CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – A trio of juniors led the Ursinus men's wrestling team as they made their NCAA Championship debuts for the Bears on Friday at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.
Mohamed Abdelatty led the Bears' lineup by reaching the second day of competition and securing All-American status with a 2-1 record. Classmates
Andrew Schaen (141) and
Braden Kmak (157) also made their respective debuts at the national tournament.
Seeded eighth at 285 pounds, Abdelatty dropped his opening bout by a 9-3 score against Loras College's Jonah Clark. However, he responded in the consolation bracket by earning a pair of victories to secure All-American honors and reach the second day of competition. Abdelatty first tallied a first-period fall over Ithaca's Kamdyn Dorchester before defeating Augsburg's Tyler Raway by a 5-4 decision in the blood round.
Against Ithaca's Kamdyn Dorchester, Abdelatty secured the match's opening takedown with a low single leg before adjusting his positioning to secure a bundle and the fall at the 1:44 mark. He will meet Baldwin Wallace's Andrew Vanscoy in his opening bout Saturday morning for a chance to clinch a spot in the consolation semifinals.
In the 157-pound weight class, Kmak finished with a 1-2 record to conclude his junior season with a 39-9 overall mark. He opened with a first-period fall over Case Western Reserve's Thomas Wagner at the 1:30 mark. During the bout, Kmak dodged an initial shot by Wagner before reshooting on a single leg. After earning the takedown, Kmak locked up a near-side cradle and adjusted his position for his 23rd pin of the season, which ranks second on the team.
Kmak advanced in the championship bracket but fell by fall to second-seeded Trent Mahoney of Albright College. In his final match, Kmak dropped a 14-1 major decision to Wisconsin-La Crosse's Joe Penchi. He concludes a breakout junior season that included a runner-up finish at both the Centennial Conference Championships and the Region III Championships.
At 141 pounds, Schaen dropped a pair of close matches to finish his campaign with a 36-9 overall record. In the preliminary round, Schaen fell 15-12 in sudden victory to Wisconsin-La Crosse's Marcus McIntyre before dropping a 5-1 decision to Wisconsin-Whitewater's Justin Fortugno.
Against McIntyre in his opening match, Schaen tallied three takedowns and held an 11-9 lead entering the final period, but a takedown in the third period and overtime proved to be the difference. He closes out a stellar junior season, ranking second on the team in victories while earning a runner-up finish at the Centennial Conference Championships and placing third at the Region III Championships.
Abdelatty will return to action tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. (CST) as the Championship Semifinals and Consolation Quarterfinals begin.
