SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  – Posting a 2-0 start to the 2022 NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Championship senior Jake Peavey (South China, Maine/Erskine Academy) earned a spot in the championship semifinal of the 285-pound bracket to highlight a strong opening day of competition for the University of Southern Maine Huskies wrestling team.

In addition to Peavey, four more Huskies are still in contention for NCAA National Championship bids. Graduate student Aidan Whitis (Gorham, Maine), sophomore Ethan Ford (North Andover, Mass.) and freshmen Colby Frost (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and Anthony Mears (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic) each bounced back from day one losses to stay alive in the consolation. All six Huskies are guaranteed a top eight finish and All-Region honors. The top three from each weight class will punch their ticket to the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (March 11-12).

The Huskies' 285 wrestler, Peavey, ranked fourth in New England, opened his tourney with a strong 5-0 decision against Trinity's John O'Brien.  Peavey advanced to the semifinals with a convincing win by fall over Gabriel Duden of Norwich University.  Improving to 24-2 this season, Peavey put Duden to the mat in 1:05, earning his 12^th pin of the season. Slated to face New York University's Will Ortman in the semifinals, Peavey can clinch a berth into the NCAA National Championship with a win. Ortman is ranked fourth in the Northeast Region.

Competing at 184, Whitis bounced back from an opening round loss to win three consecutive matches to stay alive. Whitis advanced to day two with a 9-6 win over William College's William Smith, scoring six points in the first period with a take down and a near fall.  Whitis will face Anders Kass of Trinity College in the consolation quarterfinals.

Wrestling at 133 and competing in his first regional championship, Ford also wrestled back to earn a spot in the consolations semifinals. Ford earned a thrilling 6-4 (SV-1) win over Western New England's Corey Cope, scoring a takedown 1:34 into the extra frame to stay alive, and then earned a 4-1 win over Wesleyan's Max Martinez to guarantee All-Region honors.

Both competing in their first intercollegiate seasons, Frost and Mears have guaranteed themselves All-Region status.  Competing at 197, Mears opened his tourney with a 10-2 major decision victory over Plymouth State's Christian Kuechler, including a five-point third period.  After dropping a match to top-seed Coy Spooner of the Coast Guard Academy, Mears scored a 7-2 decision over WPI's James Purnell.

After dropping a narrow 5-4 decision in his first match, Frost, competing at 149, roared back with a win by fall over WPI's Caden Crist in 3:45, and then battled to a remarkable 10-8 win over Evan Fidelibus to move onto the consolation quarterfinals. Down 6-3 after the first period, Frost rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the second period. Frost scored an escape, a takedown and a near fall in the second. Starting in the down position, Fidelibus tied the score up at eight with an escape before Frost scored the take down with just over 30 seconds remaining to seal the win. Frost is 25-8 on the season and will face Roger Williams' Ben Bariso on Sunday.
Whitis, Ford, Frost and Mears will all have to earn three wins on Sunday to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship. 
 
Team Scores (Day 1): 1. Coast Guard 101.5; 2. Johnson & Wales 85.5; 3. New York University 66.0; 4. Castleton 62.5; 4. Springfield 62.5; 6. Roger Williams 55.0; 7. Williams 45.5; 8. Southern Maine 44.5; 9. US Merchant Marine Academy 39.5; 10. Trinity 31.5; 10. Western New England 31.5; 12. Norwich 31.0; 13. Wesleyan 27.0; 14. Bridgewater State 26.5; 15. New England College 23.5; 16. Rhode Island College 23.0 17. WPI 13.5; 18. Plymouth State 4.0; 19. Hunter 2.0
 

NCAA DIII Regional Northeast Results for Southern Me.

