Wrestlers Qualify for NCAA National Tourney
BEREA, OHIO — The Baldwin-Wallace College wrestling team finished fourth of seven schools at the 2005 Ohio Athletic Conference Wrestling Championship Tournament in Wilmington, Ohio and host Wilmington College at the Fred Raizk Arena. Yellow Jacket senior 165-pounder Joe Heiland (Shelby) and junior 197-pounder Devin Carman (Ashtabula/ Geneva) each won individual weight class titles and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament next weekend.
The Yellow Jackets had 43.5 points and qualified three wrestlers to the finals with Heiland and Carman winning individual titles and earning a trip next weekend to Northfield, Minn. and to St. Olaf College for the NCAA tourney. Junior 285-pounder Bryan Kmetz (Brunswick) also advanced to the finals, but did not win his championship match. All three wrestlers also earn All-OAC honors for their performances during the tournament. Overall, it was an outstanding effort by Head Coach Rich Fleming’s Yellow Jackets.
Heiland entered the tournament as the top-seed and defeated Andy Keller of Muskingum College in the first round, 7-3, and Cody Apperson of Wilmington College, 7-3, in the semi finals. In the championship match, Heiland beat second-seeded Doug Jones of Mount Union College, 4-3. Heiland will take a 13-5 record to the national event. He is 75-23 in his four-year career. This is Heiland's second OAC-Championship title at the 165-pound weight class. He also won a title as a sophomore during the 2003 season and finished as a runner-up in the same weight class last year.
Carman, who is currently ranked seventh in Division III in the latest Adidas-Brute National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, also entered the tournament as the top seed in the 197-pound weight class. Carman got to the championship mathch by defeating Chris Hart of Mount Union in his first match, 13-3, and fourth-seeded Brian Lichty of Heidelberg College in the semifinals 9-1. Carman then defeated second-seeded Chris Bailey of Ohio Northern University, 10-2, to win his first OAC individual championship. He was also a runner up in the 197-pound weight class as a freshman. Carman will take a team-leading 26-3 record to the national event. He is 60-13 in his three-year career.
Kmetz entered the tournament seeded third. He received a first-round bye and then defeated second-seeded Jeremy Clingner of Wilmington in the semifinals, 9-5. In the championship match, Kmetz was pinned by top-seeded Derek Ankney of John Carroll in a time of 6:26. He ends the 2004-2005 season with a 21-6 record and is 49-11 in his two-year career. Last year, Kmetz was a runner-up in the 285-pound weight class in his first season as a Yellow Jacket wresler.
Wrestling at the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship Meet will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5 at St. Olaf. For more information, you can log onto the St. Olaf College Web Site at www.stolaf.edu or on the NCAA Championships site at www.ncaachampionships.com .
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact SID Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX Machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Wrestling Coach Rich Fleming, please call him at 440-826-3258, FAX him at 440-826-2192 or e-mail him at rfleming@bw.edu.
Baldwin-Wallace College Travels to Wilmington College for the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships in the Fred Raizk Arena on Saturday, February 26, 2005 in Wilmington, Ohio
TEAM SCORES: John Carroll - 83, Ohio Northern - 55, Heidelberg - 53, Baldwin-Wallace - 43.5, Mount Union - 39.5, Wilmington - 36.5, Muskingum - 25
Individual OAC Champions: 125 pounds: Klofta (ONU) dec Pizzurro (JCU), 4-2; 133 pounds: Laughlin (MUC) dec Lennox (JCU), 6-1; 141 pounds: Schafer (ONU) maj. dec. Sanchez (Heid), 14-5; 149 pounds: Zimmerman (Heid) dec. Hilliard (MUC), 6-5; 157 pounds: Amerine (Wilm) maj. dec. Spohn (ONU), 11-3; 165 pounds: Heiland (B-W) dec. Jones (MUC), 4-3; 174 pounds: Hawald (JCU) dec. Maxworthy (Heid), 3-2; 184 pounds: Summers (JCU) dec. Brinkman (Musk), 7-2; 197 pounds: Carman (B-W) maj. dec. Bailey (ONU), 10-2; Hwt: Ankney (JCU) pin Kmetz (B-W), 6:26.
275 Eastland Rd.