steketee (Menlo) DEC William Abbott (Life), 4-1
7th Paul Ballard (Iowa State) F Austin Tischer (Tarleton State), 0:59
Final Men’s team standings
1 Menlo 214.5
2 Apprentice 187.5
3 Tarleton State 183.5
4 Liberty 146.5
5 Life 111.5
5 Washington State 111.5
7 UCF 97.5
8 Thomas More 95
9 Utah Tech 82
10 Ohio State 67.5
11 Menlo-NCWA 66.5
12 Iowa State 53
12 Slippery Rock 53
14 Vanguard 49.5
15 Springfield Tech 46
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