Swope became Gannon’s 20th wrestling All-American as the Gannon wrestling team finished 27th at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Pueblo, Colorado. It marked the 14th consecutive year the Golden Knights have recorded a top-27 finish. Swope was one victory shy of becoming an All-American during the 2011 national championships, but earned his first all-america honor this year with a sixth-place national finish. The 2012 NCAA Division I Super Regional One 149-pound champion, Swope suffered a 3-0 loss during the opening match, before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over sixth-ranked Ryan Maus of Truman State in the first round of the consolation bracket. It was in dramatic fashion that Swope earned all-america status for the first time in his career during the third match. The senior recorded a takedown in triple overtime to secure an 8-6 win against Nate Herda of Augustana, who entered the tournament ranked first at 149 pounds. In the final seconds of the third period, Herda recorded a takedown to tie the score at three and force overtime. After a flurry of action during the first overtime period, the tie remained scored and forced a top-bottom overtime. Each grappler recorded an escape which sent the match to the third overtime period. Swope's shot on the right leg of Herda quickly turned into two points and a spot on the podium. The redshirt senior won his opening bout during Saturday's session by a 3-2 decision. Swope's escape with three seconds remaining gave him the one-point edge. Swope's following loss to Bobby Ward of Grand Canyon by a 6-2 score moved him into the fifth/sixth-place match. In that bout, Swope trailed early after a first-period takedown from Ky Corley of Central Oklahoma. Swope mounted a comeback, cutting the lead to 4-3, but Corley's takedown in the third period resulted in back points for the sophomore, giving him the 8-3 win. Swope finished the season with a 21-8 overall record.
