GORHAM, Maine - Earning their spots at the 2024 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship, sophomore
Jake Craig (Skowhegan, Maine) and junior
Colby Frost (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagle) will represent the University of Southern Maine Huskies this coming weekend, March 15-16, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Craig and Frost will be two of 180 qualified competitors at the 2024 NCAA Championship. All 180 participants qualified for the championship by placing in the top three of their respective weight classes at one of the six NCAA regional championships held nearly two weeks ago.
Both Craig and Frost are making their second appearances at the National Championship. Wrestling at 149 lbs, Frost earned his first bid to the national tournament in 2022 as a freshman, and will make his return trip in the same weight division in 2024. A three-time All-Region wrestler, Frost placed third at the 2024 Northeast Regional Championship to earn his spot. Frost enters the national tournament ranked 14
th in the nation by the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA), and has a record of 22-3.
Craig also qualified as a freshman in 2023 at 125 lbs. A 2023 NCAA Division III All-American, finishing fourth nationally, Craig returns in the 125-lb bracket this season after placing third at the Northeast Regional Championship. Craig is ranked eighth nationally in his weight class per the NWCA, and enters the tournament with a record of 29-6.
Championship action will begin on at 12:00 pm on Friday for session one (preliminary rounds one and two and consolation first round. Friday's session two is slated to begin at 7 pm, and will include Championship Quarterfinals, and consolation second and third rounds. Action resumes on Saturday, March 16 at 11:00 am, beginning with the Championship Semifinals and Consolation Quarterfinals and Semifinals, followed by the matches for third, fifth and seventh. Championship Finals are slated for 8 pm.
Each championship event is conducted by 10 weight classes — 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and heavyweight (183-285 lbs). The top eight wrestlers will be seeded with the remaining ten wrestlers drawn randomly.
Scouting the 125 lb Championship Bracket
Craig's Route: Advancing to the championship semifinals after posting a 3-0 start to his regional championship, including a pair of wins by technical fall, Craig was forced to bounce back with two consecutive wins after dropping his semifinal match up to Castleton's Gavin Bradley by decision 7-4. In the first of his two must-win bouts, Craig avenged a regular season loss to New England College's Chris DeRosa, earning an 8-3 win by decision. Craig trailed DeRosa 2-0 headed into the third period, but scored eight consecutive points to surge ahead with an escape, takedown and a near fall, earning a spot in the third-place match.
With the top three place winners earning a bid to the NCAA Championship, Craig faced off against Rhode Island College's Fred Luchs. Leading 3-0 after two periods, Craig fought off a late push from Luchs in the third to win 6-4, securing his spot in the national championship.
Championship Field: Including Craig (Fourth Place, 2023), there are six NCAA Division III All-Americans returning to the 125 lbs bracket. Among the six All-Americans are the 2022 (Jacob Decatur, Baldwin Wallace) and 2023 (Joziah Fry, Johnson & Wales) National Champions. Fry is the 2024 NCAA Northeast Regional Champion, joining Craig and Castleton's Gavin Bradley from that region as national competitors.
Scouting the 149 lb Championship Bracket
Frost's Route: Seeking a return trip to the NCAAs after qualifying as a freshman in 2022 and narrowly missing out in 2023, Frost entered day two with a 3-0 mark and a spot in the championship semifinals. Facing off against a familiar opponent in the semis, Frost dropped a close match by decision 9-3 to New England College's Zach Soda. Frost and Soda had met twice earlier in the season and Frost had victories in each bout – both by fall. Forced into an elimination situation, Frost battled back in the consolation semifinals with a dominant 17-4 major decision win over Western New England's Peter Charnley. Leading 7-4 after the first period, Frost controlled the second and third scored 10 unanswered points, including a near fall in the second, to set up a spot in the third place match.
Needing one more win to earn a spot at nationals, Frost earned a hard-won 13-5 decision over Johnson & Wales Jordan Suarez. Taking an early 3-0 lead with a take down in the first, Frost leapt ahead 5-4 with a reversal with 22 seconds remaining. Frost dominated the second outscoring Suarez 8-0 with an escape, take down and near-fall for the 13-5 final.
Championship Field: The 2024 NCAA Championship 149-lb bracket features just two returning All-Americans: Baldwin Wallace's Michael Petrella and Augsburg's Charlie Stuhl. Petrella is a two-time finasl, and claimed the 2023 championship – he enters the field 38-0. Along with Frost, the field does include eight returning NCAA qualifying wrestlers, including Coast Guard's Nathan Fitt who claimed the 2024 Northeast Regional Championship.
2024 NCAA Division III National Championship Spectator Information
Admission
Hosted by UW-La Crosse at the La Crosse Center, tickets are available through
Ticketmaster. Single session tickets are available at $20 per person. There are four distinct sessions. A two-day pass that includes all sessions is available for $58.
Single Session (I, II, III, IV) - $20 each session
Two-Day Pass - $58
Parking
Parking around the La Crosse Center has fees associated with it on Thursday and Friday. Parking is free on Saturday.
Parking lots and maps are available
Follow the action live
Every match will be streamed on ncaa.com. Live results can be followed at
trackwrestling.com
Schedule of Events
| Friday, March 15 |
Session I |
|
| 9:00 am |
Doors open for Admission |
La Crosse Center |
| 9:00 am |
Merchandise Available |
La Crosse Center |
| 10:35 am |
Opening Ceremony Video |
|
| 11:00 am |
Preliminary Round One and Two (Six Mats)
Consolation First Round (Six Mats) |
|
| 3:00 pm |
La Crosse Center Closes At Conclusion of Last Session I Match |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Session II |
|
| 4:30 pm |
Doors open for Admission |
|
| 4:30 pm |
Merchandise Available |
|
| 6:00 pm |
Championship Quarterfinals (Three mats)
Consolation Second and Third Rounds (Three mats) |
|
| 10 pm |
La Crosse Center Closes at Conclusion of Session II |
|
| |
|
|
| Saturday, March 16 |
Session III |
|
| 9:00 am |
Doors open for Admission |
La Crosse Center |
| 9:00 am |
Merchandise Available |
La Crosse Center |
| 10:00 am |
Championship Semifinals (Two mats)
Consolation Quarterfinals (Two mats); Semifinals (Four mats)
Consolation matches for third, fifth and seventh place (Three mats) |
|
| 3:00 pm |
La Crosse Center Closes at Conclusion of Session II |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Session IV |
|
| 5:30 pm |
Doors open for Admission |
La Crosse Center |
| 5:30 pm |
Merchandise Available |
La Crosse Center |
| 6:30 pm |
Parade of All-Americans |
|
| 7:00 pm |
Finals (One Mat) |
|
| 9:00 pm |
Awards Presentation |
|
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