CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- The No.3 ranked Parkside wrestling team completed the 2022-23 season at the NCAA II National Championships. Three Rangers competed in session II, earning three All-Americans and three national podium appearances. As a team, the Rangers finished in 15th place.
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @RangerAthletics @ParksideWrestling
HOW IT HAPPENED
125-pound freshman and No.4 ranked Shane Corrigan got the day started for the Rangers. His first match came in the third consolation round against Christian Mejia of McKendree. Corrigan was unable to come back from a late deficit to fall in an 8-5 decision; this sent Corrigan to the seventh-place match. In a battle for seventh, Corrigan controlled the entirety of the match as he defeated Brandon Mendoza in a 5-0 decision. Corrigan finished the season with a 33-8 record while also earning All-American honors in his first national championship appearance.
The one Ranger to make it to the semifinals was 149-pound redshirt sophomore and No.6 ranked
Jalen Spuhler. Spuhler was pinned by No.2 ranked Josiah Rider of Adams State which sent Spuhler into the consolation rounds. In the consolation semifinals, Spuhler dominated Drik Filippo of Central Oklahoma to move into the third-place match. In the third-place match, Spuhler was set to face a familiar opponent in No.7 ranked Wyatt Turnquist of Northern State. Spuhler and Turnquist were close following the first period but it was Turnquist who pulled away late to defeat Spuhler in a 10-5 decision. Spuhler finished his first national championship appearance in fourth place and also earned his first All-American honors with a 30-9 record.
Redshirt sophomore and No.5 ranked Reece Worachek made session II in consecutive years for the Rangers. Worachek was defeated by Alex Kaufmann of Central Oklahoma in the third round of the consolation bracket to send him to the seventh-place match. In the seventh-place match, Worachek faced Colter Bye of Upper Iowa. Worachek controlled the tempo of the match and earned the only two takedowns of the match to come away with a 6-2 victory by decision. Worachek earned his second consecutive All-American honor and improved to a seventh-place finish in 2023. Worachek finishes his sophomore season with a 31-6 record.
HEAR FROM COACH BECKER
"It was an up and down performance all weekend long but definitely some positives to take away from the weekend. Our goal was to bring home a team trophy but having 3 All-Americans is something we can be proud of.
I'm proud of our entire team and the effort they have given all season long. We had some big moments for our program throughout the season and overall have to be happy with where our program is headed. I didn't get the majority of them ready to compete when it mattered most. I take full responsibility for that. We are young, hungry and will continue to make improvements.
I want to thank all of the fans that came out and supported our team this weekend and throughout the season. We heard you and we will keep our feet on the gas."
SEASON RECAP
The Rangers close out what has been a very successful 2022-23 campaign. The Rangers held their highest ranking of the season at No.3 where they won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for the first time ever with a perfect record of 9-0 in conference. The team finished with an overall record of 11-0 lead by NWCA Division II Coach of the Year Nick Becker. For more information, visit parksiderangers.com.
