By Mike Ludwig
La CROSSE, Wis. – St. Olaf 141-pound senior Ryan Timmerman advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships with wins in his first two bouts in the event on Friday, to pick up his second straight All-America honor.
Timmerman defeated Augsburg’s Will Keeter 8-4 in the quarterfinals, avenging three losses during the regular season. The fifth seed in the event, he narrowly escaped in the first round. Timmerman defeated Williams College’s Ces Antista 6-5. He will face the top seed — UW-La Crosse’s Bebeto Yewah in the semifinals tomorrow.
Timmerman was third at the NCAA’s last season.
St. Olaf had two other wrestlers in the event. At 174, the Oles’ James Roach picked up an upset win over sixth-seeded Logan Einerson of Dubuque in the opener. Roach dropped his quarterfinal match to Ohio Northern’s Kyle Kwiat and then another in the loser’s bracket, an 8-5 decision to Augustana’s Jordan Richardson.
The Oles’ Jacob Bohler lost his first two matches at 157. He dropped a tight 8-6 decision in the opening round to John Darling of The College of New Jersey and a 13-6 bout to Michael Lechter of Ohio Northern.