ABERDEEN, SD – Last year was the first time in program history that four University of Mary wrestlers qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championships after competing in the NCAA Super Region V. This year, the Marauders match the program history record by sending four wrestlers to the National Tournament. Reece Barnhardt, Max Bruss, Matthew Kaylor, and Luke Tweeton all punched their ticket to Cedar Rapids, IA to compete at nationals. 

#3 Reece Barnhardt (133) started the tournament off strong with a dominating win over Minnesota State University Mankato's Isaiah Mslan. Confidence and control earned him a major decision victory 13-0.  Barnhardt then faced Jack Huffman of Augustana University in the semifinals. Another commanding performance earned him a 10-2 major decision victory and secured his ticket to nationals. In the championship match against St. Cloud State's Caleb Meekins, Barnhardt fell by injury default earning him second place in the region tournament.

#2 Max Bruss (174) won his first match over Southwest Minnesota State University with a combative and scrappy 4-2 victory. He followed this performance with a confident win in the semifinals to secure his spot at Nationals. Bruss controlled the match for a 7-2 victory over Minnesota State University Moordhead's Anthony Castro. Bruss fell in the region finals by a 5-0 decision to Abner Romero of St. Cloud State earning him second place in the region tournament. 

Matthew Kaylor (197) defeated Max Ramberg from Augustana in his first match of the tournament. Kaylor's hard-fought 9-5 decision bumped him to the quarterfinals. In a tough matchup with St. Cloud's Dominic Murphy, Kaylor fell in a 4-1 decision. This put him in a consolation semifinal match against Minot's Dustin Swisher. Kaylor dominated the match with a pinfall victory at 1:39, advancing him to the 3rd place match. Kaylor was put up against Ramberg for the second time and after a nail-biting match, Kaylor pulled off a 4-3 decision win, seizing his spot on the road to nationals.

Luke Tweeton (285) defeated Augustana's Zach Peterson in his first match in a scrappy fight for a 1-0 victory. This advanced Tweeton to the semifinals where he took on Minot State's Jake Swirple. Tweeton secured a sudden victory win with a takedown in overtime. This sent the redshirt freshman to the region tournament championship and secured his ticket to nationals. Tweeton would fall to MSU's returning national champion Darrell Mason in a 1-0 decision.

#8 Wyatt Lidberg (184) fell in his first match by sudden victory to Colter Bye from Upper Iowa University. Lidberg bounced back to entirely dominate in his next match. In the fight for a spot at nationals, Lidberg secured an 18-5 major decision victory over MSU wrestler Brody Nielsen. Lidberg gained another victory by medical forfeit from SMSU and a 5-0 decision victory against St. Cloud. Lidberg would fall in the 3rd place match against Augustana's Cade Mueller. 

Jaden Verhagen (125) finished fifth after gaining victory by medical forfeit.

Laken Boese (141) finished sixth after medically forfeiting the fifth-place match.

Riley Noble (165) finished sixth after falling to Augustana's Tyler Wagener in a 6-2 decision. Earlier in the day, Noble pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the Super Regional, defeating 2nd-ranked Chase Luensman in an astonishing offensive display. 

Leo Mushinsky (149) and Braydon Huber (157) fought hard and had solid battles during the tournament but did not place. 

UP NEXT 
Reece Barnhardt, Max Bruss, Matthew Kaylor, and Luke Tweeton will all compete in the NCAA Division II National Championships beginning on Friday, March 10, and concluding Saturday, March 11. 

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