INDIANAPOLIS – The 20th-ranked Kutztown University wrestling team opened its time at the NCAA Division II National Championships in fourth place after the first day of competition inside the Corteva Coliseum on Friday, with a program-record four grapplers earning All-American status in the championship and consolation brackets in the evening session.

The Golden Bears (11-1, 5-1 PSAC) traveled six wrestlers to the national championships after earning their spots at the NCAA Super Region I Championships in their last outing. Four of the six grapplers made it to the final group of eight wrestlers, with two of the four vying for individual national championships tomorrow.

Second-ranked 184-pound grappler Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) returns to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, joining the top four wrestlers in his weight class, led by West Liberty's Ty McGeary. The Philadelphia native claimed his third consecutive All-American honor of his career, becoming the second Kutztown wrestler to earn three straight recognitions, joining current assistant coach Ziad Haddad, who accomplished the feat from 2013-15.

The other remaining grappler in the championship bracket is 285-pound Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown), who was dealt a tough hand to start his first NCAA Championships appearance after being matched up with top-ranked Crew Howard of Nebraska-Kearney in the first round. The matchup saw the 9-1 Retter pull the upset of the previously undefeated (24-0) Howard to send the favored member of the nation's top ranked team to the consolation bracket. Retter, a Quakertown, Pa., native claimed his All-American honor in the following bout, a 5-2 decision, and finds himself matched up with another top-10 opponent in Pitt-Johnstown's Isaiah Vance in tomorrow's semifinals.

165-pound Bailey Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) and 10th-ranked 174-pound Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) both claimed All-American honors in the consolation bracket, earning their spots among the final eight wrestlers with three-point decisions over their opponents. The twins will continue wrestling towards a possible third-place finish, with fifth- and seventh-place bouts open to earn them spots on the podium by the conclusion of the competition.

Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) wrapped up his season with a pair of preliminary round losses, closing out his six-year collegiate wrestling career on the big stage in the Maroon and Gold. He finishes with an 85-43 record with stops at Long Island, Buffalo, Gannon, and his lone season at Kutztown. He was ranked in three of the five rankings released by the NWCA this season, reaching as high as ninth in the polls.

Redshirt sophomore Wayne McIntyre (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg North) concluded his season with a 10-4 loss in the blood round, barely missing out on All-American honors in his second trip to nationals. The East Stroudsburg, Pa., native finishes his third season at Kutztown with a 22-6 record, including a team-high 12 pins and five technical falls.

As a team, Kutztown is tied for fourth with 32.5 points at the end of the opening day. No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney leads the field with 64 total points, followed by No. 8 Lander (37.5), No. 2 St. Cloud State (35.5) and Kutztown and No. 7 Glenville State (32.5) rounding out the top five.

The Golden Bears will return to the Corteva Coliseum tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 15, for the final day of competition at the NCAA Division II National Championships, where Weinberg and Retter will attempt to claim Kutztown's sixth and seventh individual national championships, while the Gimbor brothers will vie for their place in the consolation rounds.

NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FRIDAY, MAR. 14 – SATURDAY, MAR. 15 | INDIANAPOLIS, IND. | CORTEVA COLISEUM

KUTZTOWN RESULTS
TEAM: T-4th/50 (32.5 pts.)

149 LBS.
Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell)
Prelim R1 – Loss by fall to Dylan Brown (Central Oklahoma), [T – 6:10]
Prelim R2 – Loss by dec. to #9 John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey), 5-4

165 LBS.
Bailey Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg)
R1 – Win by dec. over #5 Hunter Jump (Central Oklahoma), 8-3
QF - Loss by dec. over #4 Nick Novak (St. Cloud State), 6-1
CR2 – Win by dec. over Leo Mushinsky (UMary), 4-0
CR3 – vs. Jace Fisher (Newman)
ALL-AMERICAN (2nd career All-American honor)

174 LBS.
#10 Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg)
R1 – Loss by dec. to #6 Jacobi Deal (Nebraska – Kearney), 4-2
Prelim R2 – Win by tech. fall over Jeremiah Halter (Drury), 17-2 [T – 6:09]
CR1 – Win by tech. fall over Nathan Buckovich (Lander), 17-2 [T – 5:41]
CR2 – Win by dec. over #4 Sevi Garza (Ashland), 7-4
CR3 – vs. Drake Hayward (Minnesota State)
ALL-AMERICAN (1st career All-American honor)
 
184 LBS
#2 Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan)
R1 – Win by major dec. over Zeke Waltz (McKendree), 12-3
QF – Win by major dec. over #7 Brayden Mirjavadi (Grand Valley State), 9-0
SF – vs. #3 Keegan Gehlhausen (Chadron State)
ALL-AMERICAN (3rd career All-American honor)
 
197 LBS
Wayne McIntyre (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg North)
R1 – Loss by fall to #3 Derek Blubaugh (UIndy), [T – 1:46]
CR1 – Win by medical forfeit over Kaine Morris (Ashland)
CR2 – Loss by dec. to #4 Max Ramberg (Augustana (SD)), 10-4
 
285 LBS
Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown)
R1 – Won by dec. over #1 Crew Howard (Nebraska – Kearney), 8-2
QF – Won by dec. over Tyler Doyle (Colorado Mesa), 5-2
SF – vs. #5 Isaiah Vance (Pitt-Johnstown)
ALL-AMERICAN (1st career All-American honor)