Ferrum College is making final preparations to host the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships, to be held Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, at The Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
This year marks the first time that the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships have been contested in the Commonwealth of Virginia. One previous NCAA Wrestling Tournament has been held in Virginia, back in 1936 when Washington and Lee University hosted the event as an all-divisions tournament. This is the first time Ferrum College has hosted a national championship in any sport.
Ferrum Coach Nate Yetzer saw three of his wrestlers qualify for this year’s NCAA Tournament with top-three finishes at the Southeast Regional in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Freshman Levi Englman won the 133-pound weight class, junior Mario Vasquez placed second at 141 pounds and senior Blake Rosenbaum was the 174-pound champion. All three will be making their first NCAA appearances.
“Our entire group of guys wrestled so well at the NCAA Southeast Regionals last weekend at Lycomong College, and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Head Coach Nate Yetzer. “Levi, Mario and Blake all punched tickets to the NCAA Tournament with semifinal wins, and we had freshman 125-pounder Jalen White come close with a fourth-place finish. We’re looking forward to hosting the championships this close to campus and plan to make it a quality experience for the entire field of competitors. Fans will be treated to a show, NCAA Division III wrestling is so competitive today and we’ll see some exciting action.”
The NCAA Tournament begins Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. with Session I. Session II begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday, and will be preceded by the opening ceremonies at 4:45 p.m. Session III is set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Saturday evening, the Parade of All-Americans begins at 6:15 p.m. and will be followed immediately at 7:00 p.m. by the championship finals. Complete Schedule
Visit Ferrum’s championship host site above for information of tickets, schedule and media credentials. Ticket prices are as follows:
A total of 180 wrestlers from six regionals across the country qualified for the NCAA Tournament. In order to qualify, wrestlers must place in the top three at one of six regionals. NCAA Tournament Qualifiers Announcement
