INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Junior
Luke Kunath won two consolation matches after falling early to the No. 1 seed to clinch All-America honors in the 141-lb weight class at the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championship Friday. Kunath is guaranteed no worse that eighth place, pending his matches on Saturday.
Kunath drew the top seed in the opening round and fell 7-0, but rebounded with wins in two consolation rounds -- first by tech fall and then in a sudden victory. The Raleigh native will wrestle tomorrow against No. 6 seed Joseph Airola of Nebraska-Kearney and then for either fifth or seventh place depending on that outcome.
The four other Crusaders who earned berths, suffered two losses in various rounds and were eliminated.
BELMONT ABBEY RESULTS
- Elijah Boyd (133 weight class)
- Championship Round 1 - lost to No. 1 seed Peter Rolle (Central Okla.), 14-4 (major decision)
- Consolation Round 1 - lost to Jeremiah Echevarria (Gannon), 7-2
- Luke Kunath (141 weight class)
- Championship Round 1 - lost to No. 1 seed Christian Small (Lake Erie), 7-0
- Consolation Round 1 - defeated Sabian Russell (Quincy), 20-4 (tech fall, 6:58)
- Consolation Round 2 - defeated Braden Tatum (Newberry), 13-10 (sudden victory-1)
- John Carayiannis (149 weight class)
- Championship Round 1 - lost to No. 6 seed Dean Noble (Western Colorado), Fall 4:01
- Consolation Preliminary - defeated James Ryan (Kutztown), 5-4
- Consolation Round 1 -Â defeated Torry Early (Chadron State), 11-10
- Consolation Round 2Â -Â lost to Joey Semerad (McKendree), 12-9
- Maxwell Kiel (174Â weight class)
- Preliminary Round - lost to Drake Hayward (Minnesota State), 8-2
- Consolation Preliminary - defeated Patrick Jackson (Gannon), 6-3
- Consolation Round 1 -Â lost to Owen Butler (Frostburg State), Fall 4:13
- Kyler Pickard (184Â weight class)
- Preliminary Round - defeated Matthew Rodriguez (Fort Hays State), 7-2
- Championship Round 1 - lost to No. 7 seed Brayden Mirjavadi (Grand Valley State), 13-3
- Consolation Round 1 -Â lost to Zeke Waltz (McKendree), 6-3
