ANGOLA, IND.—Trine wrestlers Brandon Preston and Mack Green will compete in the 2014 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships this weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Preston (Logansport, Ind./Logansport) will wrestle in the 133 lb class, while Green (Buchanan, Mich./Buchanan) will wrestle in the 285 lb division. Each wrestler qualified for the National Championships with third-place finishes in the Midwest Regional. A total of 180 participants will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the championship by placing in the top-three in their respective weight classes at one of the six NCAA regional tournaments. The top-eight placers in each class will earn All-American status. The championships will be held Mar. 14-15 at the US Cellular Center. Cornell (Iowa) will serve as the host.
Preston enters the National Championships with an overall record of 24-13, with five of those wins coming by pin. He has also won two matches by tech fall, and five by major decision. After dropping his first match at the Midwest Regional, the junior regrouped and gutted out four straight victories to earn third-place and a National Championships bid. This is his second-consecutive trip to the national meet. Last season, Preston competed in the 125 lb class and fell a win short of earning All-American honors.
Highlighting Preston's performances this season were a first-place finish in the Ohio Northern Invitational and a second-place finish at the Mid-States Tournament. He enters the National Championships with his performance peaking at the right time, having won eight of his last 10 matches.
Marcus Lubner of Concordia (Wisc.) will be Preston's opponent in the opening round of the championship meet. Lubner carries a 16-5 record into the match. The winner of that match will advance to face no. 4 seed Evan Obert of Luther. The loser will fall into wrestlebacks and will face either Heidelberg's Colin McDermitt or no. 2 seed Ryan O'Boyle of McDaniel.
Green carries a 28-6 record into the National Championships, with nine of those wins coming on pins. He went 3-1 at the Midwest Regional to finish third and lock up a bid to the national meet. After dropping his second match to fall into the wrestlebacks bracket, Green picked up wins in two-consecutive matches to lock up the third-place finish. This is the junior's first-career appearance in the National Championships.
Included among Green's performances this season were first-place finishes at the Mid-States Tournament and Trine University Invitational, and a third-place finish at the Midwest Classic. His performance in the Midwest Classic included victories over NCAA Division II performers. Green is 8-2 over his last 10 matches.
Green will face no. 3 seed Cody Kasprick of Concordia-Moorhead in the opening round of the national meet. Kasprick is 23-10 on the season. The winner will advance to face Matan Peleg of Ursinus. The loser will face no. 1 seed and two-time defending champion Chad Johnson of Augsburg or SUNY-Cortland's Lance Moore in the wrestlebacks.
Preliminary rounds of the NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship begin Friday, Mar. 14 at 11:00 a.m.