Pair of former Centre County wrestlers get taste of NCAA championships in Philly
It’s becoming somewhat of a trend for former Centre County athletes to compete in the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
A year ago, Bellefonte graduate Jude Swisher and Penns Valley graduate Malachi DuVall were part of a three-man contingent in Kansas City.
Swisher, who competes for Penn, and DuVall, who is at George Mason, made their second straight trip to the tournament this year, and it was somewhat close to home. However, they each mentioned how difficult their first trip was last year.
“I was down a weight class, probably at a weight class I didn’t belong. My body was going through a lot of very difficult changes trying to sustain that cut,” Swisher said on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. “To go compete in Kansas City was really important for me because it showed me just a little glimpse of the work required to get to where I want to be. Here I am in Philadelphia, I’ve seen what it takes to get on the podium. I’m a point away, so I really just feel like this is going to be a similar build into next season.”
DuVall added with a laugh on Friday night: “Last year I came here, I was a little complacent. I went 1-2, but I won a pigtail (consolation) match, so a glorified 0-2. I got teched twice. I got whooped up last year.”
This year both wrestlers came away with victories.
Swisher made it the furthest of the two, as he came up one win shy of earning All-America honors.
He opened his tournament on Thursday by pinning South Dakota State’s Cobe Siebrecht in 1:56. In the second round, Swisher was pinned by the eventual champion in Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor in 2:16.
Once in the consolation bracket, the former Red Raider dominated Harvard’s James Harrington to the tune of a 19-4 technical fall in 5:09 on Friday morning. Swisher made the blood round — the round known for being the win that gets a wrestler to the podium — by topping the No. 6 seed in Northern Iowa’s Ryder Downey, 4-2.
Swisher faced Penn State’s Tyler Kasak Friday night for a spot on the podium, but suffered a 5-4 loss to see his tournament come to a close.
“I think this tournament was the best I’ve ever competed in my entire life. After a season where I competed the best I ever have my entire life,” Swisher said. “I think reflecting on this body of work, allowing this to be the source of my confidence, is ultimately what it’s going take to get on that podium next year. You see it, really good guys don’t make it, really good guys don’t place. It’s all about how you execute on game day, so that’s what I’ll be looking forward to.”
DuVall was off to a great start in his opener against Nebraska’s Silas Allred on Thursday as he raced out to a nine-point lead after the first period. However, he admitted he made some in-match adjustments that didn’t work out to his favor as he was pinned by Allred in 6:38.
In his consolation bracket opener, DuVall dominated West Virginia’s Dennis Robin in a 13-0 major decision on Friday morning. The next round he got to square off with Iowa’s Gabe Arnold.
The former Ram again scored first, but got caught for a seven-point throw in the second period, which ultimately ended his tournament in an 8-4 defeat.
“The schedule I wrestled last year, I didn’t see a lot of these level of guys. The first year I was here I just thought the pressure they bring all match is something I didn’t feel all year,” said DuVall on what he learned from last year to this year. “I’m used to getting out because people aren’t trying super hard on top. These guys are like a dog on a bone for every single point. Going into summer last year, I really took it upon myself, ‘you need to get that mentality.’ I saw a lot of that out of myself in this tournament. It’s not what I wanted yet, but it’s just that pressure, you have to bring that pressure for seven minutes.”
