CLEVELAND, Ohio – Junior Jett Boots headlined the delegation from Trine University men's wrestling finishing fourth at the 2023 NCAA Division III Central Regional. All told four members of the team finished in the top eight of the events. As a team the Thunder finished ninth of the 20 teams that traveled to the central regional.
After finishing day one of the 141-pound bracket undefeated, Boots started today in one of the championship semifinal matches where he was pinned by his opponent. The loss shifted him to the consolation bracket semifinal, where he picked up a close victory in a 3-2 decision earning a spot in the third-place match. He dropped that match as well, just missing out on a spot at the national championships.
Junior Isaac Hawkins began his day in the third round of the consolation bracket where he picked up a win by pin to move on to the semifinal round. There he dropped his second match of the weekend in a close 8-7 decision moving him to the fifth-place match. He fell by a late pin in that final match to finish sixth in the 149-pound bracket.
In the 133-pound bracket, junior Joseph Langeman began his day in the third round of the consolation bracket where he also picked up a win, coming in by 2-1 decision. He dropped his next two matches to finish sixth in the event.
Also starting in the third round of the consolation bracket, junior Mason Custer dropped his opening match of the day at 197 pounds. He followed up by winning the seventh-place match with a pin in the second minute of the match.