Eight state wrestlers competing at NCAA Div. 3 nationals

Wesleyan’s Devin Carrillo (Graphic courtesy Wesleyan University)

CLEVELAND, March 7 – Eight Connecticut natives will be wrestling at the NCAA Division III national championships beginning Friday in Cleveland at the Cleveland Public Auditorium.

Wesleyan’s Devon Carrillo (197, Middletown) and Isaiah Bellamy (285, Norwich) are competing along with Wartburg’s Cross Cannone (149, Trumbull) and Mike Ross (165, Foran), Johnson and Wales’ Khamri Thomas (184, Windsor Locks) and Adrian Gonzalez (165, Fitch), Roger Williams’ Taylor Shay (165, New Fairfield) and Washington and Lee’s Zach Bylykbashi (141, Southington).

Cannone (30-0) and Ross (25-0) are both No. 1 seeds in their respective weight classes. Both are undefeated and Wartburg has won the last two NCAA Division III national championships and six of the last seven titles.

Bellamy (32-2, 21 pins) is seeded No. 4 at 285 while Carrillo is seeded No. 5 at 197 with a 35-2 mark and 21 pins. Carrillo, Bellamy and Waynesburg’s Jake Evans (285) lead Division III with 21 pins.

Thomas (42-2) has eight pins and is the No. 4 seed at 184. Shay (36-6) is seeded seventh. He is tied for the team lead in wins.

Wrestling begins on Friday at 11 a.m. Championship semifinals will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the third place, fifth place and seventh place bouts on Saturday at 5 p.m. The championship finals are at 7 p.m.

The last champion from Connecticut was the late Steve Fernandes of Southington, who won at 134 pounds for Trenton State in 1982. The most recent finalist from Connecticut was Cannone, who was second last year at 141.

No. 24 Coast Guard had a team-record four wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Division III nationals with sophomore Owen McClave (133), junior Nick Remke (165), sophomore A.J. Aeberli (174) and freshman Jonathan Wagner (197) earning invitations.

Trinity College had one wrestler earn an NCAA Division III tournament berth. Junior captain Grant Sorenson qualified at 149 pounds.

Recent Connecticut All-Americans
2017
Chris Chorzepa (Newington), Williams, 8th, 184
Cross Cannone (Trumbull), Wartburg, 2nd, 141
2015
Chris Chorzepa (Newington), Williams, 4th, 184 pounds
Brian Amato (Newington), WPI, 8th, 125 pounds
2014
Chris Chorzepa (Newington), Williams, 3rd, 184 pounds
2010
Brennan Ward (Waterford), Johnson & Wales, 2nd, 184 pounds