ANGOLA, Ind.-- The Trine wrestling team will compete in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional this Saturday at Wabash College.
Thunder wrestlers will have the opportunity to advance to the NCAA Division III National Championships in Hershey, Pa. with a strong performance. The top three placing wrestlers in each class advance to the national meet. Last season, heavyweight Mack Green (Buchanan, Mich./Buchanan) and 133-lber Brandon Preston (Logansport, Ind./Logansport) each qualified for the National Championships with strong performances in the regional. Green went on to place fifth in the nation and earned All-America honors.
Green and Preston once again look to be Trine's top two contenders to advance to the national meet. Green enters the Midwest Regional ranked no. 2 in the nation by the NWCA and D3wrestle.com, having accumulated a 31-3 record thus far. The senior earned first-place tournament finishes in the Al Hanke Invitational and Trine Invitational.
Preston enters the weekend 17-6 on the season, having won 12 of his last 14 matches. The senior is listed as a contender in the D3wrestle.com national rankings. The contender rankings list the no. 11-18 ranked wrestlers in the nation. Preston won his class in the Al Hanke Invitational.
Another wrestler to watch could be Michael Conner (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) in the 197-lb class. The junior has a 28-12 record this season.
The NCAA Division III Midwest Regional will be held this Saturday, Feb. 28. Matches begin at 9 a.m. at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.