ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine wrestling team will compete in the NCAA Division III Wrestling Midwest Regional this Friday and Saturday at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
The event marks the beginning of the postseason. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advance to the NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships, set to be held Mar. 10-11 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis. The Thunder wrestling program has produced 11 national qualifiers and four All-Americans since its inception in 2004. Wrestling at the two-day event gets underway at 11 a.m. Friday. Manchester University is serving as the institutional host.
Caleb Maddox (Russiaville, Ind. / Western) is the team's wrestler with the deepest experience in Regional bouts. Last year, Maddox earned a pair of victories at the Regional meet. The NWCA Scholar All-American will compete in the 149-lb weight class after competing at 133 lbs. last year. Maddox has 19 wins this season, including six by major decision and one by fall. Maddox will have to contend with a bracket that includes two ranked wrestlers in his class.
Brendan Stevens (Battle Creek, Mich. / Lakeview) owns Trine's best winning percentage this season at .667. The freshman has totaled an 18-9 record, including five victories by fall. Stevens will compete in a 125-lb class that includes two nationally-ranked wrestlers.
Trine wins leader Jaycee Jensen (Burns Harbor, Ind. / Chesterton) will compete in the 184-lb class. Jensen has 21 wins this season, five of which have come by fall. His competition includes three nationally-ranked wrestlers.
Tyler Prater (Homer, Mich. / Homer) is the team's lone senior in the lineup. The heavyweight has won a career-high 11 matches this season. Freshman Austin Farrell (Hopkins, Mich. / Allegan) has also reached a double-digit win total this year with 12 victories. Fellow freshman Luke Carver (Sturgis, Mich. / Sturgis) has added 10 wins.
The Midwest Regional is running as a multiple day event this year. Friday will set brackets to the semifinals and consolation quarterfinal rounds, with the finals for all classes following on Saturday. Wrestling will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.
CLICK HERE for more information on the NCAA Division III Wrestling Midwest Regional.