PITTSBURGH, PA. – Campbell's historic 2018-19 season came to an end Friday in the NCAA Wrestling Championships at PPG Paints Arena.
Four of Campbell's school record six NCAA qualifiers advanced to day two of the championships, with
Korbin Meink at 125 pounds,
Noah Gonser at 133,
Josh Heil at 149 and
Andrew Morgan at 174 all in action on Friday, each in consolation brackets.
Meink dropped a 6-1 decision to Michigan's No. 16 Drew Mattin. The 125 pound SoCon champ finished his first NCAA trip at 1-2, with 15 total wins on the year for the sophomore.
Gonser, meanwhile, finished his second career NCAA Championships appearance with an 11-5 decision to No. 12 Montorie Bridges of Wyoming, going 1-2 in the tourney. Gonser concluded his All-SoCon year at 21-10 overall as the league runner-up at 133.
Also a two-time NCAA qualifier, Heil was eliminated in extra time by American's No. 28 Michael Sprague, capping a standout year for the redshirt sophomore. In 2018-19, Heil was the 149 pound undefeated SoCon champ, going 24-9 overall with All-SoCon team honors, among others.
Morgan was the final Camel eliminated in the 2019 NCAA Championships, clipped 9-5 by Cornell's No. 16 Brandon Womack. The CU 174 pounder, making his NCAA tourney debut, finished 2018-19 at 26-10 overall, including a second-straight SoCon runner-up showing.
157 pounder
Benjamin Barton and
Chris Kober at 184, both SoCon champions, also qualified for the NCAA Championships for the Camels, facing elimination on Thursday.
The 2019 NCAA Championships continue Friday with session four beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday will cap the third and final day of the tournament with two sessions, starting at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The Camels are coming off their second SoCon Championships title in three seasons, also taking the program's first ever regular season conference championship in 2019. CU earned a share of the SoCon dual title with a 5-1 league mark to go along with a 7-1 overall dual record, both program bests.
Head coach
Cary Kolat was named one of eight finalists for National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year, and was named SoCon Coach of the Year following the program's tournament win in Boone, N.C. on March 10.
Eight total Camels earned spots on the podium at the SoCon Championships, with all 10 wrestling for medals.
During the season, Kolat also coached CU to its first ever top-25 national ranking, and led the Camels to a 10th place finish at the prestigious Midlands Championships, an all-time best for the program.