125 Antoine Grace (1-2)  - scored 0.5 team points.
Prelim - Allan Beato (USCGA) dec. over Antoine Grace (So. Maine)  (Dec 8-3)
Prelim - Antoine Grace (So. Maine)  dec. over Dylan King (Norwich)  (Dec 10-5)
Cons. Round 1 - Shailen Savur (Wesleyan) maj dec. over Antoine Grace (So. Maine)  (MD 15-6)
 
133 Ethan Ford (2-1)  - scored 4.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Gianni Manginelli (Springfield) dec. over Ethan Ford (So. Maine) (Dec 9-5)
Cons. Round 1 - Ethan Ford (So. Maine) won in sudden victory - 1 over Corey Cope (Western New England )  (SV-1 6-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Ethan Ford (So. Maine) 2-1 dec. over Max Martinez (Wesleyan  (Connecticut)) 0-2 (Dec 4-1)
 
141 Kevin Moore (1-2)  - scored 2.0 team points.
Prelim - Kevin Moore (So. Maine)  won by tech fall over Cody Giaccone (Plymouth State )  (TF-1.5 4:03 (15-0))
Champ. Round 1 - Hayden Brown (Johnson & Wales) won by fall over Kevin Moore (So. Maine)  (Fall 1:19)
Cons. Round 1 - CJ Christopher Shea (Wesleyan) dec. over Kevin Moore (So. Maine) (Dec 5-3)
 
149  Colby Frost (2-1)  -  scored 6.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Nicholas Roeger (Castleton)  dec. over Colby Frost (So. Maine)  (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Colby Frost (So. Maine)  won by fall over Caden Crist (WPI)  (Fall 3:45)
Cons. Round 2 - Colby Frost (So. Maine)  dec. over Evan Fidelibus (New England) (Dec 10-8)
 
157 Jeremy Sendrowski  - scored 2.5 team points.
Prelim - Aaron Goldman (Wesleyan  (Connecticut)) 3-1 dec. over Jeremy Sendrowski (So. Maine) 1-2 (Dec 9-4)
Prelim - Jeremy Sendrowski (So. Maine) 1-2 won by fall over Deston McFarlane (Hunter ) 0-2 (Fall 3:17)
Cons. Round 1 - Logan Dubuque (Castleton ) 26-16 dec. over Jeremy Sendrowski (So. Maine) 1-2 (Dec 6-2)
 
165 David Kurker (2-2) -  scored 3.5 team points.
Prelim - David Kurker (So. Maine)  won by fall over Eric DeWald (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)  (Fall 3:39)
Champ. Round 1 - Kevin Lyskawa (Trinity) won by fall over David Kurker (So. Maine)  (Fall 2:16)
Cons. Round 1 - David Kurker (So. Maine)  dec. over Brendan Kiernan (Williams ) 13-6 (Dec 4-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Scott DeFex (Johnson & Wales ) dec. over David Kurker (So. Maine) (Dec 7-3)
 
174 Juan Vernaza (2-2) -  scored 3.0 team points.
Prelim - Juan Vernaza (So. Maine)  won by fall over Kevin Carlucci (Bridgewater State ) (Fall 1:50)
Champ. Round 1 - David McCullough (USCGA)  maj dec. over Juan Vernaza (So. Maine)  (MD 14-5)
Cons. Round 1 - Juan Vernaza (So. Maine)  dec. over Chis Ludwig (New England )  (Dec 10-5)
Cons. Round 2 - Marco Gaita (Wesleyan)  maj dec. over Juan Vernaza (So. Maine)  (MD 10-1)
 
184 Aidan Whitis (3-1) -  scored 7.5 team points.
Prelim - Aidan Whitis (So. Maine) won by injury default over Dillan Palaszewski (Springfield )  (Inj. 0:00)
Champ. Round 1 - Cole Shaughnessy (Roger Williams )  dec. over Aidan Whitis (So. Maine) (Dec 6-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Aidan Whitis (So. Maine)  maj dec. over Rogelio Gonzalez (Rhode Island ) (MD 12-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Aidan Whitis (So. Maine) dec. over William Smith (Williams )  (Dec 9-6)
 
197 Anthony Mears (2-1) placed 8th and scored 5.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Anthony Mears (So. Maine)  maj dec. over Christian Kuechler (Plymouth State) (MD 10-2)
Quarterfinal - Coy Spooner (USCGA)  maj dec. over Anthony Mears (So. Maine) 2-1 (MD 10-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Anthony Mears (So. Maine) dec. over James Purnell (WPI) 1-2 (Dec 7-2)
 
285 Jake Peavey   - scored 10.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jake Peavey (So. Maine) dec. over John O`Brien (Trinity)  (Dec 5-0)
Quarterfinal - Jake Peavey (So. Maine) won by fall over Gabriel Duden (Norwich)  (Fall 1:05)