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Flames graduate 235-pound wrestler Seth Ellsmore prepares to pin Northeastern's Alexander Moorefield 4 minutes, 40 seconds into their first-round match. (Photo by Bobby Leek)
Men’s wrestlers land in fourth place after first day of NCWA Grand Nationals
3/14/2025 9:04:00 AM | Women's Wrestling, Men's Wrestling
Liberty has nine competitors still alive in the championship brackets and another six in the consolation rounds.
Liberty University's men's wrestling team finished in fourth place out of 89 teams after Thursday's opening day of competition at the NCWA Grand Nationals at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, La. The Flames have nine wrestlers remaining in the championship bracket and six in the consolation rounds, with another six eliminated after their second losses.
The Flames racked up 55 team points to land in fourth position behind Tarleton (Texas) State (73.5), MAC rival Apprentice School (72.5), and Menlo (Calif., 65), one point ahead of Thomas More (Ky.) and 3.5 in front of NCWA National Duals champion Life (Ga.) University (51.5).
At 125 pounds, Liberty second-seeded sophomore Aiden Scheeringa, one of the Flames' three returning All-Americans, advanced to the championship quarterfinals by pinning Grand Canyon's Ryan Garcia in 1 minute, 42 seconds, and Sacramento State's Joseph Jiminez in 3:44. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Ohio State's Dominic Ciolli.
Flames 133-pound freshman Blaise Verdino, seeded fifth, was just as dominant, winning his first two matches by fall, in 35 seconds over MIT's Tsegazeab Betelselassie and 4:58 over Iowa State's Skyler Beck before scoring a 15-0 technical fall against Tarleton State's Johnathan Kazienko. He will face Florida A&M's Gaetano Tedesco in Friday's quarterfinals.
Junior Chase Arnestad, another returning All-American at 133, won his first match by fall in 53 seconds over Lyon (Ark.) College's Shmuel Tabek before scoring a 12-3 major decision over Menlo's Giancarlo Plaza. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Apprentice's Bruno Alves, who pinned Verdino in the MAC Tournament final in 1:33.
Flames 165-pound freshman Drake Bowers, seeded fifth, pinned Akron's Hamza Sawaltha in 4:03 before scoring an 18-3 technical fall over Utah Tech's Dylan Galant and a 4-2 decision over West Chester's Keaton Fischer. Bowers will challenge Ohio State's fourth-seeded Boede Campbell in Friday's quarterfinals.
At 197 pounds, Liberty senior Gabe Hayes, 10th-seeded earned a 9-1 major decision over Treasure Valley (Ore.) Community College's Cody Vance before scoring a 4-1 decision over Menlo's Matthew Porras Diamond to advance to the quarterfinals where he will meet Menlo's Diego Morales, seeded second.
Flames senior Garrett Good, seeded eighth, also finished 3-0 at 141 pounds, winning by technical fall over Utah Tech's Tanner Wilde in the first round before scoring 17-6 and 12-1 major decisions over British Columbia's Heath Yee Fung and Central Florida's Nicholas Clay. That sets up a quarterfinal showdown with Thomas More's top-seeded Cole Thomas.
Likewise, at 157 pounds, Liberty freshman Matox Allen, seeded sixth, pinned Louisiana State University's Mohammed Gaber in 4:01 before recording a 17-2 technical fall over Treasure Valley's Zakin Bollander and an 11-0 major decision over UNLV's Sam Gallardo. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Life's No. 3-seeded Enrique Santana.
The Flames had two 174-pounders reach the quarterfinals — fifth-seeded freshman Ronnie Black, who edged Iowa State's Zachary Fern, 5-4, before winning by forfeit to advance to a quarterfinal match against Menlo's Nikita Smatov, and senior Zachary Kaminski, who decisioned Thomas More's Caleb Lake, 12-7, and pinned Slippery Rock's Steven Green in 1:57. Kaminski will also meet a Menlo opponent in the quarterfinals in Ledger Petracek.
In the women's bracket, Liberty got first-round wins from 145-pound sophomore Anna-Mari Servin, who pinned Ottawa (Arizona's) Danica Medina in 4:30, 160-pound senior Mackenzie Yates, who decked Rowan's Inbal Yamin in 31 seconds, and 180-pound freshman Faith Kiefer, who scored a 10-1 major decision over Kansas State's Rose Latta.
