EDMOND, Okla. – The Quincy University men's wrestling team delivered a historic performance on Sunday, March 1st at the NCAA Division II Super Region IV Championships, placing sixth out of 11 teams with 48.5 points, the highest regional team finish in program history.
Leading the charge was
Sabian Russell at 149 pounds, who captured the regional title with a perfect 3-0 day to punch his ticket to the NCAA Division II Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the second consecutive season. Russell becomes the first Hawk in men's wrestling history to claim a regional title.
Russell opened his tournament with a dominant 13-5 major decision over Colby Schreiner of Newman before rolling to a 15-0 technical fall against Mason Knight of Drury. In the championship bout, Russell controlled the match from start to finish, earning an 8-0 major decision over #12 Gavis Garcia of Indianapolis to secure the regional crown and 18.5 team points.
At 141 pounds,
Dimitri Bao-Washington battled through the consolation bracket to claim fifth place, going 3-2 and adding 9.5 points to the team total. After falling by pin in his opening match to Roman Schuelke of McKendree, Bao-Washington responded with a 14-2 major decision over Iziah Tusler of Ouachita Baptist and a 10-6 decision over Nathan White of Drury. Another fall in the consolation semifinals temporarily halted his momentum, but he closed strong with a 14-4 major decision over Zach Haughton of Indianapolis in the fifth-place match.
Callan Ivy turned in a strong showing at 184 pounds, finishing fourth overall with a 3-2 record and 9.5 points. Ivy opened with a 6-0 decision over Eli Silva of Ouachita Baptist and followed with a sudden victory 2-1 win over Christian Chavez. After running into #1 Damon Ashworth of Central Missouri, Ivy rebounded with another 6-0 decision over Chris Mapp of Newman to reach the consolation final before dropping an 11-1 major decision to #5 Branson Britten of Central Oklahoma.
At 157 pounds,
Isaiah Nichols placed sixth, finishing 1-3 with six team points. Nichols earned a 15-6 major decision over Jake Romig of Ouachita Baptist after dropping his opener to Nicholas Zamora of Maryville.
Mac Chambers also secured a sixth-place finish at 174 pounds, going 1-3 with five team points, highlighted by an 8-5 decision over Shane Bates of Indianapolis.
The Hawks saw tough draws at several weights.
Kaden Rios-Loud (125) and
Te'Andre Allen (133) each went 0-2, while
Judah Yates (197) and
Caleb Groff (285) battled in close contests but were unable to advance.
As a team, Quincy's 48.5 points secured sixth place, a milestone achievement for the program at the regional level and a testament to the depth and development of the Hawks' lineup.
Russell now turns his attention to Sioux Falls, where he will look to build on last season's national appearance and pursue All-American honors, aiming to become the first men's wrestling All-American in program history.
