CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The University of Indianapolis wrestling team has wrapped up its season with a seventh-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. The top ten finish is the second year in a row the Hounds have finished within the top ten at the national tournament, landing in sixth place last year.
 
The Hounds scored 46 team points, while Central Oklahoma took home this years NCAA Championship, scoring 121 team points.
 
The Hounds were led by a pair of finalists in Logan Bailey at 157 and Derek Blubaugh at 197, the latter of which making his second straight trip to the championship bout. Cale Gray was also a high finisher, landing in fourth for his first career All-American award.
 
Bailey, after having an exciting day one, went right back to work in the morning semifinals bout. With a match-up versus the No. 8-seeded Dominic Means of Gannon, Bailey kept it close in the first two periods before letting out all the aggression, grabbing two takedowns in the third to punch his ticket to the finals. That aforementioned finals bout was a tight one, coming down to the wire with Bailey falling 3-1 after giving up a takedown early in the third period. For Bailey it was an eventful season, with him coming away as the nation's pins leader.
 
Blubaugh made it back-to-back years in the finals of the 197lb bracket, earning his second career All-American honor. On day two he faced off against Tereus Henry, the No. 3-seed out of Fort Hays State. Aggression was the name of the game for Blubaugh, grabbing a reversal and a pair of takedowns in the first two periods, helping him find the win 7-3.
 
For the finals it was a rematch of last year's finals, Blubaugh versus Dalton Abney of Central Oklahoma, with the pair having met twice this year already. The experience of having wrestled each other nearly a dozen times was evident, as it was a nailbiter through the first two periods with neither man giving an inch, minus a close takedown attempt at the buzzer of the first by Blubaugh. The match went onto be decided by an escape by Abney in the third, that one being the only point score in the 1-0 finale. Blubaugh ends the year 33-3.
 
Gray, after dethroning the No. 2-seed in the quarterfinals just a day prior, faced yet another uphill battle against the No. 3-seed out of Glenville State. Gray's run, however, ended in the semifinals, falling 9-0. He bounced back big with a 58 fall versus the Laner heavyweight, sending him into the third place match versus former national champion Darrell Mason of Minnesota State. Gray found himself in a stalemate in the first, grabbing a takedown and two escapes, but giving up two takedowns. A pair of takedowns, one in the second and one in the third was the dagger in the match, giving Gray fourth and a 9-5 loss.
 
FRIDAY
The first day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships is in the books and the Hounds are alive and kicking, with Derek Blubaugh, Logan Bailey and Cale Gray all earning All-American status after the first day of competition. The trio of honorees all were triumphant in the quarterfinals and will wrestle on Saturday for a shot at the title.
 
Bailey was the first Hound to earn his status this year, making it his second career All-American honoree. At 157, Bailey was efficient in his first match of the day, winning via a 5-4 decision over Lake Erie's Jack Haskin. That win set Bailey, the No. 5-seed, up against the No. 4-seed Casey Barnett of Tiffin, and once again Bailey was excellent, taking the victory and the trip to semifinals via a 6-4 decision.
 
No. 2-seed Blubaugh, to very little surprise, was the second Hound to All-American. The methodical Blubaugh was calm in the face of pressure in his opening bout vs. Matt Kaylor of Mary. He would give up a second period escape, but prevailed nonetheless, grabbing his own escape and picking up a penalty point, moving him on.
 
Facing Kash Anderson of Colorado Mesa, there was more action than in Blubaugh's first match with the redshirt junior grabbing two takedowns in the first period to go up 4-1. Another takedown and an escape in the third was all that the Hounds 197lber needed to grab his 8-3 victory. The one through four seeds are all that remain in the champions bracket the 197 class with Blubaugh set to face the No. 3-seed Tereus Henry of Fort Hays State tomorrow in the semis.
 
Cale Gray was the highlight story of the night for the Hounds. Coming in with a lot of ground to cover, Gray got to work quick, picking up a win over Nico Ramirez of Mount Olive 3-1 to move into the championship bracket. That is just where it started for Gray's day, as he went onto upset the No. 7-seed with a 10-2 major victory.
 
Just when it seems Gray's miracle run was coming to an end with him facing the No. 2-seeded Lee Herrington of Nebraska-Kearney, it got even better. Gray was on the aggressive early, grabbing the first takedown of the match. After the first period he was down 5-3 but with room to battle. After a quiet second, the third is where Gray exploded, nabbing two more takedowns and a clutch reversal to find himself on the right side of an upset victory and a seat in Saturday's semi-final.
 
Breyden Bailey, Jack Eiteljorge, Ray Rioux and Owen Butler also saw competition on Friday, but were unable to find a way to make it to Saturday competition.