(ADA, Ohio) – Quakers sophomore Thane McCoy qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships today after finishing second in the 157-pound weight class at the regional tournament hosted at Ohio Northern University. He is the first Quakers wrestler to qualify since the return of the program in 2018-19.

McCoy finished 2-0 yesterday and found himself in the semifinals. He faced off with Roanoke College's Casey Smith. McCoy led 7-2 after the second period and looked to be well on his way to the championship match.

Smith didn't back down though. After McCoy chose to start period three on top, Smith escaped and got a takedown to cut the lead to 7-6. McCoy quickly escaped for an 8-6 lead before his second stalling penalty of the match resulted in a point for Smith, making it 8-7. McCoy hung on in the final 15 seconds for the 8-7 decision win to advance to the championship match at 157 pounds.  

He faced off with Washington and Lee University's Liam Flanagan, who was the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds and 27-0 coming into the contest. McCoy battled to the end but dropped the match by 8-3 decision.

What's Up Next
McCoy heads into the national tournament with a 31-3 overall record. Day one of the national championships are on Friday, March 13th beginning at 10:00 A.M. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.