As wrestling rides the highs & the lows, let's take a look at our 'seniors' of 2024 at 141 lbs in NCAA DIII
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| Sam Stuhl Augsburg |
I learned in school that the highest known point in the universe is Olympus Mons, located on Mars which is 16 miles high, compared to that of Mount Everest which is about 5 1/2. I also learned that the lowest point known thus far is the challenger deep. Now this is speaking literally. Figuratively? I think I've seen some of the highest and lowest points of person's life on the wrestling mat. It's not the birth of a child or finding the love of your life, but when you win, it's a feeling of pride, accomplishment, and pay off that stays with you till the day you die. It's not the death of a loved one, but when you lose, it's a pain that'll never leave you.
Watching Sam Stuhl win the NCAA DIII title in '23 was quite rewarding. He was 3rd at the Upper Midwest Regional (2nd in '22) & I loved watching him demonstrate the toughness of the Regional. I have no idea what went wrong at the NCAA III championships for him this season. Sick, injured, and extreme off day? All I know is that it ended on a sour note for whatever reason. Still, wrestling isn't about one tournament or one performance. He did win the Upper Midest Regional title this year & he also had an 8-6 victory over three time NCAA DII All American Tate Murty of Upper Iowa. A total of 74 career victories.
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| Alex Samson St John Fisher |
Not only is this one of my favorite stories in NCAA Division III, this is one of my favorite stories in all of collegiate wrestling. Alex Samson wrestled for four years at NCAA Division II Mercyhurst & had a rather uneventful career. Then using the COVID-19 year, decided to compete for the newly reinstated St John Fisher & what a final season of competition he had. 24-2 on the year he won titles at SUNY-AC, John Summa, and the Mideast Regional. Capped it off with a 7th place finish at the NCAA DIII championships. Made a name for himself, while putting a program in its second year back on the map after a many years of being discontinued. Love everything about this story.
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| Victor Perlleshi Johnson & Wales |
When you have a guy like Joziah Fry on your team, you can sometimes get overlooked by the rest of the media. Johnson and Wales won a team trophy at the NCAA DIII championships, and Victor Perlleshi was a big part of that. A two time Northeast Regional champion, he finished with an All American showing of 6th. On the year he scored a 3:29 fall over NCAA DI qualifier McKenzie Bell of Rider.
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| Jake Dado Ozarks |
Jake Dado always struck me as one of those wrestlers that walked off the mat always thinking he could have done better. Maybe I'm reading him wrong & that was just the look on his face. Or maybe he did feel that way & maybe that is true. I guess in so many aspects of life, we can look back at life and see how we could have done better. Nevertheless, in my estimation, Dado had a pretty good career. An NCAA DIII qualifier in his final season, Dado had Lower Midwest Regional finishes of 6th-4th-3rd. In my estimation another highlight of his final season was a 3rd place finish at Pete Willson & he also won a SLIAC title.
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| Evan Burge Wabash |
Here's a guy that I felt really stepped it up his last two seasons on the mat. 3rd & 2nd in the Central Regional, he fell twice in the blood round, just barely missing out on top 8 All American honors. 18-8 on the season.
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| Jack Bauer Wilkes |
Here's a guy that was always there for his team, often a difference maker in important duals & matches. He never did make the dance, but what he did do was place all four years in the Southeast Regional. I don't know if people realize that in itself, is not an easy thing to do. 24-8 on the year, 88 career victories with SER finishes of 5th-7th-6th-7th.
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