Nebraska-Kearney wins NCAA Div. II team title; four wrestlers repeat as individual champions

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Led by eight All-Americans, including three runners-up, Nebraska-Kearney handily claimed the team title at the 2025 NCAA Div. II National Championships.

The Lopers finished with 115 points, a full 52 points ahead of runner-up Augustana (S.D.) with 63 points. St. Cloud State was third with 57.5 points, Lander in fourth with 56 points and Central Oklahoma, which had won the last two NCAA Div. II titles were firth with 55.5 points.

UNK led 26.5 points on Friday, and after pushing three into the finals on Saturday morning, it was basically a battle for second place. It was Nebraska-Kearney’s fifth NCAA Div. II national title in history.

The finals were highlighted by the achievements of four athletes who repeated as Div. II national champions, Gabe Johnson of Central Oklahoma (157), David Hunsberger of Lander (165), Ty McGeary of West Liberty (184) and Derek Blubaugh of Indianapolis (197).

McGeary became a three-time national champion, with a dominant technical fall in the finals over Keegan Gehlhausen of Chadron St., 20-4.

Blubaugh became a four-time finalist with his victory in the semifinals, then finished off his second straight national title with a 5-1 victory over Tereus Henry of Fort Hays State.

Johnson, seeded No. 2, stopped No. 1 seed Joel Jesuroga of St. Cloud State in sudden victory, 4-1.

Hunsberger was powerful in the finals, in a 10-2 major decision over Jack Haskin of Lake Erie.

The wrestlers who defeated UNK wrestlers in the finals were Jakason Burks of Central Missouri (125), Cael Larson of Augustana (149) and Cole Ritter of Maryville (174).

Burks, the No. 1 seed, was a 5-2 winner over No. 6 seed Zachary Ourada in the finals. No. 2 seed Larson stopped No. 4 seed Nick James, 8-1 in the finals. Ritter, the No. 5 seed, defeated No. 6 Jacobi Deal, 5-1 in the finals.

The lowest seed to claim a national title was No. 8 Johnny Lopez of San Francisco State, who edged unseeded Khyvon Grace of West Liberty, 8-7 at 141 pounds

Other individual champions were Reece Barnhardt of Mary (133) and Ryan Herman of Maryville (285).

Barnhardt was a 10-4 winner over top seed Peter Rolle of Central Oklahoma in the finals. Herman, the No. 2 seed, won in tie-breaker one over No. 5 seed Isaiah Vance of Pitt-Johnstown.

NCAA DIV. II NATIONALS

At Indianapolis, Ind., March 14-15

125

1st Place Match - Jakason Burks (Central Mo.) 31-4 won by decision over Zachary Ourada (Neb.-Kearney) 18-5 (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match - Jaxson Rohman (Augustana (SD)) 23-5 won by fall over Trevon Gray (Pitt-Johnstown) 27-8 (Fall 2:20)

5th Place Match - Shane Corrigan (Wis.-Parkside) 25-12 won by decision over Anthony Aniciete (Tiffin) 23-7 (Dec 10-8)

7th Place Match - Dayson Torgerson (Colorado Mesa) 23-8 won by major decision over Colton Drousias (Glenville St.) 31-16 (MD 8-0)

133

1st Place Match - Reece Barnhardt (UMary) 30-3 won by decision over Peter Rolle (Central Okla.) 21-4 (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match - Christian Davis (Lander) 34-7 won by major decision over James Anderson (Ouachita Baptist) 23-9 (MD 19-6)

5th Place Match - Hector Serratos (Neb.-Kearney) 24-7 won by major decision over Sam Spencer (St. Cloud St.) 27-7 (MD 12-1)

7th Place Match - Jeremiah Echevarria (Gannon) 27-6 won by decision over Max Shore (Tiffin) 27-9 (Dec 4-2)

141

1st Place Match - Johnny Lopez (San Fran. St.) 27-2 won by decision over Khyvon Grace (West Liberty) 15-7 (Dec 8-7)

3rd Place Match - Sean Solis (UMary) 28-7 won by decision over Joseph Airola (Neb.-Kearney) 21-9 (Dec 12-7)

5th Place Match - Colton Stoneking (Fairmont St.) 32-6 won by major decision over Isham Peace (Lander) 30-7 (MD 12-3)

7th Place Match - Ronan Schuelke (McKendree) 27-7 won by major decision over Luke Kunath (Belmont Abbey) 14-9 (MD 12-0)

149

1st Place Match - Cael Larson (Augustana (SD)) 23-5 won by decision over Nick James (Neb.-Kearney) 7-1 (Dec 8-1)

3rd Place Match - Brennan Watkins (King (TN)) 27-10 won by decision over Dean Noble (Western Colo.) 22-5 (Dec 9-8)

5th Place Match - Jackson Hoover (UIndy) 19-5 won by medical forfeit over Chris Donathan (Grand Valley St.) 14-1 (M. For.)

