LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 12-ranked UIndy Wrestling team, two weeks removed from hosting the
43rd Midwest Classic, went right back into the tournament world with the NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships, better known as NWCA Nationals. This year's competition was a straight shot south on I-65 in Louisville, Ky. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The team side of the competition featured 16 teams from NCAA Division II, with 14 teams being ranked.
DAY 1
For their first match of the tournament, the Hounds were lined up with No. 14 ranked Gannon out of Erie, Pa. Starting off the match was
Aidan Sprague at 125, getting the Greyhounds on the board with a 8-7 victory. No. 8-ranked
Breyden Bailey was next up at 133 and it was a late second period pin from Bailey that put the Hounds up by nine to start to the match. Gannon battled back with wins at 141 and 149 before the other Bailey brother in Logan stopped the bleeding. Bailey, coming into the day ranked No. 3 at 157, faced off with No. 8 Dom Means with Bailey prevailing 6-0 to put the score at 12-6 UIndy.
A trio of losses at 165, 174, 184, the last coming via pin, drained the Hounds lead moving the match in favor of Gannon 19-12.
Derek Blubaugh at 197 kept the Hounds hopes alive with a 3-0 win to make it 19-15. Heavyweight
Cale Gray needed more than a decision to win the match for the Hounds. Gray was up to the task as it only took him 24 seconds to have Gannon's Gehrig Hutchison shoulders meet the mat, walking off the Golden Knights.
No. 12 UIndy 21 - No. 14 Gannon 19
| 125 |
Aidan Sprague (Indianapolis) over Jose Diaz (Gannon) Dec 8-7 |
| 133 |
No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over Chase McLaughlin (Gannon) Fall 4:47 |
| 141 |
James Ryan (Gannon) over Ray Rioux (Indianapolis) Dec 5-2 |
| 149 |
No. 2 Nick Young (Gannon) over Nathan Conley (Indianapolis) Dec 4-2 |
| 157 |
No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) over No. 8 Dominic Means (Gannon) Dec 6-0 |
| 165 |
Alex Farenchak (Gannon) over No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) Dec 4-1 |
| 174 |
Joseph Petrella (Gannon) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Maj 9-1 |
| 184 |
Cole Hivnor (Gannon) over Aidan Petersen (Indianapolis) Fall 4:41 |
| 197 |
No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over Joel Leise (Gannon) Dec 5-3 |
| 285 |
Cale Gray (Indianapolis) over Gehrig Hutchison (Gannon) Fall 0:24 |
After a win over Gannon, the Hounds were matched up with No. 1 Central Oklahoma who sports ten-ranked wrestlers, one of which being No. 1 at 197 in Dalton Abney, who has battled with No. 11 Blubaugh on multiple occasions, with Abney coming out on top every time. However, today was different as Blubaugh broke Abney's streak of 39-straight victories. Through three periods of action the pair were tied up at one-apiece. Overtime is where it happened for Blubaugh as he scored a near-fall with nine seconds left to grab his revenge and upset.
The Hounds grabbed two more upset victories in the match against UCO with No. 8
Breyden Bailey at 133 taking down No. 2 Dylan Lucas 6-2. No. 8
Jack Eiteljorge beat No. 4 Ty Lucas at 165 6-4. The Broncos went onto win the dual 25-9, sending the Greyhounds to the consolation bracket to face Newberry.
