Fini

The NCAA Division III Championships started Friday afternoon with three former Louisiana wrestlers in the event.  By the end of the day, only one would compete on Saturday.

Loras College freshman Guy Patron, Jr., a Jesuit High School product of Sheridan Moran, Brian Barry and Spencer Harris, now wrestling for T.J. Miller at Loras College, did not get the start he wanted on Friday as the NCAA Division III Championships started.  But he cannot be displeased with the way it ended.

Held Friday and Saturday at the La Cross Center in La Cross, Wisconsin, Patron lost his first match, to sixth-seeded Kyle Koser of Messiah College, 8-4.  In his first consolation match he defeated Dylan Diebitz of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 13-6.  That set-up a match against the #4 seed, Devon Carillo, of Wesleyan College.  Carillo won his first match but then was relegated to the consolation rounds via a 5-2 quarterfinals loss to the fifth seed, A. J, Kowal of Stevens Tech. In the first period s the two locked-up on their feet, Carillo thwarted Patron's throw attempts and threw Patron instead, scoring two points for a takedown and four for nearfall points.  Carillo then added two more nearfall points to build an 8-0 lead after the first period.  Patron decided to start the second period in the neutral position, and it paid off with a takedown.  Patron ceded an escape point to start standing again with the score now 9-2 in Carillo's favor.  But any hopes of a comeback via takedowns was dismissed when Carillo scored another takedown as time ran-out in the second round.  Carillo thus brought an 11-2 lead into the third period, hoping to ride Patron as long as possible and leaving the option of only giving up an escape should he lose control of Patron.  And lose control is what he did as Patron reversed Carillo to his back and scored a fall in 4:58. On Saturday, Patron will face 8th-seeded K.C. Hutchinson of Greenwood College, who lost his quarterfinals match to Riley Lefever of Wabash College.  By virtue of his win over Carillo, Patron is guaranteed a top-eight finish.

Quin Gilliam also lost his first match in a 4-3 SV-2 decision to fifth-seeded Paul Triandafilou of Gettysburg College.  The two were tied 3-3 after all "live" options were utilized, and Triandafilou won 4-3 via 16 seconds of riding time.  Next Gilliam faced Victor Raigoza of the U.S. Merchant Marin Academy.  That match also went into extra periods, but it was Gilliam scoring points in the SV-1 period for a 6-4 win.  Next up Gilliam faced sixth-seeded Adarius Jones of Augustana University, who quickly put Gilliam out of the tournament with a fall in 0:47.

Of the other two Loras College participants, Clint Lembeck lost his quarterfinal match at 141 lbs., but assured himself a top-eight finish on Saturday.  Jimmy Davis lost his first match of the day, to fifth-seeded Zach Joseph of Springfield College, 13-12.  Undeterred, Davis won his next two matches and is guaranteed a top-eight finish.

The tournament did not go too well for Connor Campo.  He lost a tough first match against fourth-seeded Ryan Flynn of York College 7-5 in SV-1.  In his following consolation match he lost to Augsburg College's Sam Bennyhoff 9-4.

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