NCAA DIII HWT was full of stories this year wasn't it? Especially stories involving the 'seniors.' Or whatever we're supposed to call those who are in their final season of eligibility. Here were the ones I followed.
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| Tyler Kim Augsburg |
His entire career, I've felt that Tyler Kim was an interesting character. 2nd in the NWCA in 2021, he earned NCAA DIII American honors of 4th & 3rd in '22 & '23, capping off his career with an NCAA DIII title in '24. Add in three Upper Midwest Titles & a record of 111-20, we're looking at an extremely tough Heavyweight to come out of D3. People talk all the time about how would D3 & D2 champs do at the D1 level & I gotta say I think Kim could have held his own. He did beat D1 qualifier Brad Hill of Iowa earlier this season, who himself pulled off a huge upset in R1 of the D1 championships. I'm anxious to see where Kim's future takes him. I have a feeling we'll see more out of him in the years to come.
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| Doug Byrne Baldwin Wallace |
The ending of Doug Byrne's collegiate career had my emotions all over the place. Knowing how good he was and how good he would have done, had he not gotten hurt, made watching his injury very depressing. It was courageous of him to go out on the mat and fight, but he had no strength in his arm & it was of no use to him. He ended up losing a match that if we're honest, he would've won. I try and disconnect myself from it all, but have a hard time because I know how hard these guys work, how bad they want it and I was there once myself too. It's hard watching someone walk off the mat, denied of their goal, not because of anything of their fault, but because of an injury.
Later on in the night, I think I witnessed one of the most heartwarming spectacles I had ever seen. The Baldwin Wallace fanbase was right next to where we were sitting. I'm sure Byrne hurt from his disappointing performance, but those around him refused to let him wallow. They brought him up, had their arms around him & had him laughing and smiling. I saw lot of really positive things out of Baldwin Wallace the entire tournament, but that moment really sold me on telling anyone who wants to wrestle DIII at taking a deep look at the Yellow Jacket program.
Things didn't end for Byrne as they should have, but again, wrestling is a journey, not a destination. A two time Central Regional champ, he was 5th in the NCAA DIII in 2023. 35-4 on the year, he pinned Robby Bates at 2:05, he had a 3-0 win over Donovan King & he defeated Walter West by scores of 4-1 & 4-2. 110 victories during his career.
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| Robby Bates North Central |
Speaking of Robby Bates of North Central, I have always enjoyed watching him wrestle. A calculated wrestler, with excellent mat awareness, his style reminds me a lot of a former teammate of mine in high school by the name of Darren Miller. 6th in the NCAA DIII in 2022, he came up short of qualification in 2023. I had a feeling this would light a fire within him and he'd come back stronger than ever in his final season. I was right. 34-7 on the year, he was the Lower Midwest Regional champion & I thought he might even give Tyler Kim a run for his $$ for the NCAA DIII title. Didn't quite do that, but had an excellent showing capturing a 4th place All American finish. To my knowledge 93 wins in his career.
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| Peter Wersinger TCNJ |
28-8 on the season, Peter Wersinger really made the most out of the opportunities put in front of him this year. A runner-up at the Mideast Regional, he was 8th at the NCAA DIII championships.
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| Trent Ragland Averett |
Trent Ragland was another HWT who had a standout final year of competition in '23-'24. 21-9 on the year, he won an ODAC title & took 2nd at the Southeast Regional.
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