MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Junior Ty Johnson earned a fourth-place finish to lead Concordia at the newly aligned NCAA Upper Midwest Regional Meet. Johnson was also one of four Cobbers to grab a spot in the Top 6 of a weight class as the quartet helped CC jump up one team spot and finish in a tie for 10th place in the final standings.
Johnson’s fourth-place finish at 149 earns him an alternate spot at the NCAA National Meet. He will go to nationals if there are competitors in the weight class who can’t fulfill their qualifying appearance.
Johnson’s first match of the second day of the meet was in the semifinals – and for an automatic spot at the national meet. Johnson collected an early first-round takedown in the semifinal match and that would be the end of any aggressive scoring in the match. He then allowed an escape off the takedown to take a 2-1 lead into the second period.
Johnson was in the “down” position to start the second period and his opponent was able to escape to tie the match at 2-2. The score would stay deadlocked at 2-2 heading into the third period where Johnson was unable to come up with the key escape and wound up losing 3-2 on riding time.
Johnson headed to the consolation bracket needing two wins to earn a spot at nationals. He earned a pin in the third period in the consolation semifinals to set up the win-and-in bout for third place. Johnson was never able to get on the board against the No.3-ranked wrestler in the nation and fell 6-0.
Seniors Adam Presler, Jacob Johnson and Kody Van Den Eykel all placed sixth in their weight class.
Presler started Day 2 by pinning Anthony Hennen of St. John’s in the third period. He then lost 13-8 to the same nationally ranked opponent he faced in the first round on Friday. Presler capped his Cober career by falling 8-5 in the fifth-place match.
Johnson was the only Cobber wrestler to win more than three times at the meet. He went 4-3 and placed sixth at 174. Johnson started his second day by beating Caleb Odell of Wheaton 9-4. The victory avenged a loss to Odell in the first round of the meet which sent Johnson to the consolation side of the bracket.
Johnson couldn’t regain his momentum in the consolation semifinals or fifth-place match. He lost 11-0 to get into the third-place bout and then finished his career with a 3-2 loss in the fifth-place match.
Van Den Eykel gave the Cobbers bonus team points in his first match on Saturday by claiming a pin at the 2:12 mark of his match at 197.
Van Den Eykel then found himself on a bad draw as he had to face the No.4-ranked wrestler in DIII. Van Den Eykel could never find a way inside his opponent and lost 14-2. He then ended his time in maroon and gold with a 7-3 loss in the fifth-place match.
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Jake Nohre and Aaron Dick were the other two Cobber wrestlers to advance to Day 2. They both lost in their first match of the day. Nohre fell 10-3 in his bout at 125 and then Dick lost the final match of his career by pin fall.
2018 NCAA DIII Upper Midwest Regional Results
NCAA Upper Midwest Regional – Place Winners for Concordia
141 – Adam Presler (2-2) – 6th place
149 – Ty Johnson (3-2) – 4th place
174 – Jacob Johnson (4-3) – 6th place
197 – Kody Van Den Eykel – 6th place
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