3/25/2021
L-R: Leya Deickman, Morgan Flinkstrom, Katrina Anderson, Destiny Benjamin, Katerina Pendergrass, & Gabriella Mendoza on February 21, 2021 in Franklin Springs, GA, when they qualified for the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Championships.
Ferrum College entered four members of the women’s wrestling team and ten members of the men’s wrestling team into national competition this spring.
“Wrestling is such an important part of each of their lives. To see our women and men persevere through the ups and downs of weekly Covid testing, as well as having matches and events canceled, or added, at the last minute, is a testament to their positivity, focus and perspective of being a wrestler in a pandemic,” said Ferrum’s Director of Athletics John Sutyak.
Freshman Katerina Pendergrass, sophomore Destiny Benjamin, senior Morganne Flinkstrom, and psychology program graduate student Leya Deickman headed to the 2021 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships hosted by Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio on March 6. While there, Pendergrass earned All-America with her eighth-place finish in the 109 pound weight class.
“During a difficult year and season like this, I am proud of our team to be able to battle through adversity,” said Head Women’s Wrestling Coach Breonnah Neal. “Through the challenges, we were able to walk away with an All-American. Kat didn’t have an easy season and she had to battle in every match, but she kept with it. I’m proud she did and is an All-American as a freshman. I’m thankful for our opportunity to compete.”
All four women’s wrestlers placed in the top four of their respective weight classes at the Southeast Regional, held Sunday, February 21, at Emmanuel College, which qualified them for Nationals.
Ferrum College men’s wrestler sophomore Isaac Hudson (165 lbs).
Following suit, ten members of the men’s wrestling team, one in each weight class, headed to the 2021 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Championships held on March 12 in Coralville, Iowa. They were: freshmen Tyler Ramirez, Cris Reynoso, and Rayshawn Dixon; sophomores JD McMillin, Isaac Hudson, and Elijah Martin; juniors Levi Englman, Christian Hite, and Braden Homsey; and psychology program graduate student Mario Vasquez.
“We are grateful the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association provided the student-athletes with an exciting season-ending opportunity,” said Head Men’s Wrestling Coach Ryan Riggs. “It was such a valuable experience for the team. Up and down the lineup, I’m really proud of everyone’s effort, attitude, and heart. We will continue to grow and develop from the experience and we are excited about the future.”
“I am extremely proud of our wrestling student-athletes, and respective coaching staffs, as they navigated through an extremely difficult season this winter,” said Sutyak.
Read more about the women’s trip to NCWWC here and the men’s trip to NWCA Championships here.
In 2019, Ferrum hosted the NCAA Men’s Wrestling Tournament at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA. 2019 photo.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced site selections for national championship events for the 2023 through 2026 cycle, and Ferrum College has been selected to host the 2023 Division III Men’s Wrestling Championships. Ferrum will host the event Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, 2023 at the Berglund Center in nearby Roanoke, Virginia.
“All of us at Ferrum College are ecstatic to be chosen to serve as the host of the 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Championship” stated Ferrum College Director of Athletics John Sutyak. “The staff at Ferrum did a remarkable job back in 2019 and it is a testament to the hard work that happened here that the NCAA has rewarded us with another opportunity to welcome the world of Division III men’s wrestling back to the Roanoke Valley. This is an exciting time for Ferrum wrestling and a huge thank you goes out to Assistant Athletic Director Gary Holden, and our Head Men’s Wrestling Coach Ryan Riggs, for putting together a successful bid.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunity for Ferrum College to host the Division III Men’s Wrestling National Championships again in 2023,” said Riggs. “I’m looking forward to working with the Berglund Center event staff and VBR Sports again, making it a quality experience for the competitors, coaches, and fans. We have a lot of wrestlers from the Roanoke Valley and Commonwealth of Virginia who could be wrestling for national titles. It’s exciting! I want to thank President Johns, John Sutyak, and Gary Holden for all of the work they do.”
Read more in this article on Ferrum’s Athletics webpage.
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