Complete results and standings are available on FloWrestling, which is livestreaming the tournament.
Action resumes on Friday with men's quarterfinal and consolation matches starting at 10 a.m. EST with the semifinals scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
The Flames racked up 55 team points to land in fourth position behind Tarleton (Texas) State (73.5), MAC rival Apprentice School (72.5), and Menlo (Calif., 65), one point ahead of Thomas More (Ky.) and 3.5 in front of NCWA National Duals champion Life (Ga.) University (51.5).
At 125 pounds, Liberty second-seeded sophomore Aiden Scheeringa, one of the Flames' three returning All-Americans, advanced to the championship quarterfinals by pinning Grand Canyon's Ryan Garcia in 1 minute, 42 seconds, and Sacramento State's Joseph Jiminez in 3:44. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Ohio State's Dominic Ciolli.
Flames 133-pound freshman Blaise Verdino, seeded fifth, was just as dominant, winning his first two matches by fall, in 35 seconds over MIT's Tsegazeab Betelselassie and 4:58 over Iowa State's Skyler Beck before scoring a 15-0 technical fall against Tarleton State's Johnathan Kazienko. He will face Florida A&M's Gaetano Tedesco in Friday's quarterfinals.
Junior Chase Arnestad, another returning All-American at 133, won his first match by fall in 53 seconds over Lyon (Ark.) College's Shmuel Tabek before scoring a 12-3 major decision over Menlo's Giancarlo Plaza. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Apprentice's Bruno Alves, who pinned Verdino in the MAC Tournament final in 1:33.
Flames 165-pound freshman Drake Bowers, seeded fifth, pinned Akron's Hamza Sawaltha in 4:03 before scoring an 18-3 technical fall over Utah Tech's Dylan Galant and a 4-2 decision over West Chester's Keaton Fischer. Bowers will challenge Ohio State's fourth-seeded Boede Campbell in Friday's quarterfinals.
At 197 pounds, Liberty senior Gabe Hayes, 10th-seeded earned a 9-1 major decision over Treasure Valley (Ore.) Community College's Cody Vance before scoring a 4-1 decision over Menlo's Matthew Porras Diamond to advance to the quarterfinals where he will meet Menlo's Diego Morales, seeded second.
Flames senior Garrett Good, seeded eighth, also finished 3-0 at 141 pounds, winning by technical fall over Utah Tech's Tanner Wilde in the first round before scoring 17-6 and 12-1 major decisions over British Columbia's Heath Yee Fung and Central Florida's Nicholas Clay. That sets up a quarterfinal showdown with Thomas More's top-seeded Cole Thomas.
Likewise, at 157 pounds, Liberty freshman Matox Allen, seeded sixth, pinned Louisiana State University's Mohammed Gaber in 4:01 before recording a 17-2 technical fall over Treasure Valley's Zakin Bollander and an 11-0 major decision over UNLV's Sam Gallardo. That sets up a quarterfinal match against Life's No. 3-seeded Enrique Santana.
The Flames had two 174-pounders reach the quarterfinals — fifth-seeded freshman Ronnie Black, who edged Iowa State's Zachary Fern, 5-4, before winning by forfeit to advance to a quarterfinal match against Menlo's Nikita Smatov, and senior Zachary Kaminski, who decisioned Thomas More's Caleb Lake, 12-7, and pinned Slippery Rock's Steven Green in 1:57. Kaminski will also meet a Menlo opponent in the quarterfinals in Ledger Petracek.
In the women's bracket, Liberty got first-round wins from 145-pound sophomore Anna-Mari Servin, who pinned Ottawa (Arizona's) Danica Medina in 4:30, 160-pound senior Mackenzie Yates, who decked Rowan's Inbal Yamin in 31 seconds, and 180-pound freshman Faith Kiefer, who scored a 10-1 major decision over Kansas State's Rose Latta.
Complete results and standings are available on FloWrestling, which is livestreaming the tournament.
Action resumes on Friday with men's quarterfinal and consolation matches starting at 10 a.m. EST with the semifinals scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
Players Mentioned
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