CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Gannon wrestler
Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) kept his national title hopes alive at the NCAA Division II Championships on Friday with one of the most memorable victories in program history.
Means, the No. 8 seed, beat 2022 national champion Noah Hermosillo of Adams State 7-6 in the 157-pound quarterfinals in a stunning upset at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse. Hermosillo was unbeaten in 2022-23 and was top seeded in the weight division after winning the 149-pound national title in 2022.
After Means held off Hermosillo in the final seconds of the match, he had his hand raised by the official, and soon leapt into the arms of Gannon coach
Don Henry, who is in his 39th season as head coach. Â This was one of Gannon's signature wins during Henry's tenure.
Means also secured All-America status with the win. He will be joined as an All-American by 149-pound
Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) and 165-pound
Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside), both of whom lost in the quarterfinals before bouncing back to win impressively in the second round of consolations.
Â
Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) (125 pounds),
Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (141), and
Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (174) had at least one win before being  eliminated.
Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (197) bowed out of the tournament after two losses.
Gannon collected 24 team points and was in ninth place among 50 teams after the opening day of competition. Means, Young, and Farenchak could help them maintain or improve that position on Saturday on the second and final day of the tournament.
MEANS MACHINE
Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) had quite a history against Hermosillo before Friday's action. So, when Means beat Carter Noehre of the Colorado School of Mines 5-2 in the first round, that set up a showdown between two wrestlers quite familiar with each other.
During the 2021-22 regular season, Means beat Hermosillo 7-5 in the Midwest Classic. However, the Adams State wrestler got some vengeance in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Championships when he beat Means 11-3 in the 149-pound division. Hermosillo went on to win the national title.
Earlier this season, Means wrestled Hermosillo tough but lost an 8-2 decision in the Midwest Classic.
Hermosillo entered Friday's quarterfinal match with a 21-0 record but Means did not back down. The match was tied 4-4 before an escape by Means and a takedown made it 7-4. Hermosillo surged at the end of the match, but Means held on for the historic win.
Means also was an All-American in 2020 when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the tournament, and the NCAA declared All-Americans.
Means will face No. 5-seeded Logan Bailey of Indianapolis. Bailey will enter the match with a 32-4 record. Bailey beat Means 6-0 in the NWCA Duals earlier this season, so he will be favored over the Gannon wrestler. Of course, it won't be the first time in this tournament that Means (27-7) has been an underdog.
Â
YOUNG'S REBOUND AT 149
Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed at 149 pounds, and he was impressive in the first round. He rolled to a 16-0 technical fall over Newberry's Devan Moore.
However, Young suffered an 8-4 upset in the quarterfinals to No. 6-seeded Jalen Spuhler of Wisconsin Parkside. Young had defeated Spuhler 5-2 earlier this season in the Midwest Classic.
Needing to regroup to win and achieve All-America status, Young did just that. In the second round of consolations, he dominated Qunicy's Phillip Sims 10-0 to secure All-America status.
Depending on his results Saturday, Young (28-6) will finish anywhere from third to eighth place.
He will face the No. 7 seed, Northern State's Wyatt Turnquist (22-4), in his first match on Saturday.
Young was also an All-American in in 2020-21, when he placed sixth at 157 pounds.
Â
Â
FARENCHAK CHALKS UP KEY WIN
Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) was Gannon's highest seeded wrestler entering the tournament with a No. 2 seed at 165 pounds. The former national runner-up was wrestling in the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2021 after he suffered a season-ending injury in 2021-22.
Farenchak was 11-0 coming into the tourney, and he moved to 12-0 with a tense 6-5 win over Will Kuster of Drury in the first round.
Farenchak then came up short in the quarterfinals, losing a 5-2 decision to Ty Lucas of Central Oklahoma.
Like Young, though, Farenchak was able to recover from the loss to win in consolations. He claimed an 8-3 win over Kutztown's Dalton Gimbor to guarantee his All-America status. He will finish anywhere from third place to eighth on the final day of his college career.
Farenchak (13-1) will meet St. Cloud State's Anthony Herrera (17-7) in his first match Saturday.
OTHER GOLDEN KNIGHT EFFORTS
In his first appearance at Nationals, Gannon's
Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) picked up a pair of wins – a major decision in the prelims and a decision in the first round of consolations. However, he lost in the second round of consolations to the finish with a 12-10 record.
Like Diaz, Ryan won in the prelims, lost in the first round, and then won his first-round consolation match. He narrowly lost, 7-6, in the second round of consolations to just miss All-America status. Ryan finished the year with a 14-8 record.
Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (11-10) won an exciting overtime decision in the prelims before losing in the first round and then suffering an injury-default loss in the consolations.
Leise, the No 7 seed at 197 pounds, was trying to repeat as an All-American after placing seventh in 2022. However, he suffered back-to-back close losses to finish the season at 11-4.
Â
---
Gannon results from Friday:
125 lbs. – Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) (12-10) went 2-2 and did not place
First Round – lost by dec. to #5 seed Jaxson Rohman (Augustana, SD), 8-3
Consolation Prelim – won by. maj. dec. over Graham Shore (Findlay), 15-4
Consolation First Round – won by dec. over Caden Howard (Drury), 9-3
Consolation Second Round – lost by fall to Brandon Mendoza (Tiffin), 6:20
Â
Â
141 lbs. – Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (14-8) went 2-2 and did not place
Preliminary Round – won by dec. over Ethan Hardy (Glenville State), 7-2
First Round – lost by dec. to #8 seed Tate Murty (Upper Iowa), 5-4
Consolation First Round – won by dec. over Ray Rioux (Indianapolis), 4-2
Consolation Second Round – lost by dec. to Jake Niffenegger (Mercyhurst), 7-6
Â
149 lbs. – No. 3 seed Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (28-6) went 2-1 and secured All-America status
First Round – won by tech. fall over Devan Moore (Newberry), 16-0 (3:51)
Quarterfinals – lost to #6 seed Jalen Spuhler (Wisc.-Parkside), 8-4
Consolation Second Round – won by maj. dec. over Phillip Sims (Quincy), 10-0
Â
157 lbs. – No. 8 seed Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) (27-7, R-Sr.) went 2-0, advanced to semifinals, and secured All-America status
First Round – won by dec. over Carter Noehre (Colorado School of Mines), 5-2
Quarterfinals – won by dec. over #1 seed Noah Hermosillo (Adams State), 7-6
Â
165 lbs. – No. 2 seed Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) (13-1) went 2-1 and secured All-America status
First Round – won by dec. over Will Kuster (Drury), 6-5
Quarterfinals – lost to #7 seed Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma), 5-2
Consolation Second Round – won by dec. over Dalton Gimbor (Kutztown), 8-3
Â
174 lbs. – Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (12-10, R-Fr.) went 1-2 and did not place
Preliminary Round – won dec. over Hunter Haven (Limestone), 10-4 sv
First Round – lost by maj. dec. to #8 seed Kolby Kost (Augustana), 12-1
Consolation First Round – lost by inj. def. to Nate Barrett (Ashland) 2:55.
Â
197 lbs. – No. 7 seed Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (11-4) went 0-2 and did not place
First Round – lost by dec. to Kash Anderson (Colorado Mesa), 5-1
Consolation First Round – lost by dec. to Matt Kaylor (Mary), 6-5
Â
