Cabell Wins MAC Wrestling Title, 4 Panthers Earn NCAA Bid

Saturday, March 5

Cleveland, Ohio

University of Northern Iowa

MAC Championships

Cabell Wins MAC Wrestling Title, 4 Panthers Earn NCAA Bid

3/6/2016 3:11:00 PM | Wrestling

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PDF OF FINAL BRACKETS

YPSILANTI, Michigan – Four Panthers earned automatic bids to the NCAA national wrestling tournament, and one Panther won a MAC title at the conference championships.

The team finished fifth with 73.5 points, just 2.5 points out of third place.

Panthers who placed:

125 pounds – Dylan Peters / second, NCAA qualifier
141 pounds – Trevor Jauch / fifth
157 pounds – Bryce Steiert / second, NCAA qualifier
165 pounds – Cooper Moore / third, NCAA qualifier
184 pounds – Drew Foster / fifth
285 pounds – Blaize Cabell / first, NCAA qualifier

Cabell won his first MAC title and grabbed the only qualifying spot for the NCAA tournament with a 6-5 decision over Buffalo's Jake Gunning.

Peters secured his third trip to the NCAA tournament with a spot in the finals, but he was looking for his second MAC title at 125 pounds. His first title was as a redshirt freshman in 2014. For the second consecutive year, Peters finished second. He lost by 9-5 decision to Barlow McGhee of Missouri.

Steiert dropped just his second major decision of the year in the finals. He lost 10-2 to Le'Roy Barnes of Missouri, but he secured his spot at the NCAA tournament yesterday.

CONSOLATIONS
UNI went 1-2 in the first round of consolations with Cooper Moore being the only Panther to advance to the third-place match. Moore beat Central Michigan's Colin Heffernan before getting a 4-1 decision over Ohio's No. 27 Austin Reese to take third.

Trevor Jauch fell 10-5 to No. 14 Steve Bleise of Northern Illinois to get bumped into the match for fifth place. He followed it up with a 40-second fall against Ohio's Noah Forrider.

Drew Foster was pinned by top seed No. 9 Willie Miklus of Missouri and faced No. 29 Andrew Romanchik of Ohio for fifth place. His win set up a final match to decide a true fourth place for the final NCAA qualifying position. He came back to be edged out in a tie breaker to Joe Ariola of Buffalo.

RESULTS
125 – No. 5 Dylan Peters – 2^nd place
Day 1:
Peters pinned Del Vinas (Kent State), 5:27
Peters dec. Shakur Laney (Ohio), 9-5
Day 2:
No. 10 Barlow McGhee (Missouri) dec. Peters, 9-5

141 – No. 32 Trevor Jauch – 5^th place
Day 1:
No. 15 Zach Horan (Central Michigan) dec. Jauch, 3-2
Jauch dec. Brandon Lapi (Buffalo), 2-1
Day 2:
No. 14 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) dec. Jauch, 10-5
Jauch pinned Noah Forrider (Ohio), 0:40

157 – No. 21 Bryce Steiert – 2^nd place
Day 1:
Steiert maj. dec. Andrew Morse (Northern Illinois), 11-0
Steiert dec. No. 10 Luke Smith (Central Michigan), 6-3
Day 2:
No. 29 Le'Roy Barnes (Missouri) maj. dec. Steiert, 10-2

165 – No. 17 Cooper Moore – 3^rd place
Day 1:
Moore dec. Shaun McMurty (Northern Illinois), 13-6
Dakota Juarez (Eastern Michigan) dec. Moore, 4-3
Day 2:
Moore dec. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 11-5
Moore dec. Austin Reese (Ohio), 4-1

184 – Drew Foster – 5^th place
Day 1:
No. 15 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) dec. Foster, 3-2
Foster dec. Quinton Rosser (Northern Illinois), 7-2
Foster dec. Derek Hillman (Eastern Michigan), 8-4
Day 2:
No. 9 Willie Miklus (Missouri) pinned Foster, 5:37
Foster dec. No. 29 Andrew Romanchik (Ohio), 5-2
true fourth match – Joe Ariola (Buffalo) dec. Foster, 2-1 TB1

285 – No. 15 Blaize Cabell – 1^st place
Cabell dec. Cody Johnston (Missouri), 10-6
Cabell maj. dec. Newton Smerchek (Central Michigan), 15-6
Day 2:
Cabell dec. Jake Gunning (Buffalo), 6-5

TEAM SCORING

Missouri, 127.5
Central Michigan, 91.5
Ohio, 76
Kent State, 75.5
Northern Iowa, 73.5
Northern Illinois, 65
Buffalo, 56
Eastern Michigan, 54.5
Old Dominion, 36.5

ORIGINAL MAC ALLOTMENTS – not adjusted for change at 133 pounds
Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; rating percentage index (RPI); and coaches ranking.

For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament, with automatic qualifying status, was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish.

After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 46 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 9. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; quality wins; coaches ranking; results against common opponents; RPI; qualifying event placement; and winning percentage.

Conference	125	133	141	149	157	165	174	184	197	285	Total
Atlantic Coast Conference	4	3	4	2	3	5	2	3	5	3	34
Big 12 Conference	6	4	3	3	3	3	4	3	4	3	36
Big Ten Conference	7	9	7	6	7	6	9	7	6	7	71
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association	3	3	6	5	6	4	7	7	4	6	51
Eastern Wrestling League	1	1	1	3	2	2	1	1	3	2	17
Mid-American Conference	4	6	4	5	5	4	3	4	5	1	41
Pacific-12 Conference	2	1	3	3	1	3	2	2	1	3	21
Southern Conference	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	3	13
TOTAL QUALIFIERS	28	28	29	28	29	28	29	28	29	28	284