ST. LOUIS – Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) capped one of the greatest Kutztown University wrestling careers of all-time with a national runner-up finish in the heavyweight weight class at the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships inside Chaifetz Arena Saturday night.
 
Dunn Jr. overcame the cancellation of the 2020 championships and Kutztown's 2020-21 season due to the pandemic, staying in top form on and off the mat to earn a shot at defending his 2019 national title.
 
Facing hulking Darrell Mason out of Minnesota State for the first time in his career, Dunn Jr. was aggressive throughout the only title match of the night featuring two unbeaten grapplers. Dunn Jr., ranked and seeded No. 1, sported a 23-0 record coming in, while Mason, ranked and seeded No. 2, was 21-0.
 
Near the midway point of the first period, Mason scored a takedown that was just in bounds to go in front 2-0. Dunn escaped off the ensuing restart and tied the match at two early in the second with another escape.
 
The score remained tied into the early stages of the third when Mason, who had choice of starting position between periods two and three, picked up an escape point to reclaim the lead 3-2.
 
Needing points to repeat as national champion with time running short, Dunn Jr. continued to look for ways to catch Mason, but it wasn't to be. Mason registered another takedown with 1:02 to go and held Dunn Jr. at bay for the final 57 seconds following his escape to take the title by a 5-3 score.
 
Dunn Jr. reached the championship bout with a thrilling 3-1 overtime victory against defending national champion, fourth-ranked and seeded Kameron Teacher of St. Cloud State during the morning session.
 
It was the second meeting between two rivals with plenty of respect between them. Dunn Jr. beat Teacher in the 2019 national semifinals, 7-6, when Teacher was ranked No. 1 in the country and wrestled for Notre Dame College.
 
Saturday morning's rematch lived up to its billing. After a scoreless first period, Teacher quickly escaped from the bottom to start the second. Dunn Jr. would do the same to begin the third as regulation ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
 
Just 52 seconds into overtime, Dunn Jr. slipped out of Teacher's grasp while they fought for positioning on the mat and got onto his back for the deciding takedown. Dunn Jr. and Teacher shared a long embrace following the match, a testament to the respect and sportsmanship between the previous two national champs.
 
Dunn Jr. won 61 consecutive matches across parts of three seasons prior to the championship bout and compiled a 69-3 overall record (.958), 22 pins, 15 major decisions and three technical falls. The Bethlehem native totaled 91 collegiate wins including his redshirt freshman season at Virginia Tech in 2017-18.
 
He holds three of the of the program's top eight season winning percentages (1.000 in 2019-20; .958 in 2021-22; and .929 in 2018-19) and ranks tied for ninth at KU in career victories.
 
Dunn Jr. is in elite company among Kutztown wrestling greats as one of three three-time All-Americans (2019, 2020, 2022) along with Kohlby O'Donnell (1998, 2001, 2002) and Ziad Haddad (2013, 2014, 2015).
 
Kutztown ended the weekend tied for 18th in the team standings with 18.5 points for its 12th top 20 finish at the NCAA DII National Championships all-time –all of which have come under current head coach Robert Fisher, who completed his 21st season at the helm of the program.
 
Nebraska-Kearney, which was represented in nine of the 10 weight classes, ran away with the team title. Their 127 points were 41 better than runner-up Central Oklahoma (86). West Liberty (75.5), St. Cloud State (67) and Adams State (65) completed the top five.