Shannon Welch/Photo Editor
Wesleyan sent its top wrestler in each weight class to WPI on Saturday to compete against 17 other squads in the Northeast Regional Championships. Last year, Wesleyan inched out rival Springfield College at home by 0.5 points to win the NEWA title. The Cardinals entered the competition this year with a target on their backs and something to prove to the rest of the region. However, with the addition of four more teams into the regional championships—SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College, SUNY Oswego, and SUNY Oneonta—the competition became a bit stiffer and the region a bit larger compared to years past. A top-three individual performance on the weekend would assure wrestlers a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, IA in two weeks. Potentially more important, a strong effort on the weekend would go a long way in accomplishing the Cardinals’ ultimate goal: a repeat title as regional champions.
Despite the high aspirations, the larger bracket and difficult competition proved to be the Cardinals’ downfall. Though the NCAA does not maintain team scoring at its individual qualifiers, and thus the results are unofficial, Wesleyan finished a respectable fourth of 18 competing teams on the weekend. SUNY Cortland, which entered the tournament ranked third nationally, took home the gold with 133.5 total points, and 10th-ranked Springfield College finished second with 123. Wesleyan finished slightly behind the top tier, accumulating 91 team points and finishing just behind third-place Ithaca with 96 points. Particularly impressive was that all five competing seniors placed in their weight classes, a fitting tribute to a senior class that has dedicated so much to the program.
Individually, three Cardinal wrestlers left WPI knowing their seasons were not yet concluded. Jefferson Ajayi ’13 was Wesleyan’s best performer at the tournament, notching a 3-1 record during the weekend and finishing second in the 184-pound weight class. His only loss came in the championship round to Colin Lenhardt of Johnson & Wales University by a 3-2 score. Ajayi’s success promises another chance at individual glory in the NCAA Division III Championships in two weeks. At the same tournament last year, Ajayi finished 3-2 and was ranked seventh nationally, garnering All-American recognition.
Two other wrestlers, captain Howard Tobochnik ’13 and rookie standout Josh Roometua ’16, finished third in their respective weight classes and earned a trip to Cedar Rapids alongside their decorated teammate Ajayi. Tobochnik entered competition with the second seed and easily won his first two bouts by first-round pin fall. Tobochnik’s third match was against a familiar Williams College foe, George Lopez. Earlier in the season, Tobochnik was the victor of a close 10-4 decision between the two, but in Sunday’s action, Lopez got the better of Wesleyan’s captain with an 11-6 victory. Tobochnik quickly turned it around and beat his Western New England foe in the final match of the day, securing a 4-1 record and a chance to become an All-American in his senior year.
Roometua became the biggest surprise for the Cardinals on the day when he finished third in the 197-pound weight class. Entering competition as the sixth seed, Roometua had very little room for error if he wanted to finish in the top three of his weight class. In his first match, he saw a swift defeat by pin fall against his University of Southern Maine opponent. In his second bout, Roometua fell to the eventual runner-up from Springfield College by a 5-0 decision. Not deterred, Roometua rattled off four consecutive victories—one by pin fall—to pull off the third-place finish. His final match was against his original Southern Maine opponent, and this time, Roometua won by a close 3-1 decision. Roometua has the distinguished honor of being the only freshman in Drew Black’s 15 years at the helm as Wesleyan’s head coach to ever qualify for Nationals.
“I am excited about making it to Nationals, but I’m not satisfied yet, ” Tobochnik said. “I know both Jefferson and Josh would agree that we have trained as hard as—if not harder than—any team in the country, and the National tournament is our chance to let all that hard work show. I’m a senior, so this will probably be my last competitive athletic contest ever, and I intend to end my wrestling career with no regrets.”
Though they did not finish highly enough to extend their senior seasons, Maika Nagata, Nick Scotto, and Kyle Roosa all performed well enough to place in their final collegiate wrestling competition. The three men each finished fifth in their respective weight classes.
While the rest of Wesleyan is on break, Ajayi, Tobochnik, and Roometua will make a trip to the NCAA Division III Championships with hopes of gaining respect for the Wesleyan program and serving themselves well in their individual weight classes. A top-eight finish earns wrestlers the title of an All-American. Though for some, that may not be enough to consider the trip a success; the sky’s the limit for the Cardinal men.