Wabash will send five wrestlers to the 2025 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship Tournament after five Little Giants earned top-three finishes at the Region V Tournament on Saturday.
Daniel Uribe, Chase Baczek and Titus Waters won regional titles in their respective weight classes. James Day and Mawuli Nevis scored third-place finishes at 133 pounds and 165 pounds, respectively.
Uribe returns to the national tournament after winning the 149-pound weight class title with two victories on Saturday’s final day of competition. He scored a 6-2 decision in the semifinals before capturing the title with a 17-2 tech fall in the championship bout.
Baczek, a two-time All-American, heads back to the national tournament after posting two wins on Saturday in the 197-pound bracket to claim the regional title. He pinned his semifinal-round opponent in the closing seconds of their match before earning an 8-1 decision in the championship match.
Waters won the 285-pound bracket with a pair of decisions on Saturday. He opened the day with a 4-1 win in the semifinals, then scored a 7-2 victory in the finals to earn a berth to the national tournament.
Day will try to repeat as an All-American at the national tournament after qualifying Saturday with a third-place finish at 133 pounds. He won three matches on Saturday, starting with an 11-0 major decision. Day scored a 14-2 major decision in the consolation semifinal round before earning a 7-5 victory in the finals.
Nevis lost his first match of the day to drop to the consolation bracket, but rallied with a 4-1 sudden victory in overtime to advance to the third-place match. He won his finals match with a 14-1 major decision to secure his spot in the national tournament field.
Ayden Lutes finished in eighth place for Wabash at157 pounds, finishing the two-day event with a pair of wins.
Wabash finished in fifth place among the 17 teams competing at the tournament.
The NCAA Division III National Tournament takes place March 14-15 in Providence, Rhode Island.
