fisler for 2022 nationals
Sara Sponseller-Uhl

Men's Wrestling Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Three Wrestlers Earn All-American Honors in First Day at NCAA Division II National Championships

Fisler, Leise, and Nixon Medal as Gannon Sits in Seventh Place

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – It was a day filled with jubilation and disappointment for the Gannon men's wrestling team at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Competing on the mats at the Chaifetz Center. However, when Friday's two sessions were complete the Golden Knights had positioned themselves for one of their best finishes ever.

Long-time head coach Don Henry took eight wrestlers to St. Louis, and for the second year in a row three earned All-American status. The other five were all competing in the All-American round and had an opportunity to make an incredible day.

As it is, Gannon is in seventh place heading into Saturday's third session which will include the semifinals, consolation third round and consolation semifinals, and the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place matches. The wrestling gets underway at 10 a.m.  Gannon's highest finish ever at the National Championships was seventh in 2001. They finished eighth in 2010 and a year they placed ninth.

Nebraska-Kearney is in first play after the first day of competition with 67.5 points. Central Oklahoma is second with 52 points, and St. Cloud St. third with 42.5 points. West Liberty (42.5) and Indianapolis (30) round out the top five. Adams State is sixth with 28 points, while Gannon has 22.5. a total of 30 teams are competing.

Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) (165 lbs.), Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (197 lbs.) and Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) (hwt.) earned All-American honors on Friday. All three earned All-American honors for the first time.

Fisler may be the most unlikely. Just over a month ago he wasn't even in the starting lineup as not only did Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) hold down the starting job at 165 lbs., but he was the top-ranked wrestler in the country. When Farenchak went down with a season-ending injury, Fisler stepped in. The redshirt junior won two of three matches on Friday, including an upset of fourth-seeded Jack Eiteljorge of Indianapolis, winning a 6-5 decision. After a 3-1 loss to Drew Wiechers of Ashland in the quarterfinals, Fisler became a first-time All-American with a 6-5 decision over Mary's Leo Mushinsky. He will take a 13-5 record into his Saturday morning consolation third round match with Lake Erie's James Penfold, the seventh seed. The winner moves on to the consolation semifinals, while the loser will wrestle for seventh place.

Leise (16-2) opposes eighth-seeded Gino Sita of Alderson Broaddus on Saturday morning. Seeded seventh, Leise was upset by Cole Huss of Northern State, 3-1 in sudden victory, in his first match of the day. He came back to register his 11th fall of the season, at 4:47 over Tereus Henry of Fort Hays St., and then dominated his consolation second round bout with a 5-1 decision over Walker Uhl of Ashland.

For Nixon, Friday was déjà vu as the senior heavyweight kept things clos and found a way to win late. He battled second-seed Darrell Mason of Minnesota State in his opening match before losing 5-2. Faced with elimination, he won a 2-1 decision over Zach Shaffer of UNC Pembroke. Nixon trailed Steven Hajas of Augustana(SD) in the waning seconds with All-American status in the balance. He would register the winning takedown in the final seconds for a 3-2 decision. Now 25-5, he meets Weston Hunt of Colorado Mines on Saturday morning.

For Henry, he can only what might have been with a little luck here and there. Of the five Golden Knights who did not medal, two of their losses came in sudden victory, three were by a point, and four were by two points.

Jacob Dunlop (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) and Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) were trying to repeat as All-Americans. Dunlop fell a victory short, dropping a 7-5 decision to second-seed Paxton Rosen of Central Oklahoma in his 125 lb. match. Young, competing at 157 lbs., fell 6-5 to seventh-seed Dawson Combest of Indianapolis.

Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) had the toughest road of any Gannon wrestler on Friday. He opened against third-seeded Noah Hermosillo of Adams St., losing 10-3. Next came an upset of sixth-seed Craig Cook of Davis & Elkins by a 9-4 decision. He was eliminated by a 5-1 decision to UPJ's Jacob Ealy, the fourth seed.

Freshman Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley), seeded seventh at 174 lbs., reached the quarterfinals with a 3-2 decision in a tiebreaker over Josh Jones of McKendree. He would lose a 3-1 decision in sudden victory and then a 2-0 decision to be eliminated. The latter setback came to Mercyhurst's Dillon Walker. Two weeks earlier Petrella defeated Walker in sudden victory to win the Super Region 1 title.

