SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The UIndy wrestling team entered Friday with five wrestlers in the NCAA DII National Championships, with Nathan Smith (125), Gavin Garcia (149), Michael Ortega (157), Ethan Farnell (197) and Cale Gray (285), all earning the rights to compete for the Greyhounds. 
 
Gray was the lone wrestler who advanced the second day of the NCAA DII National Championships, after going 3-1 on Friday. With his second day appearance, Cale also earned All-American status for the first time since 2022-23. 
 
This year's edition saw wrestlers from 49 NCAA Division II schools competing in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gray garnered All-American status for UIndy after going 3-1 on day one. He opened his day in the championship preliminary bracket at 285, looking to earn a spot in the main draw. He used a reversal with 46 seconds left to capture the winning two points needed to earn a 4-3 decision over Nathan Coley.
 
He dropped his next match to the No. 7 seed Luke Tweeton in a rematch of the Midwest Classic Third Place match. But unranked, Gray reeled off two straight wins over No. 15 Jake Powell via a second period pin, and a comeback win in his next match against No. 9 Tyler Doyle. 
 
Gray picked up a take down against Doyle with 16 seconds left, before getting his second take down of the match in sudden victory. He will now face the No. 5 seed Freddie Retter from Kutztown. 
 
GLVC Freshman of the Year, Farnell, ended an impressive rookie campaign on Friday. He dropped his opening match to Jackson Kinsella from Grand Valley, but bounced back sudden victory decision with a take down and two-point near fall over Caleb Moore. Farnell ended his day with a sudden victory defeat to the No. 14 seed Marvelous Rutledge. 
 
Ortega was making his first appearance for the Greyhounds at nationals and opened up his day with a win in the championship preliminary to earn his spot in the main draw. He stormed past Mike Zacur of Seton Hill via an 8-1 decision. Ortega fell behind early in his next two matches versus Brent Nicolosi and Basil Othman, and wasn't able to recover, dropping his second and third matches to bow out in the consolation first round.
 
Garcia was another Greyhound who saw his season come to a close today, after dropping his opening match against the No. 5 seed, Rudy Lopez from Northern State, he rebounded in the consolation preliminary bracket against Isham Peace from Lander. Garcia picked up a first period takedown and was able to hold on the rest of the way for the 3-2 win and move into the main bracket. 
 
Garcia then dropped his final match of the day to Sabian Russell from Quincy by default in the second period of the consolation first round. 
 
Smith concluded his 2026 season going 0-2 on Friday, with losses to Grand Valley's No. 3 Jack Parker, and Western Colorado's No. 5 Devin Gomez, both via decision. Smith wrapped up an impressive season that saw him in the top-15 of the NWCA Rankings at multiple points this season at 125, as well as earning a runner-up finish at the Super Regional IV.
 
UP NEXT
Gray will compete tomorrow at day two of nationals tomorrow, first facing off against Kutztown's Freddie Retter.