WICHITA, Kan. – The UIndy wrestling program added another name to its national champion pedestal on Saturday night, as Derek Blubaugh became the first Greyhound to win an individual title since Nick Walpole in 2011.
 
He also earned the Outstanding Wrestler award for his efforts on the mat over the course of the tournament.
 
Trey Sizemore (174) and Owen Zablocki (157) also competed in Saturday's final bracket, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively. As a team, UIndy finished ninth with 37.5 points.
 
Blubaugh claimed the 197 class as his own with a 5-1 decision over Central Oklahoma's Dalton Abney, defeating his counterpart for the first time in three consecutive national title bouts. Blubaugh is now the second-ever national champion in program history.
 
The redshirt-junior advanced to his third straight title match with a 5-2 decision against third-seeded Dominic Murphy out of St. Cloud State.
 

Post Match WINterview with the O.W.??

S/O Panda! ?? #HoudsWrestling #OffTheChain pic.twitter.com/47fSII7eLg

— UIndy Wrestling (@UIndyWrestling) March 17, 2024

Sizemore put an exclamation point to end his first season as a Greyhound, earning an 11-3 major decision victory over Parkside's Brody Hemauer. Meanwhile, Zablocki capped his collegiate career with his own win via major decision, defeating Kutztown's Bailey Gimbor, 18-7.
 
On Friday night, junior Jackson Hoover was named as the 2024 NCAA Division II Elite 90 winner, which recognizes student-athletes who compete at the final site with the highest grade-point average (GPA). Hoover, a biology major, carries a 4.0 GPA while advancing to the national bracket in the 149 weight class.