Wisc-Parkside’s Becker claims third NCAA Div. II championship
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Nick Becker spent one season at Central Michigan and the final three at Wisconsin-Parkside, where the senior never loss. That included his final match, Saturday, March 10, when the 174-pounder won his 89th straight match and third NCAA Division II championship with an 8-4 win over Nolan Kistler of California-Baptist.
Neither St. Cloud State nor Notre Dame College won an individual title but the teams finished first and second, respectively, at the two-day tournament held in the U.S. Cellular Center.
The following is a listing of the top teams and highlights of the championship matches.
Top 10 Teams
Pl. | School | Points |
1 | St. Cloud St. | 92.5 |
2 | Notre Dame (OH) | 84.0 |
3 | California Baptist | 70.5 |
4 | Upper Iowa | 58.0 |
5 | Ashland | 55.0 |
6 | Pitt.-Johnstown | 54.5 |
7 | McKendree | 52.0 |
8 | Neb.-Kearney | 44.5 |
9 | Central Okla. | 36.5 |
10 | Minnesota St. | 30.5 |
Championship Matches
125 — Elijah Hale (Central Okla.) won by tech fall over Maleek Williams (Upper Iowa), 17-2 — Central Oklahoma’s Hale got on the board with a takedown eight seconds into the first period, then turned Upper Iowa’s Williams three times to take a 14-0 lead into the break. With nothing to lose Williams got a takedown to open the second period but Hale recorded the 17-2 tech at the 1:11 mark of the second period to give the transfer from Oklahoma State a national title.
133 — Josh Walker (Upper Iowa) dec. George Farmah (Minnesota St.), 1-0
Walker’s second-period takedown held up as the only points of the match against Farmah, despite several flurries where takedowns were nearly scored. The championship win assured host Upper Iowa of at least a fourth-place trophy. Walker didn’t give up a point in his four-match run to the title
141 — Chris Eddins (Pitt.-Johnstown) dec. Darren Wynn (McKendree), 4-2
Eddins got a double with a minute left in the first period. Wynn tied the match with 40 seconds left in the second period on a reversal. Eddins went ahead with an escape to start the second period and put 1:32 of riding time on the board for the 4-2 win and title for UPJ against the 2016 national champ.
149 — Daxton Gordon (California Baptist) dec. James Pleski (St. Cloud St.) 5-1 sv
Tied 1-1 through regulation, CBU’s Gordon countered a Pleski shot and turned it into a successful double-leg takedown of his own with less than 10 second left in sudden-victory overtime win, 5-1, for the 149-pound title for coach Lennie Zalesky.
157 — Cody Law (Pitt.-Johnstown) dec. Larry Bomstad (St. Cloud St.), 6-3
In a rematch of last year’s consolation final (won by Bomstad), Bomstad took a 4-0 lead after a first- and second-period takedowns. 29 seconds into the third, Bomstad used a side trip for takedown to pull within one point. Law racked up 2:19 in riding time for the 6-3 win.
165 — Bret Romanzak (Ashland) dec. Christian Smith (California Baptist), 3-2
Romanzak scored the first offensive points of the match after converting on a single-leg in the second period. Romanzak got an escape in the third and held Smith off for a 3-2 national-title win for the sophomore.
174 — Nick Becker (Wis.-Parkside) dec. Nolan Kistler (California Baptist), 8-4
Kistler struck first vs. the two-time champ (88-0) converting a high-crotch into a takedown 10 seconds into the match. Becker was awarded takedown at end of the second period after a length video review to take a 5-3 lead into the third period. After a reversal nine seconds into the period, Becker led 7-4 when the match was again stopped for blood time. 1:11 in riding time gave Becker the 8-4 win and his third national championship as he held off Kistler and finished Division II career 89-0.
184 — Noel Torres (Newman) dec. JaVaughn Perkins (Colorado St.-Pueblo), 3-1
Torres broke a 1-1 tie with just a little under a minute left in the match with a takedown after a scramble. CSU-Pueblo’s coaches challenged the takedown call, but the two-point call stood. Torres then held on for the 3-1 win.
197 — Luke Cramer (Ashland) dec. Vince Dietz (St. Cloud St.), 5-1
Dietz snapped down Cramer hard one minute into the second period and finished a low shot for a takedown and a 2-1 lead. Cramer added a takedown with five seconds left in the bout and posted 1:32 of riding time in the 5-1 win for Ashland’s second title of the night.
285 — Terrance Fanning (Wheeling Jesuit) dec. Kameron Teacher (Notre Dame), 8-2
Fanning got the first takedown off an inside single 40 seconds into the bout. Fanning got his second takedown with about 30 seconds left in the second to extend his lead to 4-2. Then, for icing on the cake, and then combined that with 1:39 in riding time for the 8-2 win as Fanning became the first champion and finalist in Wheeling Jesuit school history.