Lankford
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_12350L-3.jpgLankford

Duong
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_12336L-3.jpgDuong

Simpson
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_12323L-2.jpgSimpson

Evans
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_b7b4591c-929b-470c-84db-eef392c38d48-3.jpgEvans

Kennedy
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_12331L.jpgKennedy

Brundage
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_12332L-1.jpgBrundage

Dobbins
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Dobbins.jpgDobbins

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The 14th-ranked Newberry Wolves will send seven wrestlers to the 2016 NCAA Division II National Tournament in March, as the scarlet and gray wrapped up the Super Region II Tournament in third place in the team standings.

Three Wolves earned runner-up status in their weight class – Jordan Simpson at 133 lbs., Huston Evans at 184 lbs. and Mike Kennedy at 285 lbs.

Local product Cody Brundage placed third at 197 lbs., while Trung Duong at 125 lbs., Nick Lankford at 141 lbs. and Zack Dobbins at 149 lbs. all finished fourth at their weight.

The Wolves scored 97 points to finish in third in the region. Wisconsin-Parkside was the team champion with 121 points, while Ashland was second at 106.5. Tiffin and UIndy scored 79.5 to tie for fourth.

133 lbs. – Jordan Simpson – Simpson punched his first ticket to the national tournament in the semifinals, using a riding time advantage to defeat Wisconsin-Parkside’s Joseph Her and advance to the finals. He lost in the finals to Nick Crume of UIndy by major decision.

184 lbs. – Huston Evans – Evans earned his second nationals berth by defeating Ashland’s Brandon O’Neill by a 4-1 decision in the semifinals. In the finals, he met Wisconsin-Parkside’s Montrail Johnson for the first time, with Johnson using a nearfall late in a period to defeat Evans 5-1.

285 lbs. – Mike Kennedy – Kennedy faced a familiar foe in the semifinals, as he wrestled King’s Andrew Lutterloh. Lutterloh won in dual action in the first tie breaker period, but Kennedy flipped the tables this time, taking a lead into the third period and taking advantage of an aggressive Lutterloh move to earn a win by fall at the buzzer. He fought hard in the finals, but dropped a 6-2 decision to Tiffin’s Garrett Gray.

197 lbs. – Cody Brundage – Brundage was tripped up by Ashland’s Joe Brandt in the semifinals by a 6-3 decision, but fought back with emphatic wins to take third place. In the consolation semis, he pinned UNC Pembroke’s Brach Walker at the 2:47 mark, then needed only 43 seconds to pin Limestone’s Matt Rudy and take third.

125 lbs. – Trung Duong – A high-paced match in the opening bout of the day saw Duong edged by a 16-10 decision against Tiffin’s Giuseppe Penzone. He rebounded with an 11-5 win over Coker’s Charlie Huff and placed fourth after a 7-6 loss by decision to UWP’s Ronzel Darling. This is Duong’s first national berth.

141 lbs. – Nick Lankford – The only senior on the Wolves’ roster earned his first nationals berth. He dropped to the wrestlebacks after a 7-2 loss by decision, but then advanced to the third place match after an opposing wrestler was disqualified for a flagrant misconduct. He placed fourth after losing to King’s Bryce Killian.

149 lbs. – Zack Dobbins – Dobbins avenged a loss in the tournament’s first round to earn his trip to Sioux Falls. With a late takedown and nearfall, he defeated Wisconsin-Parkside’s Frank Yattoni by an 8-3 decision. He was edged in the third place match in the tiebreaker period by Tiffin’s Mike Screptock, but advanced based on his win over Yattoni in the wrestlebacks.

Eliminated Friday

Alex Rice (157 lbs.) was narrowly edged in both matches of an 0-2 day. In the opening round he lost a 5-3 decision to Coker’s Rashad Cunningham, the was on the wrong end of an 8-4 decision against UWP’s Brett Scoles.

Dennis Flores (174 lbs.) won a 2-1 decision over Findlay’s Jarad VanVleet in the first consolation round, but a first round loss to Ashland’s Jordan Murphy by a 9-2 decision and a 13-1 major decision loss to Shorter’s Wally Figaro saw him bounced from the tournament.

This release was provided by Newberry College.