Like Fisler, Cameron Page (Frewsburg, N.Y./Falconer Central) was an unlikely candidate for Nationals after he missed much of the season with injuries and illness. The redshirt junior lost his first match to the top-ranked wrestler at 184 lbs. He stayed alive with an upset of eighth-ranked JaQuez Bostic of Limestone, 14-11, before suffering a 4-3 loss to Reece Worachek of UW-Parkside.
 
GANNON WRESTLERS AT THE 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
125 lbs. – No. 8 Jacob Dunlop (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) (23-5, Sr.)
First Round – lost dec. to Kevin Radcliff, Limestone – 3-1 SV
Prelim. Consolation Round – won dec. over Matt Siszka, Pitt-Johnstown – 3-2
Consolation First Round – won by fall over Isaac Jacquez, Lindenwood – 3:00
Consolation Second Round – lost dec. to #2 Paxton Rosen, Central Oklahoma – 7-5
 
149 lbs. -- Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) (15-4, R-Jr.)
First Round – lost dec. to #3 Noah Hermosillo, Adams St. – 10-3
Consolation First Round – won dec. over #6 Craig Cook, Davis & Elkins -- 9-4
Consolation Second Round – lost dec. to #4 Jacob Ealy, Pitt-Johnstown – 5-1
 
157 lbs. -- Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (20-12, Jr.) 
Preliminary Round – lost dec. to Tyler Wagener, Augustana(SD), 6-5
Preliminary Consolation Round – won dec. over Dallas Boone, King – 7-3
Consolation First Round – won by fall over Tyler Swiderski, Lake Erie – 5:32
Consolation Second Round – lost dec. to #7 Dawson Combest, Indianapolis – 6-5
 
165 lbs. -- Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) (13-5, R-Jr.) – ALL-AMERICAN
First Round – won dec. over #4 Jack Eiteljorge, Indianapolis – 6-5
Quarterfinals – lost dec. to Drew Wiechers, Ashland – 3-1
Consolation Second Round –won dec. over Leo Mushinsky, Mary – 6-5
 
174 lbs. -- #7 Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) (25-6, Fr.)
First Round – won dec. over Josh Jones, McKendree – 3-2 TB
Quarterfinals – lost dec. to Alex Kauffman, Central Oklahoma – 3-1 SV
Consolation Second Round – lost dec. to Dillon Walker, Mercyhurst – 2-0
 
184 lbs. -- Cameron Page (Frewsburg, N.Y./Falconer Central) (7-7, R-Jr.)
First Round – lost by fall to #1 Connor Craig, West Liberty – 5:35
Consolation First Round – won dec. over #8 JaQuez Bostic, Limestone – 14-11
Consolation Second Round – lost dec. to Reece Worachek, UW-Parkside – 4-3
 
197 lbs. – #7 Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (16-2, R-Jr.) – ALL-AMERICAN
First Round -- lost dec. to Cole Huss, Northern State -- 3-1 SV
Consolation First Round – won by fall over Tereus Henry, Fort Hays St. – 4:47
Consolation Second Round – won dec. over Walker Uhl, Ashland – 5-1
 
Hwt. – Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) (23-4, Sr.) – ALL-AMERICAN
First Round – lost dec. to #2 Darrell Mason, Minnesota State – 5-2
Consolation First Round – won dec. over Zach Shaffer, UNC Pembroke – 2-1
Consolation Second Round – won dec. over Steven Hajas, Augustana(SD) – 3-2
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Players Mentioned

Jacob Dunlop

Jacob Dunlop

Senior
125
Alex Farenchak

Alex Farenchak

Redshirt Sophomore
165
Evan Fisler

Evan Fisler

Redshirt Junior
157
Joel Leise

Joel Leise

Redshirt Junior
184
Dom Means

Dom Means

Redshirt Junior
149
Freddie Nixon

Freddie Nixon

Senior
197
Cameron Page

Cameron Page

Redshirt Junior
184
Nick Young

Nick Young

Junior
141
Joey Petrella

Joey Petrella

Freshman
174

Players Mentioned

Jacob Dunlop

Jacob Dunlop

Senior
125
Alex Farenchak

Alex Farenchak

Redshirt Sophomore
165
Evan Fisler

Evan Fisler

Redshirt Junior
157
Joel Leise

Joel Leise

Redshirt Junior
184
Dom Means

Dom Means

Redshirt Junior
149
Freddie Nixon

Freddie Nixon

Senior
197
Cameron Page

Cameron Page

Redshirt Junior
184
Nick Young

Nick Young

Junior
141
Joey Petrella

Joey Petrella

Freshman
174