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Results
Team Scores
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Mar. 16, 2024) - Day two of the NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling National Championships saw three North Central College men's wrestlers finish in the top four of their respective weight class with
Christian Guzman taking second place at 125 pounds.
Guzman never trailed in his 5-3 victory in the semifinals over No. 6-seeded Mason Barrett (Averett) to advance to the finals for the first time in his career. Taking on the No. 1 seed in Joziah Fry (Johnson and Wales) in the finals, Guzman dropped his final match of the season, 18-8, finishing in second place at the DIII National Championships. This marks his second All-American honor in his two seasons in a Cardinals' singlet.
"Guzman is as consistent as they come," Cook said. "He is a supreme competitor and had a great season with only one Division III loss coming to a two-time national champion."
Robert Precin's semifinal match was not decided in regulation time as he fell 8-5 in a sudden victory match. His 92-match winning streak came to an end as the ninth-longest streak in NCAA history across all divisions. In the consolation semifinals, Precin found himself in another sudden victory match. This time, he came out on top with a 4-1 decision to advance to the third-place match. Taking on the No. 2 seed Joe Pins of Wartburg, Precin lost to finish in fourth place for the 133-pound division and become the program's first five-time All-American.
"Precin has been the standard of this program and taken it to new heights over the past five years," said head coach Zach Cook. "I am forever grateful for him. A five-time All-American and two-time National Champion is a great career."
Robby Bates began his day in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket and earned a 4-1 decision over Walter West of Luther College. In the consolation semifinals, Bates overcame an early deficit to take a 6-4 win into the third-place match. Taking on No. 1 seeded Carl DiGiorgio, Bates lost a tight 5-2 decision to earn fourth place at 285 pounds, the best finish of his career.
"I am so proud of Robby. From not getting to nationals last year to winning some really gritty matches being undersized in the 285-pound weight class. He embraces that challenge," said Cook.
North Central finished in eighth place as a team with 42.5 points. Augsburg University won the Team Title with 95 points while Wartburg College (87.5), UW-La Crosse (82.5), Johnson and Wales (76), and UW-Eau Claire (69) rounded out the top five.
The Cardinals finished the season with an 11-2 record and extended their conference winning streak to 50 straight matches to win their second consecutive College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Title. North Central took second at the Lower Midwest Regional Championships before finishing eighth at the National Championships.
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