Penn College’s Hunt heads to NCAA Division III Championships
Penn College senior Noah Hunt, a Warrior Run graduate, became the second Wildcat wrestler in program history to advance to the NCAA Division III Championship after his third-place finish at 141 pounds Sunday in the NCAA Division III Region 2 Championship at Lycoming College.
In team competition, Penn College was 10 of 19, which was its highest regional finish in program history.
The Wildcats also placed a program-record five wrestlers on the regional podium with T.J. Martin (149), Carter Davis (165), Isaac Cory (184), and Nick Woodruff (197) joining Hunt.
Hunt, a four-time regional place-finisher, posted a 5-1 record over two days of action — including two falls and a technical fall — as he hiked his career record to 103-45 and season mark to 20-6. Hunt pinned his way to nationals after decking Wilkes’ Ryan Santiago in 4:32 in the consolation semifinals, and cradling Penn State Behrend’s Cole Neil in 2:21 in the third-place match.
Davis, who went 3-2 and placed fourth, went 2-0 before a semifinal setback. The freshman rebounded with a 7-1 decision against Wilkes’ Caleb Lawrence in the consolation semifinals before dropping a 14-1 major decision against Lycoming’s Kaiden Wagner in the third-place match.
Cory, who went to nationals two seasons ago, went 4-2 and placed fifth. Cory was 3-1 on day one, including an overtime win, before going 1-1 on Sunday, which finished with an injury default win in the fifth-place match.
Woodruff went 2-3, with a fall and a decision, to finish sixth. After going 2-1 on Saturday, Woodruff sufferance a pair of falls Sunday in the consolation semifinals and fifth-place match.
Martin finished eighth after going 3-3, including a 3-1 mark on day one with two tech falls and a decision. Martin fell by major decision in the both the consolation third round the seventh-place match
Stevens won the team title with 153 points and was followed in the top 10 by Ithaca 115.5, Wilkes 112, RIT 107, Lycoming College 101. 5, SUNY Oneonta 99.5, Centenary, N.J. 95, St. John Fisher 78, SUNY Oswego 68.5 and Penn College 68.
The NCAA Division III Championship are Friday and Saturday, March 14-15,in Providence, Rhode Island, noon on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday.