Men’s, women’s wrestlers sweep MAC tournament crowns on track, set sights on NCWA nationals in La.

Sunday, March 3

Lynchburg, VA

9:00 AM

Liberty University Club Sports

MAC Championship

Flames 133-pound sophomore Chase Arnestad placed third to qualify behind freshman teammate and bracket champion Jahleel Armstrong for the March 14-16 NCWA Grand National Championships in Shreveport, La. (Photo by Aziz Ibrahim)

Men’s, women’s wrestlers sweep MAC tournament crowns on track, set sights on NCWA nationals in La.

3/3/2024 11:45:00 PM | Women's Wrestling, Men's Wrestling

Liberty won seven men's titles and qualified 19 men and nine women for the March 14-16 NCWA Grand Nationals in Shreveport, La.

Liberty University's men's wrestling team captured its 12th consecutive Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) Tournament championship and its women's team won a sixth title in a row Sunday on four mats set up in the Liberty Indoor Track & Field Complex.

The Flames sent eight wrestlers to the championship finals and won seven individual titles, with their only loss coming by forfeit in an all-Liberty heavyweight matchup. They qualified 19 wrestlers for the March 14-16 NCWA Grand National Championships in Shreveport, La., with top-five conference finishes. Liberty accumulated 217.5 points to pull away from The Apprentice School (186), Allen (S.C.) University (138.5), Virginia Tech (120.5), Clemson (79.5), JMU (64), Emory & Henry College (57), East Carolina (43), South Carolina (24.5), and Tennessee (16).

Gabe-Hayes-184 — Junior Gabe Hayes qualified for his third straight nationals by placing fifth at 184. (Photo by Jacob Summersgill)

"We have guys stepping up across the board," said senior David Over, who defeated Emory & Henry's Sebastian Gaberrete by 22-5 technical fall at 165 pounds for his third consecutive MAC title. "I've got my sights on (defending NCWA Grand National champion) Bellarmine (which) is really good. They proved it when they beat us at (NCWA) National Duals, but we're coming. Our team motto is, 'As one.' We're psyched up. The team's ready. It's go time."

Graduate Josiah Murphy, a two-time-defending NCWA Grand National champion at 197 pounds, bumped up to win the 235-pound weight class, scoring a 21-5 technical fall over JMU's Blake Buchert in the final.

"We're chasing that team title and we need those points at that weight class (so) he took one for the team," Over said.

Murphy, who went 21-1 at 197 this season after dropping only one match last season on his way to the national title, moved up so that Carder Miller, who is 28-7 as a freshman, could take the 197-pound title.

"That was a huge strategic move," Flames Head Coach Jesse Castro said.

"We just wanted to get as many team points as possible, so we have a guy at 235 and 197," Murphy added. "(Miller) was looking really strong, winning conference as a freshman, and I think he'll do really well at nationals. He should at least get seeded really highly."

Both Murphy and fellow top-ranked graduate Rick Weaver, who won both of his matches to improve to 3-1 on the year before defending his MAC title by forfeit over sophomore Wade Wheeler at heavyweight, will be going for their third NCWA Grand National crowns. Weaver spent the fall semester as a walk-on defensive lineman with the Flames Football team that played in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

Rick-Weaver-pickup — Graduate heavyweight Rick Weaver picks up an opponent en route to the MAC title. (Photo by Bobby Leek)

"Hopefully, we can both pull it off," Murphy said. "It will be new competition, new faces, and a different style of wrestling, too, so I'll have to adjust a little bit. (But) we've definitely faced our hardest matches before we even enter into the national tournament so everyone is well prepared. We're training right through this, but this is a good marker as to where we are."

The Flames won't have two-time All-American Zach Kaminski at 174 pounds after his NCWA appeal to be reinstated to the team was denied.

"That definitely takes the wind out of our sails a little bit," Over said. "We're missing him right now, but Coach (Castro) addressed that in the room. He sat us down and said, 'We don't have Zach, but it's an opportunity for all of us to step up.' And that's what we're doing. It's a team effort. We're a very team-minded team."

"The team culture is great this year, probably unprecedented," Murphy added. "We work really well in the practice room and also cheering each other on in here, making it super competitive as a team."

Castro was pleased with the way the Flames finished after they hit a rough stretch midway through the competition.

"We had two very bad rounds, and I was getting a little discouraged there, and then the guys started turning it around," he said. "Championship quarters and the first round of consolations, we were dropping like flies."

A few of the Flames' newcomers had strong showings, including freshmen Aiden Scheeringa and Jahleel Armstrong, who earned 125- and 133-pound MAC titles with decisions over Apprentice School's Caleb Olgers and Dillon Messick, respectively.

