Pioneers Ready for Nationals
March 07, 2018

 


Seven members of the Alfred State wrestling team have traveled to Allen, TX to compete in the NCWA National Championships. Nationals begin tomorrow (3/8) and run until a champion is crown on Saturday (3/10) evening.

George Van Valen (Ithaca) leads the blue & gold into competition as the #1 seed in the 184 lb. weight class. Van Valen one of three returning All-Americans in the bracket finished 2nd in 2017 and enters Nationals with a 37-1 season record and a 112-24 career record. Van Valen has a bye in the round of 64 and will take on the winner of the Steven Crowder (Clemson) and Wade Marley (North Texas) in the round of 32. The bracket features 42 competitors.

Patrick Lehman (Marathon) will battle in the 125 lb. bracket that features 35 competitors. He enters the tournament with a 16-18 overall record and will take on Alejandro Martinez (Wayne State) in his first match of the tournament in the Round of 32.

Ryan Thierman (Portville) returned to the team during the 2018 portion of the season and will compete in the 133 lb. bracket (41 total wrestlers). He will take on Nathan Swanson-Dinsmore (Western Washington) in the first round of the tournament. Thierman is 5-6 on the season.

Casey Connor (Barnstable, MA) will take on Shalek Colon (Apprentice) in his first match (round of 32) in the 141 lb. weight class. Connor enters the tournament with a 17-13 record and will be one of 48 competitors in the bracket.

Mike Galton (Warsaw) is one of 48 competitors in the 157 lb. bracket (48 total wrestlers). He enters the Championships with a 17-8 overall record and will take on Christopher Moodry (Montana Tech) in the round of 32.

Brandyn Whitacre (Jamestown) is one of 39 wrestlers in the 235 lb. weight class. He enters the tournament with a 14-5 overall record and will take on Dominic Johnson (Mott CC) in the first round with the winner taking on Branond White (North Texas) in the round of 32.

Ryan Mattison (Brockport) will take on Guillermo Ojeda (UCLA) in the round of 32 to open up action at the 285 lb. weight class. Mattison, one of 37 wrestlers in the bracket, enters the tournament with a 19-14 overall record.

The Pioneers are currently ranked #10 in the NCWA. The 2016-17 team finished 13th overall last year.

Action begins at 11 a.m. (EST) on Thursday at the Allen Event Center Arena. In total there will be six sessions of wrestling over the three day tournament.





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