7th Place Match - Joey Semerad (McKendree) 31-9 won by decision over Gabriel Onorato (Glenville St.) 26-12 (Dec 5-4)

157

1st Place Match - Gabe Johnson (Central Okla.) 26-1 won in sudden victory - 1 over Joel Jesuroga (St. Cloud St.) 26-1 (SV-1 4-1)

3rd Place Match - Aaden Valdez (Adams St.) 21-2 won by medical forfeit over Owen Cline (Colorado Mesa) 16-5 (M. For.)

5th Place Match - Caleb Meunier (Minnesota St.) 32-9 won by major decision over John Ridle (Central Mo.) 27-9 (MD 8-0)

7th Place Match - Kaden Renner (UMary) 18-10 won by fall over Casey Barnett (Tiffin) 19-6 (Fall 2:27)

165

1st Place Match - David Hunsberger (Lander) 30-2 won by major decision over Jack Haskin (Lake Erie) 26-4 (MD 10-2)

3rd Place Match - Dajun Johnson (Wis.-Parkside) 33-7 won by decision over Nick Novak (St. Cloud St.) 25-5 (Dec 12-10)

5th Place Match - Cory Peterson (McKendree) 26-8 won by decision over Jace Fisher (Newman) 30-9 (Dec 7-2)

7th Place Match - Nolan Gessler (Tiffin) 21-7 won by decision over Bailey Gimbor (Kutztown) 26-5 (Dec 7-5)

174

1st Place Match - Cole Ritter (Maryville (MO)) 32-7 won by decision over Jacobi Deal (Neb.-Kearney) 22-5 (Dec 5-1)

3rd Place Match - Drake Hayward (Minnesota St.) 32-7 won by decision over Bryce Dagel (St. Cloud St.) 26-5 (Dec 4-3)

5th Place Match - Matt Ortiz (McKendree) 27-11 won by decision over Lawson Losee (Upper Iowa) 27-13 (Dec 7-3)

7th Place Match - Joshua Kenny (Grand Valley St.) 20-7 won by decision over Dalton Gimbor (Kutztown) 21-9 (Dec 7-3)

184

1st Place Match - Ty McGeary (West Liberty) 33-1 won by tech fall over Keegan Gehlhausen (Chadron St.) 22-3 (TF-1.5 6:40 (20-4))

3rd Place Match - Matt Weinberg (Kutztown) 32-1 won by fall over Damon Ashworth (Central Mo.) 27-9 (Fall 1:44)

5th Place Match - Cade Mueller (Augustana (SD)) 22-7 won by decision over Garrett Wells (Central Okla.) 22-7 (Dec 5-2)

7th Place Match - Kyle Homet (Glenville St.) 38-10 won by tech fall over Jacari Deal (Neb.-Kearney) 13-6 (TF-1.5 6:26 (17-2))

197

1st Place Match - Derek Blubaugh (UIndy) 21-3 won by decision over Tereus Henry (Fort Hays St.) 16-7 (Dec 5-1)

3rd Place Match - Jackson Kinsella (Neb.-Kearney) 23-8 won by decision over Max Ramberg (Augustana (SD)) 34-7 (Dec 7-2)

5th Place Match - Nicholas Johnson (Glenville St.) 31-7 won by decision over Wyatt Miller (Grand Valley St.) 11-10 (Dec 10-3)

7th Place Match - Marvelous Rutledge (Lander) 28-13 won in sudden victory - 1 over Dominic Murphy (St. Cloud St.) 26-3 (SV-1 4-1)

285

1st Place Match - Ryan Herman (Maryville (MO)) 28-2 won in tie breaker - 1 over Isaiah Vance (Pitt-Johnstown) 26-5 (TB-1 3-2)

3rd Place Match - Dorian Crosby (Gannon) 27-4 won by decision over Crew Howard (Neb.-Kearney) 28-2 (Dec 4-2)

5th Place Match - Freddie Retter (Kutztown) 13-3 won by major decision over Jake Swirple (Minot St.) 26-9 (MD 12-1)

7th Place Match - Tyler Doyle (Colorado Mesa) 26-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Carter Blough (Grand Valley St.) 28-7 (SV-1 4-1)

Div. II Team Standings

1            Neb.-Kearney      115.0

2            Augustana (SD)   63.0

3            St. Cloud St.        57.5

4            Lander   56.0

5            Central Okla.       55.5

6            UMary   51.0

7            Central Mo.         43.0

8            Kutztown             42.5

9            Maryville (MO)   39.0

10          West Liberty        38.5

11           UIndy    38.0

12          Glenville St.         36.0

13          Pitt-Johnstown     33.5

14          Grand Valley St. 32.0

14          McKendree          32.0