On Friday, Feb. 27, the Elizabethtown College wrestling team began the two-day Region three championships hosted by the College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey. The Blue Jays delivered a standout performance with two qualifying for the national championships and one winning a regional title, along with other strong performances.
The highlight of the weekend was senior Ganon Smith in the 184-weight class. Smith, who now leads Etown in all-time wins with 123, went into the regional championships as the top-seed.
He dominated his first two opponents, pinning Delaware Valley University’s senior Joseph McCullough in his first bout and winning in the quarterfinals against Arcadia’s Lledo with another pin. He continued his domination by pinning Messiah University’s senior Austin Brass in the semifinal, securing his NCAA championship berth.
His final opponent, senior Justin Mayes of New York University, offered steep competition. The match went into a sudden victory with both wrestlers tied for points with a score of 1-1. With time running out, Smith managed to score a takedown, earning him the regional title for the Region III title in the 184-pound weight class.
Junior Justice Hockenberry also performed incredibly well in the 165-weight class. After receiving a bye in his first bout, Hockenberry won 15-0 with a tech fall against Misericordia University’s first-year Jacob Weaver.
The quarterfinal proved to be more challenging, but he held to win by major decision against junior Tallion Elliott of Marymount University, totaling an impressive 21 points in the bout. He carried this momentum to his next matchup against The College of New Jersey’s first-year Jordan Ayyash, earning another major decision victory and securing a National Championship berth. Hockenberry wrestled well against sophomore Keegan Demarest of Messiah, but the Falcon would persevere and take the regional title, leaving Hockenberry as the runner-up.
Fifth-year Will Davis also had an outstanding performance in the 197-weight class, especially on the first day. Davis faced Misericordia’s sophomore Tristan Cuellar and dominated his opponent with a 16-0 tech fall victory. He then faced Gettysburg College’s senior Phil Nave, who offered fierce competition.
Despite his opponent’s ferocity, Davis won by decision with a total of 10 points to Nave’s seven, securing his spot in the quarterfinals. The next match was much easier for Davis, as he earned another major decision victory with a score of 14-3 against New York University’s first-year Mohammed Talebi. However, Davis would fall short in the semifinal match against graduate student Josh Stahl of York College, who beat him with a 4-1 decision.
Davis promptly bounced back despite the loss with another victory in the consolation semifinal. This brought him to the third-place match, where he would once again face Talebi. Davis fought hard, but Talebi came out on top with a 4-2 decision victory. Davis finished with fourth place in the region, falling two places short of an NCAA berth.
The Blue Jays finished seventh out of 21 teams with a total of 87 points. With powerful momentum on their side, Smith and Hockenberry will go on to represent the Blue Jays in the National Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 13.
