Eze Chukwuezi an All-American with His Third-Place Finish https://t.co/qcqEVdz2rH
— Ithaca Bombers (@BomberSports) March 12, 2023
ROANOKE, Va. - The Battle in the Berglund Center is complete. No more whistles, hands being raised, or enthusiastic "TWOOOOO"es from the stands. The long season has come to an end for NCAA Division III wrestlers across the country.
Semifinals- Maj Dec Loss vs #1 Coy Spooner from Coast Guard Academy 11-3
The score is not even remotely close to telling the complete story of this match. Within the first 30 seconds Eze Chukwuezi locked up a nearside cradle to secure a takedown, but he was looking to end the match early. While trying to keep in mind the edge of the mat, Eze was unable to collect any nearfall. The bulk of Spooner's points came during a series where he was able to transition from a low ankle pick to both boots in. From there he power halved Eze over to collect his full amount of backpoints before time expired for a six point swing. Both wrestlers were able to get in deep on shots, defend, and reattack. Spooner was able to score another takedown which put Eze in a spot of desperation with time running down. Coast Guard's coaches in the corner were adamant about watching the big move, and the semi-final match went in the Bear's favor.
Consolation Semis- Fall over #3 Doug Byrne from Baldwin Wallace
First loss was a heartbreaker, but what a way to regroup. Eze sticks the No. 3 seed in under a minute. The Bomber hits one of the dirtiest takedowns of the entire season at the perfect time. Eze latched a bottom leg cradle in transition from his cross knee pick. Byrne was unable to defend as he was suspended in the air. Eze was unstoppable in this match. It didn't matter who was in front of him.
Bronze Medal Match- Dec win over #5 Dylan Harr from Johnson & Wales
It's poetic that Eze's last match was against the opponent who gave him his only regular season loss. Going into this match, Eze won the first few matchups against Harr early in the season. Harr then pulled an upset in the Chocolate Duals to beat Eze. Everything is now on the line as this is the Ithaca Bomber's final match regardless of outcome. Against a familiar opponent, Eze Chukwuezi placed the green straps around his ankles one last time.
Apart from a few shot attempts the first three minutes each wrestler was feeling each other out. The second period saw Eze choosing bottom where he worked to neutral pretty quickly. There was a lot of defense until the last few seconds of the period. The Bomber hit a drag that caused Harr to kiss the mat before he gave up two. Matthew Beyer, Ithaca's 149 pounder, must have been yelling cues from the stands. After time runs out, Eze looks up to him and gives a nod that tells Ithaca fans everything they need to know- He's got it. The third period showed Eze's elite shot defense. His hips were made of iron as every sprawl stuffed Harr's attack. Even Augsburg University's fans loved Eze and his wrestling style. As time ran out on his last match, the four-time NCAA All-American scored one last takedown to put a capstone on his final bout. The grad student gets to have the last laugh over Harr. After a very convincing 5-1 decision, Ithaca College's Eze Chukwuezi is adorned with a bronze medal for his stellar season in the NCAA Division III 197-pound weight class.