Yineman and Valdez Qualify for NCAA National Championships
MEQUON, Wis.—Luc Valdez and Beau Yineman have qualified for the 2023 NCAA National Championships after placing second at the Upper Midwest Regionals.
Yineman (197) earned his second consecutive trip to the championship. Yineman posted a 9-7 decision over Gabriel Zierden of Concordia College in the semifinal match. In the championship match, Yineman fell to Tyler Hannah of UW-Platteville in a tie breaker (TB-1, 2-1).
Valdez (125) earned his trip to the national championships after posting a 5-3 decision over Brandon Murphy of UW-La Crosse in the semifinal match. In the first place match, Valdez fell in sudden victory to Luca Paladino of UW-Stevens Point (SV-1, 6-4).
Denis Murphy (133) placed fifth for the Titans after posting a 6-2 decision over Blaze Thurber of UW-Stevens Point in the third consolation round. Griffin Seyfriend of Chicago defeated Murphy by an 8-3 decision in the consolation semifinals. In the fifth place match, Murphy won by medical forfeit over Zach Thompson of UW-Platteville.
Cody Welker (157) placed sixth at the Upper Midwest Regional. In the third consolation round, Welker won by a 10-6 decision over Michael Smith of MSOE. Jack O'Donnell won by fall over Welker in the consolation semifinal (Fall 1:24). Welker fell by a 6-3 decision to Tyler Bents of Concordia College.
The Titans finished in ninth place with 62.5 points. The Titans were joined by UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville, and UW-Stevens Point in the top-10.
The top thirty wrestlers, the top-three finishers in each of the 10 weight classes at the Upper Midwest Regional, advance to the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships scheduled for March 10-11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.