FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Results

Day One Recap

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Mar. 12, 2016)-- Nick Becker capped off the season as an undefeated national champion while three more Rangers earned All-American honors, powering the University of Wisconsin-Parkside to a seventh place showing at the 2016 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Becker was crowned national champion at 174-pounds after terrorizing the weight class all season, ending the 2015-2016 campaign a perfect 42-0. The redshirt sophomore needed overtime to net a sudden victory win over Minnesota State University-Mankato's Adam Cooling in the semifinals to open Saturday before manufacturing a 9-3 victory in the championship at the expense of University of North Carolina-Pembroke's Blaze Shade. Becker was crowned the program's 15th national champion and the first since his brother and assistant coach Craig Becker stood atop the podium at 149 pounds in 2010 and becomes the third brother in the family to claim a national crown for the Green and White (Brad Becker at 157-pounds in 2006).

Becker was in the semifinals after ripping through Simon Fraser University's Reid Watkins and Notre Dame College's Roberto Rivera on Friday.

Nick Fishback tallied a runner-up showing at 165-pounds, securing All-American honors and scoring 15 points towards the team tally. Fishback bested Merychurst University's Francis Mizia in the semis before getting pinned by the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown's Tyler Reinhart in the final, closing a stellar season with a 34-5 mark on the mat.

Ronzel Darling closed the championship with a fourth place showing, securing All-American accolades. Darling opened the event on Friday with a pair of wins before dropping a tough 2-0 decision to Saint Cloud State University's Brett Velasquez in the semifinals. Darling bested Western State Colorado University's Ronald Wardleigh 6-2 in the consolation semifinals before falling 7-3 to Notre Dame College's Jacob Goodwin in the third place match.

Montrail Johnson grinded out a pair of consolation round victories before falling 7-2 to California Baptist University's Jacob Waste. Johnson suffered a major decision setback to Fort Hays State University' Jon Inman in the fifth-place match to lock in sixth and earning an All-American certificate.

UW-Parkside secured 59.5 points in the team standings to place seventh overall, the program's eighth top 10 finish at Nationals and first since finishing tied for sixth at the 2012 Championships. Saint Cloud State University won the national title, scooping up 90 points while Notre Dame (Ohio) was runner-up with 78.5 points. UW-Parkside finished four points shy of sixth-place finisher Cal Baptist and 17-points clear of eighth place McKendree University.