Titans To Wrestle At NCAA Upper Midwest Regional
All-American Mark Choinski leads a group of 10 UW-Oshkosh wrestlers who will compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Upper Midwest Regional this weekend in Minneapolis, Minn.
Competition in the two-day meet begins Friday (Feb. 23) at 11 a.m. and Saturday (Feb. 24) at 10 a.m. from Augsburg University's Si Melby Hall.
Joining the UW-Oshkosh contingent at the regional will be wrestlers from Augsburg University, Concordia College (Minn.), Concordia University Wisconsin, Elmhurst College (Ill.), Lakeland University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Pacific University (Ore.), Saint John's University (Minn.), St. Olaf College (Minn.), University of Chicago (Ill.), UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater and Wheaton College (Ill.).
Twelve-time national champion Augsburg University enters the regional ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association while UW-Whitewater lists eighth, UW-La Crosse 10th, University of Chicago 22nd and UW-Platteville 23rd.
A total of 30 wrestlers, the top three finishers in each weight class, will qualify from the Upper Midwest Regional to the NCAA Division III Championship on March 9-10 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.
Last year, Augsburg University won the then-called West Regional with 159 points. The Auggies were followed in the 11-team rankings by second-place Concordia College with 123.5 points, third-place Saint John's University with 90 and fourth-place UW-Platteville with 86. UW-Oshkosh finished sixth with 66.5 points.
Choinski earned a trip to the 2017 NCAA Division III Championship after finishing second with a 2-1 record in the 157-pound weight class at the West Regional. He was outscored, 17-10, by Concordia College's Cole Sladek in the title contest. Choinski went on to place sixth with a 2-3 record at the national meet held in La Crosse.
Choinski, who also placed fifth in the 149-pound weight class at the 2016 West Regional, enters this weekend's meet ranked third in the country. He owns a 16-0 record (3 pins) after winning the 157-pound title at this year's WIAC Championship held Feb. 9 in Whitewater. Choinski's career record is 55-12 with 17 pins.
Other UW-Oshkosh wrestlers returning to regional action are three-time participant John DePersia and two-time competitors Colten Cashmore and Anthony Senthavisouk. DePersia owns a 6-10 record (2 pins) at 197 pounds while Cashmore is 24-5 (3 pins) at 184 and Senthavisouk 10-14 (1 pin) at 133. Senthavisouk placed fifth in the 125-pound weight division at last year's regional.
UW-Oshkosh wrestlers making their regional debut Jaylin Johnson (2-8, 1 pin) at 125 pounds, Wesam Alabed (14-6, 1 pin) at 141, Corey Knudsen (12-16) at 149, Nate Arquinego (8-9, 6 pins) at 165, Husam Alabed (8-17, 3 pins) at 174 and Ben Kitslaar (5-7, 3 pins) at 285.
Wesam Alabed finished third at this year's WIAC Championship while Cashmore placed fifth and Husam Alabed, DePersia, Kitslaar, Knudsen and Senthavisouk sixth.
The 2018 NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional features Choinski and 22 other nationally ranked wrestlers, including top-ranked Ryan Epps of Augsburg University at 157 pounds and Jordan Newman of UW-Whitewater at 197.
NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Wrestling Regional • Host Website