"Our first two weight classes came up huge," Castro said.

"We have a bunch of guys who have come in this year, and they just want to work, and they're excited about contributing," Over added. "We have a lot of guys that this is their last year, Garrett (Good), Blake (Schmitt), Josiah (Murphy), and Rick (Weaver). That's a lot of firepower. But the young guys who are coming in, they have a sense as well of, 'We all want a shot to make the most of it.' Let's go remind everyone of who we are. We take a lot of pride in being able to say we put the singlet on for Liberty University and we get to go and represent, not just our school, but Christ as well out on that mat. As one."

The indoor track facility was a spectacular venue for the tournament, and could set a precedent for future events, potentially NCWA nationals.

"It was super spacious, with a lot of space to warm up, and a lot of seating for the fans, so I thought it was great," Murphy said.

There was plenty of room to share the track infield with the women's tournament, run simultaneously.

The Lady Flames had a strong showing as well, with all 10 of their wrestlers qualifying for nationals. As a team, Liberty racked up 44.5 points to edge Allen (S.C.) University (41), a first-time MAC competitor.

"Nine of our girls will go," women's Head Coach Charisse (Manley) McIlhenny said. "We're ranked sixth (in the nation as a team), so I'd like to at least get that (at NCWA Grand Nationals). I'd like to get a couple All-American individuals."

Ashley-Asselin — Senior Ashley Asselin, who won the 130-pound bracket, wrestles Allen's Alicia Coleman. (Photo by Aziz Ibrahim)

Lady Flames senior Maile Ka'ahanui was an uncontested champion at 170 pounds, where she is ranked No. 1 in the nation by the NCWA. Liberty senior Ashley Asselin pinned sophomore teammate Claire Wortz 1 minute, 10 seconds into their 130-pound final to win their round-robin format title. At 136 pounds, senior Claudia Keanini, who is ranked fourth at 143 pounds, dropped a weight class and swept Lady Flames sophomore wrestler Madison Alcon by pin in 1:54 and technical fall, 15-0, to claim first place.

"Girls at 136 pounds are going to be a bit quicker, so I'm hoping I can keep up with that, but I'm excited for it and I'm getting ready," Keanini said. "I'm just going to give it my all, especially being a senior this year, my last nationals, so I'm ready to get after it. This conference meet did a good job of getting us ready for nationals, especially in a big arena like this."

Also for Liberty, freshman Anna-Mari Servin finished runner-up to Allen's Cathia Timas, who scored a 9-1 major decision in their final bout at 143 pounds and sophomore Mackenzie Yates lost to Allen's Jahmya Hill by fall in 2:59 to settle for second place.

"I'm feeling good about today," Charisse McIlhenny said, noting the team transitioned smoothly after having competed in freestyle wrestling against mostly NCAA Division II and III and NAIA competition all season. "This was our first folkstyle tournament, so it gave me and Coach Cendall ((Manley) Murphy) a good feeling of what we need to work on, but also where we're strong, so we're excited. We've got to tighten up some stuff, but it was a good day for us."

The 26 Flames and Lady Flames competitors will travel together to nationals, which was held in Puerto Rico for the first time last year and will again be in a new venue.

"We normally fly (to Allen, Texas, but) we're all going as one big happy family, in a bus for 16 hours (to Shreveport, La.)," McIlhenny said.

Mid-Atlantic Conference Tournament
Men's championship finals
125: Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty) d. Caleb Olgers (Apprentice School), 12-7; 133: Jahleel Armstrong (L) d. Dillon Messick (AS), 8-2; 157: Reid Stewart (L) d. Pearce Phillips (Clemson) by injury default; 165: David Over (L) t.f. Sebastian Gaberrete (Emory & Henry), 22-5; 197: Carder Miller (L) t.f. Matthew Henson (AS), 19-4; 235: Josiah Murphy (L) t.f. Blake Buchert (JMU) 21-5; 285: Rick Weaver (L) d. Wade Wheeler (L), by forfeit.
Consolation finals
133: Chase Arnestad (L) d. Gio DeGeorge (L), 10-4; 149: Eli Davis (Clem.) p. Jakob Brown (L), 1:20; 184: Tim Goddard (L) p. Drew Doscher (Clem.) 6:27; 285: Josh Hermann (L) m.d. Aden Halsy (Virginia Tech), 12-1.
Fifth-place champions
141: Blake Schmitt (L) t.f. Marcus Bluesteen (VT), 15-0; 174: Syler Weber (L) p. Luca Flamia (Cle), 0:46; 184: Gabe Hayes (L) p. Ryan Ankrum (JMU), 1:51.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media