No. 1 Central Oklahoma 25 - No. 12 UIndy 9
| 125 |
No. 10 Studd Morris (Central Oklahoma) over Noah Cantu (Indianapolis) Dec 5-0 |
| 133 |
No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over No. 2 Dylan Lucas (Central Oklahoma) Dec 6-2 |
| 141 |
No. 9 Nate Keim (Central Oklahoma) over Brayden Lowery (Indianapolis) Maj 9-0 |
| 149 |
No. 6 Brik Filippo (Central Oklahoma) over Jackson Hoover (Indianapolis) Maj 13-3 |
| 157 |
No. 2 Gabe Johnson (Central Oklahoma) over No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) Dec 7-3 |
| 165 |
No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) over No. 4 Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma) Dec 6-4 |
| 174 |
Anthony Des Vigne (Central Oklahoma) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Maj 14-1 |
| 184 |
Alex Kauffman (Central Oklahoma) over Robert Gurley (Indianapolis) Dec 7-1 |
| 197 |
No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over No. 1 Dalton Abney (Central Oklahoma) SV-1 7-1 |
| 285 |
No. 2 Shawn Streck (Central Oklahoma) over Jay Thompson (Indianapolis) Maj 20-6 |
For their final match of the day, the Hounds faced un-ranked Newberry. The Hounds started slow dropping the 125 match but a 1:27 pin for
Breyden Bailey put the Hounds on top. UIndy and Newberry traded point at 141 and 149 with
Ray Rioux (141) picking up a 7-6 win.
Logan Bailey's tech fall triumph at 157 was the turning point in the match as Eiteljorge followed that up with a major victory at 165 to make it 18-6. Newberry fought back taking two more matches before a second-period pin by No. 11 Blubaugh iced the match.
No. 12 UIndy 23 - Newberry 15
| 125 |
Zach Shupp (Newberry) over Aidan Sprague (Indianapolis) Dec 11-7 |
| 133 |
No. 8 Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis) over Marcus Johnson (Newberry) Fall 1:27 |
| 141 |
Ray Rioux (Indianapolis) over Josh Blatt (Newberry) Dec 7-6 |
| 149 |
Devan Moore (Newberry) over Nathan Conley (Indianapolis) Dec 4-2 |
| 157 |
No. 3 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) over Nolan Wheeler (Newberry) TF 19-0 |
| 165 |
No. 8 Jack Eiteljorge (Indianapolis) over Asa Walton (Newberry) Maj 16-3 |
| 174 |
Dayton Fields (Newberry) over Owen Butler (Indianapolis) Dec 7-2 |
| 184 |
John Parker-Wilson (Newberry) over Robert Gurley (Indianapolis) SV-1 7-5 |
| 197 |
No. 11 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) over Khris Walton (Newberry) Fall 3:32 |
| 285 |
Devon Rice (Newberry) over Jay Thompson (Indianapolis) Dec 1-0 |
Indianapolis's team score was adjusted by -1.0 for Misconduct (1:57)
HOUND BYTES
Head Coach Jason Warthan on the final matches against Gannon...
"The pin that they got at 184 with short time left, I thought it was going to be the duel I thought it was going to be really hard for us to get bonus points at either 197 or heavyweight with with the guys they had. Then their heavyweight came out and tried to throw Cale in the first, 30 seconds or something, and went right to his back and got pinned so it was it was crazy, absolutely crazy."
Derek Blubaugh on him beating No. 1 Abney...
"It means a ton to me obviously, he beat me, I think four times last year, I wasn't able to get really anywhere close to anything with him. So I think today just felt good as a marker that I have been doing the right things and shows me where I needed to go to continue to get better."
Blubaugh on boucing back after Midwest Classic...
"We dropped down in the rankings as a team after Midwest. Midwest was rough, I don't think just for me, but for some other members of the team. I think today was a big bounce back and showing and proving that we aren't here to play. We're here to compete. And we're able to hang with with any teams out there. So I was really happy to be part of all that today, and I'm really happy with the team."
Warthan on the match against un-ranked Newberry...
"You can't expect easy wins here at this tournament. But when you wrestle Newberry they're going to come to like scrap and fight and claw at every point and that's what it was. We were lucky that we got what bonus at 133, 157, 165 and 197. So that that kind of put the duel out of out of reach. And we were able to rest some guys and throw some other guys in there to get like really, really good quality matches. And so I predicted that that's who we would see on the backside because I knew how tough they were."
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will kick off Saturday mornining against No. 5-ranked Lander who is fresh off of a victory against GLVC compatriot McKendree. Wrestling will begin at 9 a.m.
