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4 Individual Titles, 2 Top-3 Team Finishes Highlight AAC's Performance at Nationals

4 Individual Titles, 2 Top-3 Team Finishes Highlight AAC's Performance at Nationals
March 5, 2023

WICHITA, Kan. - The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) was very well represented at the 2023 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship Meet as the league collected four individual titles and two teams finished in the top three.

Life finished second with 157.5 points, while Southeastern placed third with 90. Reinhardt narrowly missed cracking the top 10, landing at 11th with 44 points. Other AAC placing teams including Keiser (18th - 30.5 points), Brewton-Parker (27th - 15.5 points), St. Thomas (32nd - 9.0 points), and WVU Tech (45th - 1.5 points).

The four individual championships are the most by any conference in the NAIA. Life captured three individual championships with Brandon Orum winning the 125-pound class, Brevin Balmeceda winning the 149-pound class, and Asher Eichert winning the 184-pound class. Sal Silva of Southeastern collected the remaining individual crown in the 157-pound class.

The AAC had four individual runners-up in Julian Hernandez of Life (141-pound class), Coleman Bryant of Southeastern (184-pound class), Zane Lanham of Life (197-pound class), and Austin Harris of Life (285-pound class).

In all, 23 individual earned NAIA All-American honors. They are:

  • 125-pound class - Orum (first); Dennis McNeal, Brewton-Parker (fourth); Isaac Crowell, Southeastern (seventh)
  • 141-pound class - Hernandez (second); Patrick Gould, Keiser (fourth); David Pierson, St. Thomas (eighth)
  • 149-pound class - Balmeceda (first)
  • 157-pound class - Silva (first); Steven Villalobos, Life (seventh); Trevor Burdick, Reinhardt (eighth)
  • 165-pound class - Matt Jenkins, Reinhardt (fifth); Jack Bass, Life (sixth)
  • 174-pound class - Riley Smucker, Life (third); Cole Tenety, Reinhardt (fifth); Douglas Peppers, Southeastern (sixth); Stephen Kelle, Southeastern (seventh)
  • 184-pound class - Eichert (first); Bryant (second); Sam Irwin, Reinhardt (eighth)
  • 197-pound class - Lanham (second)
  • 285-pound class - Harris (second); Gabe Jacobs, Southeastern (third), Earnest Johnson, Keiser (seventh)

For complete results, click here.