Results
LYCOMING, Pa. – Senior
Colin Kowalski (Derwood, Md./Georgetown Prep) earned his second consecutive bid to the NCAA Division III Championship with a runner-up showing at the Southeast Regional Championship hosted by Lycoming College on Saturday.
Kowalski was one of four place-winners for Gettysburg, which finished eighth in the team standings. The senior, who finished third at 165 pounds at the regional last season, claimed runner-up at 174. Junior
Colin Devlin (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) placed fourth at 149 pounds and senior
Paul Triandafilou (Derwood, Md./Georgetown Prep) claimed fifth at heavyweight. Senior
Dan Ebert (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) closed his career seventh at 184 and took home the award for most falls at the regional.
Kowalski advanced to the semifinals with two wins on Friday and faced Ashton Gyenizs from Wilkes University in his first match Saturday. Gyenizs was the aggressor early with a takedown in the first period, but the Gettysburg senior weathered the storm and scored an escape in the period and opened the second with a quick takedown. Gyenizs received two penalty points for stalling and Kowalski added another escape point for a 6-2 decision and a trip to the regional finals.
With a trip to nationals sewed up, the Gettysburg senior bowed out of the championship match against Ferrum College's Blake Rosenbaum with a medical forfeit. Kowalski improved his record to 37-3 and will continue his season at the Division III Championship hosted by Roanoke College on March 8-9.
Devlin also opened his second day of competition in the semifinals against third-ranked Stephen Maloney from Messiah College. The two waged a back-and-forth battle with the Gettysburg grappler riding out Maloney in the third period to clinch the riding-time point and send the match to overtime. Maloney managed a takedown 20 seconds into sudden victory for an 8-6 decision.
Devlin bounced back with a second-period pin to earn a spot in the consolation finals. With a trip to nationals on the line, the junior broke out to a 6-2 lead over Washington and Jefferson College's Michael Heinl at the end of the first period. Heinl reversed his fortunes in the second period with a reversal and back points to jump in front 8-6. A takedown by Heinl pushed the lead to 10-6 at the start of the third period. Devlin scored an escape and takedown in the final seconds, but the riding time point gave Heinl an 11-9 victory. Devlin closed his year with a record of 25-9 to go along with 11 pins.
Triandafilou finished out an outstanding career at Gettysburg Saturday. The senior heavyweight began his day with a close loss to sixth-ranked Garrett Wesneski from Lycoming in the semifinals. Wesneski scored an early takedown and picked up an escape point for a 3-0 win. The Warrior grappler would go on to defeat top-ranked Jake Evans from Waynesburg University 5-4 for the regional title.
Triandafilou went to a second sudden victory period in his next match against Brandon Ballard from York (Pa.) College. Ballard went in for a single and Triandafilou managed to quickly spin around to his back for what appeared to be a takedown, but action continued and the York wrestler was able to slip out of the grip and jump on the Gettysburg senior's back for his own takedown. After a lengthy video review, Ballard was awarded the takedown and a 3-1 decision.
Triandafilou bounced back in the fifth-place match, dispatching Pitt-Bradford's Sam Colebert by decision 5-1. The senior ends his season with a 33-5 record and finishes with the second-most wins in program history with a mark of 121-20. He was a two-time national qualifier and the program's first All-American at heavyweight in 2016.
Ebert capped his collegiate career by racking up four pins over the two days, marking the most falls in the least time (10:30) in the tournament. Knocked into the consolation bracket at 184 on Friday, he opened with a 55-second pin Saturday. Ebert lost his next match by fall and closed his day with a 91-second pin against Ferrum's Braden Homsey. Ebert finished his season with a record of 26-12 with 11 pins.
All nine Gettysburg wrestlers that competed at the regional scored at least one win, which helped the team tie its best regional finish since the tournament was reinstated in 2013. The Bullets also finished eighth in 2016 and 2017. Messiah won the team title with 121 points and Ferrum and Lycoming tied for second with 114.5.
NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Results
133
Paul Bauberger (GCBO) won by decision over
Alex Shaffer (GC), 9-2
Alex Shaffer (GC) won by decision over Aaron Freidhof (SVU), 9-4
Alex Shaffer (GC) won by fall over Devyn Giovengo (THIEL), 1:50
Korpesh Gootee (AVE) won by decision over
Alex Shaffer (GC), 8-7
141
Sean Thompson (GC) won by decision over Matt Lascola (WU), 6-5
Hai Siu (GCBO) won by major decision over
Sean Thompson (GC), 16-6
Robert Duxbury (DV) won in sudden victory over
Sean Thompson (GC), 6-5 (SV-1)
149
Colin Devlin (GC) won by fall over Ryan Dominique (GCBO), 2:19
Colin Devlin (GC) won by decision over Bryce Crew (W&L), 4-1
#3 Stephen Maloney (MESS) won in sudden victory over
Colin Devlin (GC) 8-6 (SV-1)
Colin Devlin (GC) won by fall over Austin Smith (FERR), 3:45
Michael Heinl (W&J) won by decision over
Colin Devlin (GC), 11-9 3
rd-Place Match
157
John Ritter (WIL) won by tech fall over
Ray Martin (GC), 18-2 (3:48)
Ray Martin (GC) won by decision over Morgan Peterson (SVU), 9-3
Ray Martin (GC) won by major decision over Chris Richardson (DV), 11-3
Ryan Luth (W&L) won by fall over
Ray Martin (GC), 1:01
165
Dan Verhovsek (WU) won by decision over
Marc Larson (GC), 13-6
Marc Larson (GC) won by major decision over Cole Nagle (McDaniel), 11-1
Jesse Rocco (YCP) won by tech fall over
Marc Larson (GC), 16-0 (4:37)
174
#10
Colin Kowalski (GC) won by tech fall over Kyle Hillermeier (DV), 15-0 (5:26)
#10
Colin Kowalski (GC) won by major decision over Levko Higgins (PS-BE), 11-1
#10
Colin Kowalski (GC) won by decision over Ashton Gyenizs (WIL), 6-2
Blake Rosenbaum (FERR) won by medical forf. over
Colin Kowalski (GC) 1
st-Place Match
184
Dan Ebert (GC) won by fall over Demontay Wimbush (AVE), 5:20
Braden Homsey (FERR) won by decision over
Dan Ebert (GC), 4-2
Dan Ebert (GC) won by fall over Colin Browne (Penn College), 2:44
Dan Ebert (GC) won by fall over Anthony Costanza (DV), 0:55
Jake Paulson (PS-BEH) won by fall over Daniel Ebert (GC), 6:30
Dan Ebert (GC) won by fall over Braden Homsey (FERR), 1:31 7
th-Place Match
197
Mike Iodice (GC) won by decision over Brad Basham (W&L), 3-1
Ken Burrs (WU) won by decision over
Mike Iodice (GC), 11-7
William Gilliam (JHU) won by medical forfeit over
Mike Iodice (GC)
285
#8
Paul Triandafilou (GC) won by tech fall over Oscar Daniels (DV), 15-0 (7:00)
#8
Paul Triandafilou (GC) won by decision over Sam Colebert (UPB), 1-0
#6 Garrett Wesneski (LYCO) won by decision over
Paul Triandafilou (GC), 3-0
Brandon Ballard (YCP) won in sudden victory over
Paul Triandafilou (GC), 3-1 (SV-2)
#8
Paul Triandafilou (GC) won by dec. over Sam Colebert (UPB), 5-1 5
th-Place Match