CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – Belmont Abbey wrestler John Carayiannis finished in sixth place in the 141-pound weight class as the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships concluded Saturday at the Alliant Energy Power House.
 
It is the second straight year that Carayiannis has earned All-American status and improved his standing from an eighth-place finish in 2022. He was the first Crusader wrestler to compete in the semifinals since Chris Neidermeier accomplished that feat in 2007 in the 125-pound weight class.
 
He joins former teammate and now assistant coach Mitch Dean in earning All-American status multiple times over his collegiate career. Dean finished off his career as a three-time All-American. In total, nine wrestlers from South Atlantic Confernence Carolinas earned All-American honors at the championships.
 
Carayiannis competed in three bouts on Saturday, falling in the semifinals to eventual national champion Zackary Donathan with a fall. He followed that with a defeat in the third place bout to Drury's Peter Kuster (Fall 1:52) and concluded the championships with a 6-1 defeat to top-seeded Zeth Brower of Lander in the fifth-place bout.
 
RESULTS
141 pounds
Semifinal: (3) Zackary Donathan (Tiffin) def. John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey) (Fall 1:32)
3rd place: (5) Peter Kuster (Drury) def. John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey) (Fall 1:52)
5th place: (1) Zeth Brower (Lander) def. John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey) (Dec 6-1)