This weekend, the Elizabethtown College wrestling team will send ten wrestlers to the NCAA regional championships at Ohio Northern University. Coming off a strong performance and defeating 15th ranked York College as well as rival and 19th ranked Messiah College, by scores of 25-19 and 22-19 respectively, the team looks poised to perform well on Saturday. The team has been able to take down ranked opponents this season as the Blue Jays defeated a great John Hopkins team who was ranked 18th at the time. Another significant victory for the team this season was defeating King’s College and Hunter College at the Metropolitan Conference Duals at Centenary College during the early part of 2013.
Although the team finished with a winless conference record, the team finished with a 6-3 record this season, as the team has done well overall with a strong core of wrestlers through the year.
Junior Kyle McNulty, wrestling at 125 pounds this weekend, explains how this year’s tournament is different than previous seasons.  “In previous seasons, we’ve wrestled in a conference tournament but starting this year, the field of wrestlers expanded and got rid of the old format with the top three wrestlers making the national tournament,” McNulty said.
For the team, having the chance to wrestle at regionals means the chance to compete at the national tournament which is the goal of many of the wrestlers this season. “The majority of the team feels that getting to nationals would be a great accomplishment, while others have higher expectations such as being an All-American, which would be a great feeling,” McNulty said.
First-year Jesse Meaney, ranked in his weight class at 141 pounds, has great aspirations this postseason as it is a tribute to the work that he has put in on the mat. “It means a lot to make it to regionals due to the extra hours I have put, and I am looking forward to representing the school at nationals,” Meaney said.
Sophomore Jeremy Reith, who is also nationally ranked in his weight class, weighing in at 285 pounds, is enthusiastic for the team as well as his opportunity to go to the regional championships. “I feel that our team has the potential for the guys for the national tournament. We have been competing at a high level and training hard hopefully it pays at regionals. There is going to be tough competition but I’m prepared as well as excited to get out to Ohio and wrestle,” Reith said.
For McNulty, the amount of work that he has put in over the last few years on the team has finally shown this season. “Coming on the team, you don’t always meet your goals your first year but as you grow, so does your expectations,” McNulty says.
Senior Zach Sheridan, who is wrestling at 157 pounds, is looking to perform well in his final season for the Blue Jays and wants to leave it all out there in Ohio. “I think making it this far this season with the team has been really rewarding, being able to start for the team while beating some good teams along the way. With my high expectations, having a good postseason will make this season successful,” Sheridan said.
Other wrestlers competing at this weekend’s NCAA regional championships are first-years Chad and Mike Lammer wrestling at 133 and 149 pounds respectively, sophomore Woodie Hermann at 165 pounds, junior Julian Meaney at 174 pounds, sophomore Zeke Zimmer at 184 pounds and sophomore Phil Landis at 197 pounds.