Cornell’s wrestling team landed two NCAA qualifiers and put eight wrestlers on the podium during Friday’s conclusion of the Lower Midwest Region Championships at Alliant Energy Powerhouse.
Sophomore 157-pounder Gabriel Smith (25-8) and junior 184-pounder Cael McLaren (20-9) both took runner-up in their respective weight classes and punched their tickets to the NCAA Division III Championships March 15-16 in La Crosse, Wis.
Coach Brent Hamm’s Rams established a program record for most points scored at a regional with 107.5. They finished fifth out of 22 teams, marking their highest team showing since 2016.
The fourth-seeded Smith racked up bonus points in his three wins, including a 20-5 third-period technical fall over Westminster’s Michael Roberts in the semifinals that secured Smith’s trip to nationals.
Smith dropped a 4-1 battle to Millikin’s 12th-ranked Nathan Callaway in the 157-pound championship match. A first-time NCAA qualifier, Smith recorded a pair of pins on Day 1.
No. 2 seed McLaren also captured his first NCAA berth with a hard-fought 8-6 semifinal decision over Coe’s 15th-ranked Jared Voss. In the final, McLaren ran into Wartburg’s top-seeded Kasey Ross and fell 8-0.
The championship setback snapped an 11-match winning streak for McLaren, who went 3-1 in the tournament to earn his second all-region medal.
Cornell entered the two-day event with five seeded wrestlers and left the arena with eight placewinners.
Junior Landon Card (22-9) at 149 and senior Treyten Steffen (25-8) at 197 both reached the championship semifinals and finished fifth in their respective brackets.
The fifth-seeded Card lost 6-3 in the semifinals to Wartburg’s top-seeded Charlie Dojan. He bounced back with a 15-6 major decision over Luther’s Chase Kmosena to place fifth for the second year in a row.
Steffen reached the podium for the third time in his career, going 4-2 in the tournament. The No. 4 seed lost by fall in the semifinals to Wartburg’s eventual champion Massoma Endene. Steffen dominated Dubuque’s Eli Pannell with a 16-2 major decision in the fifth-place bout.
Sophomore heavyweight Jackson Brinker (27-13) also claimed fifth after reeling off four victories on the consolation side. He beat Hundington’s Jack Haury, 10-7, in the place match.
Sophomore 125-pounder Jase Van Pelt (13-16) placed sixth to earn his second all-region medal.
The Rams received seventh-place efforts from sophomore Scotty Scheidecker (15-21) at 165 and freshman Brian Petry (26-18) at 174. Scheidecker and Petry combined to go 7-2 in the consolation rounds.
Wartburg captured the team title with 184.5 points, followed by North Central (157.5), Coe (150) and Loras (114.5).
Cornell Final Results
125 – Jase Van Pelt (6th, 3-3). 133 – Eli Sneed (DNP, 2-2). 141 – AJ Parrish (DNP, 2-2). 149 – Landon Card (5th, 3-2). 157 – Gabriel Smith (2nd, 3-1). 165 – Scotty Scheidecker (7th, 4-2). 174 – Brian Petry (7th, 3-2). 184 – Cael McLaren (2nd, 3-1). 197 – Treyten Steffen (5th, 4-2). 285 – Jackson Brinker (5th, 4-2).