COLLEGE WRESTLING: ATHENS GRAD WINTERS FALLS IN QUARTERS AT D-III NATIONALS; EARNS ALL-AMERICAN STATUS WITH WRESTLEBACK WIN (11 PHOTOS) (2019-03-08)

ROANOKE, Va. - Athens grad Kaidon Winters, a sophomore at RIT, dug a deep hole and never recovered in a quarter-final loss here Friday night at the Division III Wrestling National Championships, but bounced with an overtime win in wrestlebacks to assure himself of All-American status.

Winters, the third seed at 157, trailed sixth-seed Bradon Birt of Millikin, 4-0, after the first period. He trailed 5-0 before picking up a stalling point and scoring a takedown with 20 seconds remaining to trim the deficit to 5-3. It was Winters' first loss of the season.

In the consolation bracket, Winters edged Chris Muce of Centenary, 3-2, in overtime. Muce took a 2-1 lead on an escape in the final seconds of the first 30-second OT, but Winters countered with a reversal in the second 30-second session, then fended off a late escape attempt by Muce to preserve the win.

Winters, now 33-1 on the season, will take on Keone Derain of Elmhurst College in the consolation bracket Saturday morning.

Winters can finish no worse than eighth, and the top eight earn All-American status.

CANTON GRAD WESNESKI ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS
Canton grad Garrett Wesneski, a senior at Lycoming College, registered a first-period fall, at 2:58, over RIT's Connor Calkins to advance to the Division III National Championship semifinals.

Wesneski, the fifth seed at 285 pounds, improves to 25-1 on the season, and will face unseeded Bowen Wileman of Wartburg in the semifinals. Wileman upended top-seeded James Bethel of Oneonta, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.

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IN PHOTOS 1-8: Kaidon Winters. IN PHOTOS 9-11: Garrett Wesneski. ... PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLENN JARVIS.