CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — It was déjà vu for Lycoming junior All-American Nolan Barger at the 2016 NCAA Division III Wrestling championships in the U.S. Cellular Center Saturday afternoon.
For the second year in a row, the Warrior 165-pounder from Clearfield defeated the nation’s No. 1-ranked matman and avenged his earlier loss in a 4-0 run through the consolations to claim the bronze medal.
A takedown and four-point nearfall in the first period propelled the Mideast Region runnerup and No. 3 seed to a 9-5 victory over defending champion and pre-tourney favorite Farai Sewera (28-5) of Coe College in the consy quarterfinals.
Sewera, the Central Region champion, then lost 10-4 to Northeast Region titlist Nick Velez (31-8) of Ithaca to finish eighth and end his career with a 110-30 record.
In the consy semis, Barger was taken down by Augsburg’s No. 8-seeded junior Eric Hensel (27-8) but came back to register his 100th career win, 8-3, with a first-period reversal, takedowns in the second and third periods plus a riding time point.
That earned the sixth member of Lycoming’s Century Club a rematch with Stevens Institute of Technology junior Colin Navickas (46-6) in the third-place bout.
Barger atoned a tough 3-2 loss to the No. 6 seed in the quarterfinals with a decisive 6-1 victory.
A duck-under takedown that beat the first-period buzzer by three seconds was all Barger needed as he controlled the action the rest of the way, allowing only an escape near the midway mark of the second period.
Down to start the third period, Barger escaped in just eight seconds and sealed the win by spinning behind Navickas with six seconds remaining.
Barger finished 36-2 with his only other loss to Messiah’s Jeff Hojnacki in the region finals that ended a 35-match win streak dating back to last year’s NCAAs.
He was 21-0 in dual meets and led the Warriors with two dozen bonus wins, topping them in falls with 13 and technical falls with four while tying fellow All-American Seth Lansberry in major decisions with seven.
Barger will go into his final season with a 101-22 career record.
Lansberry (38-5), a former Line Mountain High School standout, placed fourth at 149.
Lycoming’s first All-American duo since 2005 combined for 28 points, good for 13th place among 58 teams that was the best finish for the Warriors since 2000.