Flames wrestlers claim hardware for third-place team showing at NCWA National Duals

Friday, January 31

Virginia Beach, VA

TBD

Liberty University Club Sports

NCWA National Duals

Liberty extended its program record of placing in the top three at the NCWA National Duals on Saturday in Newport News, Va.

Flames wrestlers claim hardware for third-place team showing at NCWA National Duals

2/1/2025 7:17:00 PM | Men's Wrestling

Liberty went 2-1 in Friday's pool competition before falling to MAC rival and tournament host Apprentice School in Saturday's semfinals and winning its consolation final.

Liberty University's men's wrestling team finished 4-2 to capture third place out of eight teams at Friday's and Saturday's NCWA National Duals, hosted for the first time by Apprentice School in Newport News, Va.

The Flames' only losses came against the top-seeded Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Shipbuilders and Life (Ga.) University, which defeated Apprentice in the final, 32-21. Liberty had landed in second in the past two NCWA National Duals after winning the previous four from 2019-22.

Seeded second out of eight teams, the Flames opened competition in their pool on Friday with a 32-25 victory over No. 6 Washington State before steamrolling over No. 8 East Carolina, 56-0. That set up a showdown with Life, which dominated Liberty, 39-9, to win their pool.

On Saturday, with the teams reseeded for the quarterfinals, the Flames overcame No. 5 Central Florida, 36-24, before being sent to the consolation final with a 33-15 setback against Apprentice School. Liberty proceeded to roll over No. 3-seeded Thomas More (Ky.) 42-15 to clinch third place.

"It's the first time that the Apprentice School has ever beaten us in a dual match that I can remember," Flames veteran Head Coach Jesse Castro said. "At least we continued a long-held record of never leaving an NCWA national tournament without bringing home hardware (for third place)."

Liberty had an exceptionally strong showing from 125-pound sophomore Aiden Scheeringa, a returning All-American who went 6-0, winning five matches by fall and one by forfeit.

The tournament marked the return of senior Zach Kaminski to Liberty's lineup, and he fared extremely well even after being bumped up from the 184-pound weight class, where he went 1-1, to 197, where he finished 2-0, and then to 235, where he defeated Thomas More's Sam Tuck in 1 minute, 33 seconds.

Other veterans and newcomers experienced mixed results in a few tight matches.

"Our guys are experiencing the process of growth and it is a painful process for young wrestlers to endure," Castro said. "This will test their resolve. We have a lot of work to do before our (Mid-Atlantic) Conference meet," a qualifier for the March 13-15 NCWA Grand Nationals in Louisiana that is set for March 2 at the LaHaye Multipurpose Center.

That's where the Flames will compete in their final dual match of the season this Thursday at 6 p.m. against West Virginia Tech before completing the regular season on Saturday at the Messiah Open in Grantham, Pa.

Friday's pool play matches
Liberty 32, Washington State 25
125: Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty) p. Ivan Villescas, 1:19; 133 - Blaise Verdino (Liberty) d. Kobe Bui, 10-4; 141: Ryan Wilson (Washington State) d. Garrett Good, 4-0; 149: Josiah Johnson (Washington State) p. Jelcey Marte, 2:13; 157: Mitchell Helgert (Washington State) p. Miguel Betancourt, 0:39; 165: Drake Bowers (Liberty) p. Milo Jones Longstreet, 3:29; 174: Syler Weber (Liberty) p. Olin Hill, 1:06; 184: Zachary Kaminski (Liberty) t.f. Simon Anderson,15-0; 197: David Darroch (Washington State) m.d. Gabriel Hayes,11-0; 235: Keelen Mitcham (Washington State) p. Carson Meadows, 2:32; 285: Wade Wheeler (Liberty) p. Evann Tauscher, 2:48.

