Tiger Wrestling Fares Well at NCAA Super Region 2 Championships, Advances Four to NCAA Tournament

Courtesy Ouachita Baptist University Athletics Department

For the second year in a row, the Ouachita Tiger wrestling program, under the direction of Head Coach Kevin Ward, will be sending athletes to the NCAA Tournament following their performances at the NCAA Super Region 2 Championships.

The Tigers will send Garret Evans (125 lb.), Josh Myers (141 lb.), Dexter Carter (165 lb.) and Dallas Smith (184 lb.) to Birmingham, Alabama to compete in the NCAA Tournament on March 6-8.

Evans posted a third place finish in the 125 lb division with an overall record of 4-1 at the regional event, good enough to seal his second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Evans recorded two wins by fall and two by major decision en route to his third place finish.

Anthony Melillo competed in the 133 lb class for the Tigers, but got a tough draw in the first round with No. 1 ranked Casy Rowell of Central Oklahoma, who defeated him by technical fall. Melillo would then win his first match in the consolation bracket before falling to the No. 4 ranked Ross Benzel from Limestone University. Melillo finished with a sixth place finish, after dropping his last match by a score of 11-0, thus ruining his hopes of a trip to Birmingham.

Myers hit the mat in the 141 lb weight class, posting a second place finish with a 2-1 record at the event. He entered the event as No. 1 in the region, giving him a first round bye. He started off his run with a 7-0 decision win, which he followed with a 12-7 decision win. In the final match, Myers fell by a score of 3-1 to the No. 2 ranked athlete in the region, Maurice Miller of Notre Dame College.

Marc Smith was the Tigers’ participant in the 149 lb division, posting a 2-3 record. He won his first match by fall, before winning his second match in a 10-5 decision win. Smith struggled the rest of the way though, falling 10-0 in his next match before losing 5-2 to the No. 5 ranked Daniel Genetin of Ashland and 7-0 to Paul Viterisi of Central Missouri.

Ouachita’s Bobby Williams entered the 157 lb weight class as the No. 2 ranked participant, but a tough division proved to be his undoing as he ended up with a sixth place finish. Williams finished 1-3 at the event, with his win coming in his first match via a 6-5 decision. He fell by decision (9-3) in his next match, before dropping a 1-0 decision in the consolation bracket. His last match of the event found him in a battle for fifth place. Unfortunately, Williams was pinned at the 6:20 mark of the match, leaving him in sixth place.

Dexter Carter overcame all odds in his path to the NCAA Championships, as he dropped his first match in the 165 lb division, throwing him to the consolation bracket off the bat. He reeled off three straight wins though before falling in the third place match, giving him a fourth place finish. He finished with a record of 3-2, with all three of his wins coming in tight decisions.

David Butler was the Tigers’ 174 lb participant finishing 1-2 at the event. His win was a 7-1 decision, but it wasn’t enough to fuel him to Birmingham.

Dallas Smith competed in the 184 lb class, claiming his second regional championship in as many years. Smith ran through the bracket with ease, recording two major decisions, a technical fall victory and a 7-2 win in the championship match. He entered the bracket ranked No. 2 and defeated No. 1 ranked Adam Walters from Findlay in the finals.

Seth Calvert struggled in the 197 lb division, finishing 0-2 at the event with a pair of tough losses. He lost his first match by a 7-6 decision and his second by in a 3-2 decision, eliminating him from contention.

Taylor Poe rounded out the list of Tiger participants, taking the mat in the heavyweight division. Poe struggled to get anything going and finished 0-2 at the event. He lost both matches by fall, thus eliminating him and squandering his hopes of a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers sent four participants to the NCAA Tournament in 2011 as well, finishing 15th at the event and garnering three All-Americans. Myers, Evans and Smith were three of the four in last year’s championships, with Evans and Smith notching two of the team’s three All-American selections.

Ouachita’s Smith, Evans, Carter and Myers will travel to Birmingham and begin action from the NCAA Tournament on March 6. Competition will continue through March 8.

Complete results from the Super Region 2 event can be found here

-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director