ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University 157-pound junior Cortez Arredondo recorded a second place finish at the NCAA Super 3 Region Championships on Saturday and secured a spot at the NCAA Division II Championships next month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Arredondo, who finished 2-0 during competition on Friday, secured his place at the national championships with a 15-7 major decision semifinal victory over Daniel Close from Minnesota State on Saturday morning.
In the region championship match, Arredondo lost a 10-2 decision to Ryan Strope from McKendree (Ill.)
Three other SMSU wrestlers competed on Saturday and came up just short in qualifying for nationals. Griffin Osing lost 3-0 in the consolation third round at 174 pounds, while Jackson Ryan at 197 pounds won by fall at 5:21 to advance to the fourth round of the consolation bracket. Andrew Petersen also won his first match on Saturday morning with a 9-2 decision at heavyweight.
Both Ryan and Petersen dropped tight 3-2 matches in the consolation fourth round to end their championship run.
2018 NCAA Division II Super 3 Regional Results
Arredondo will compete at the NCAA Championships on March 9-10. He is the first SMSU wrestler to advance to the championships since heavyweight Cole Wilson placed seventh in 2016.