Liberty 55, East Carolina University 6
125: Scheeringa (Liberty) p. Bryson Gresham, 0:50; 133: Verdino (Liberty), by forfeit; 141: Good (Liberty) m.d. Aden Davis, 11-3; 149: Marte (Liberty), by forfeit; 157: Matox Allen (Liberty), by forfeit; 165: Bowers (Liberty), by forfeit; 174: Ronald Black (Liberty) p. Mustafa Hijawi, 1:18; 184: Bruce Dudley (East Carolina) over Paul Moore (Liberty) Fall 3:29; 197: Kaminski (Liberty) t.f. Braxton Slack, 17-0; 235: Tyirek Jackson (Liberty) p. Caleb Bess, 2:22; 285: Josh Hermann (Liberty) m.d. Cooper Bumgarner, 15-2.

Life (Ga.) University 39, Liberty 9
125: Scheeringa (Liberty), by forfeit; 133: Ethan Sellers (Life) t.f. Verdino, 16-1; 141: Jayden Colon (Life) d. Good, 14-10; 149: Camron Crump (Life) p. Marte, 6:02; 157: Avant Stepherson (Life) t.f. Allen, 22-6; 165: Bowers (Liberty) d. Enrique Santana, 12-9; 174: Connor Edwards (Life) d. Weber, 7-1; 184: Connor Cooper (Life) t.f. Kaminski, 21-5; 197: Ryan Krimpelbein (Life) d. Hayes, 4-0; 235: Charlie Brown (Life) p. Tyirek Jackson, 0:58; 285: Spencer Dacus (Life) d. Wheeler (Liberty), 5-2.

Saturday's championship quarterfinal
Liberty 36, University of Central Florida 24
125: Scheeringa (Liberty) p. Charlie Smiarowski, 4:04; 133: Kevin Kerns (UCF) p. Verdino, 4:22; 141: Adriel Pina (UCF) d. Good, 5-1; 149: Thomas McCane (UCF) p. Marte, 1:40; 157: Allen (Liberty) p. Caiden Stone, 2:37; 165: Bowers (Liberty) p. Dominick Acosta, 1:12; 174: Black (Liberty) p. Jack Caissie, 2:13; 184: Paul Moore (Liberty) p. Mason Trujillo, 3:43; 197: Kaminski (Liberty), by forfeit; 235: Russell Fickett (UCF), by forfeit; 285: Nelson Toro (UCF) m.d. Seth Ellsmore, 11-3.

Championship semifinal
Apprentice School 33, Liberty 15
125: Scheeringa (Liberty) p. Lucas Vannostrand, 1:11; 133: Bruno Alves (Apprentice School) t.f. Verdino, 15-0; 141: Jakob Brown (Apprentice School) d. Good, 2-0; 149: David Norris (Apprentice School) p. Lucas Viana, 1:25; 157: Logan Eastman (Apprentice School) m.d. Allen,11-5; 165: Landon Kissell (Apprentice School) d. Bowers, 10-9; 174: Ethan Baker (Apprentice School) m.d. Weber, 16-5; 184: Josh Seaton (Apprentice School) d. Moore, 7-5; 197: Hayes (Liberty) d. Jordan Butler, 6-2; 235: Grayson Starrett (Apprentice School), by forfeit; 285: Hermann (Liberty), by forfeit.

Consolation final
Liberty 42, Thomas More 15
125: Scheeringa (Liberty) p. Trevor Wilcox , 1:25; 133: Verdino (Liberty) m.d. Nick Lawrensen, 8-0; 141: Cole Thomas (Thomas More) p. Ortega, 0:51; 149: Hunter Isaacs (Thomas More) d. Lucas Viana, 12-7; 157: Allen (Liberty), by forfeit; 165: Jahmon Spiller (Thomas More) p. Jordan Scott, 4:45; 174: Black (Liberty) d. Caleb Lake, 7-3; 184: Moore (Liberty), by forfeit; 197: Hayes (Liberty) t.f. Zach Watson, 17-0; 235: Kaminski (Liberty) p. Sam Tuck, 1:33; 285: Wheeler (Liberty), by forfeit.