Liberty sophomore Zach Kaminski gets the upper hand on Washington State's Alexander Ford before pinning him in 1 minute, 2 seconds. (Photos by Robert Leek)
Flames wrestlers flatten first three foes at NCWA National Duals, expect tougher tests on Day 2
1/5/2024 10:05:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
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Liberty will face Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Apprentice School at 10 a.m. (EST) followed by defending champion Bellarmine and Dubuque on Saturday afternoon in Iowa.
Competing for its fifth NCWA National Duals title in the past six seasons — and seventh overall since being reclassified from the NCAA Division I ranks in 2012 — Liberty University's men's wrestling team showed it is still a force to be reckoned on Friday's first day of round-robin competition at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
"The venue's really nice," Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro said, noting that it is an indoor football field that has been set up with 40 mats for the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) event. "There are at least 90 teams here at the tournament between NCWA, NCAA, and NAIA schools. This place is packed."
The Flames got out to a fast start, dominating Washington State, 57-0, and Colorado State, 56-6, before rolling over Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Central Florida, 40-16.
"A highlight of the day was our first match against Washington State," Castro said. "That set the pace for us. They came out hard, but we were able to sustain an intensity that they were not able to, and we gained momentum with each match."
Against the Cougars, Liberty won four matches by fall, three by technical fall, two by forfeit, and two by decision. Versus the Rams, the Flames posted five falls, three wins by forfeit, one technical fall, and one decision.
Liberty will complete round-robin match play on Saturday with duals against Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Apprentice School at 10 a.m. EST, defending champion Bellarmine University, which is transitioning to NCAA Division I, at noon EST, and the University of Dubuque, the only Iowa representative in the seven team field, at 4 p.m. EST.
"Apprentice wants us bad every year they wrestle us," Castro said. "They're wound up for us. We have more depth talent-wise (but) it's going to be a tough match. Last year, it was a one-point match."
Bellarmine, meanwhile, defeated both Colorado State and Washington State by identical 57-0 counts, recording five pins, three technical falls, and two forfeit wins in both matches before defeating UCF, 53-6. Complete results are available online.
"They're better than last season," Castro said, noting that the Knights only brought 10 wrestlers to the tournament, with no back-ups and one forfeit each match. "That is a show of confidence, for sure. They had a good recruiting class of wrestlers who have bumped former national champions out of the starting lineup."
Liberty had both its four-season run of NCWA National Duals and NCWA Grand National championships snapped by Bellarmine last year in Louisville, Ky., and Puerto Rico, respectively.
Liberty 57, Washington State 0 125: Aiden Scheeringa (L) by forfeit; 133: Jahleel Armstrong (L) t.f. Kobe Bui, 18-1; 141: Jakob Brown (L) p. Luke Reed, 2:35; 149: Garrett Good (L) d. Ryan Wilson, 1-0; 157: Reid Stewart (L) d. Mitchell Helgert, 5-3; 165: David Over (L) t.f. Robert Shepard, 22-6; 174: Zach Kaminski (L) p. Alexander Ford, 1:02; 184: Gabriel Hayes (L) p. David Darroch, 4:58; 197: Josiah Murphy (L) t.f. Jonathan Rosmaryn, 19-4; 235: Carder Miller (L) p. Keelen Mitcham, 1:49; 285: Wade Wheeler (L), by forfeit.
Liberty 56, Colorado State 6 125: Scheeringa (L) by forfeit; 133: Arnestad (L) by forfeit; 141: Blake Schmitt (L) p. Elijah Padilla 0:38; 149: Good (L) d. Kade Haselman,16-9; 157: Fernando Luna (CS), by forfeit; 165: Josiah Foss (L) t.f. Ali Eldeiry, 15-0; 174: Syler Weber (L) p. Luke Henderson, 2:12; 184: Hayes (L) p. Muhamad Nugroho, 2:59; 197: Murphy (L) p. Marcel Gordon, 2:19; 235: Miller (L) by forfeit; 285: Wheeler (L) p. Cannon Kelly, 0:59.
Liberty 40, Central Florida 16 125: Scheeringa (L) by forfeit; 133: Kevin Kerns (UCF) p. Arnestad, 1:55; 141: Brown (L) m.d. Isaiah Correa, 14-1; 149: Thomas McCane (UCF) m.d. Schmitt, 11-2; 157: Dominick Acosts (UCF) by forfeit; 165: Foss (L) p. Caiden Stone, 2:14; 174: Kaminski (L) t.f. Noel Fuentes, 18-2; 184: Timothy Goddard (L) m.d. Jackson Wakeland, 8-0; 197: Murphy (L) d. Benjamin Hughes, 4-1; 235: Miller (L) by forfeit; 285: Wheeler (L) by forfeit.
By Ted Allen/Staff WriterGabe Hayes prepares to pin Washington State's David Darroch, as he would later do to Colorado State's Muhamad Nugroho on Friday.
