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Gonzalez wins 2nd straight Super Regional to earn bid to NCAA Div. 2 nationals

Former Ellis Tech wrestler Jo Jo Gonzalez earned his third straight invitation to the NCAA Division II national championships Sunday with a win at the Super Region I tournament. (Photo courtesy American International College)

American International College senior JoJo Gonzalez earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II national championship tournament Sunday in Erie, Pa., for the third straight year by winning an individual title at the NCAA Super Region I tournament at Mercyhurst Colllege.

Gonzalez, a former State Open champion at Ellis Tech in Danielson, won a Super Regional 1 championship at 165 pounds, as the Yellowjackets finished sixth in the field of six teams.

It was his second straight Super Region I championship. Gonzalez won at 157 pounds a year ago.

There was little margin of error for Gonzalez in his first action of the season. Winners of individual weight classes would earn berths to the NCAA Division II tournament. Only five other wild card berths are available for other wrestlers in Super Region I and with no other matches this season, Gonzalez had no body of work from this season.

Gonzalez (3-0) won his first match with a 20-4 technical fall over Fairfield (West Virginia) State’s David Mundrey in 5:45. In the semifinals, he beat Jamar Williams of Alderson Broaddus (West Virginia), 8-4.

In the championship match, Gonzalez got his first pin of the season by beating Alex Farenchak of Gannon University in 4:51.

The NCAA Division II nationals will be March 12-13 at the America’s Convention Center Complex in St. Louis. Wrestlers earned qualifying bids at six regional tournaments across the country.

With a wrestler in each individual final, Gannon (Pa.) University easily won the Super Region I championship title by 32 points over Pittsburgh-Johnstown. Gannon had six individual champions and 10 finalists.

Three other Connecticut wrestlers competed for AIC in the Super Region I tournament.

Former Ellis Tech wrestler Sean Johnson of Ashford went 1-2 at 119 pounds and finished fourth. He pinned Chad Miller of Alderson Broaddus in 3:32 but lost to Jacob Early of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, 13-2 in the consolation final.

Sophomore Jacob Marselli (125) of Tolland went 0-2 at 125 pounds along with West Hartford’s Will Cullen (285), who wrestled at Xavier-Middletown.

NCAA Division II Super Region I
At Erie, Pa.
Team results — 1. Gannon (Pa.) 122, 2. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 90, 3. Fairmont State (West Virginia) 44½, 4. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 39½, 5. Alderson Broaddus (West Virginia) 27½, 6. American International College 25
Individual results
125
Final: Charlie Lenox (Gannon) dec. Matt Siszka (Pitt-Johnstown) 4-0
2nd place: Matt Siszka (Pitt-Johnstown) over Noah Hodges (Alderson Broaddus)
3rd place: Noah Hodges (Alderson Broaddus) pin Jacob Ruggeri (Mercyhurst) 2:43
133
Final: Jacob Dunlop (Gannon) dec. Mason Myers (Pitt-Johnstown) 7-2
2nd place: Roland Mills (Mercyhurst) dec. Mason Myers (Pitt-Johnstown) 4-2
3rd place: Roland Mills (Mercyhurst) dec. Blake Jury (Alderson Broaddus) 9-3
141
Final: Austin Hertel (Gannon) dec. Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) 3-2 OT
2nd place: Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) over Noah Kiszka (Fairmont St.)
3rd place: Noah Kiszka (Fairmont St.) over Jerome Vonziah (Alderson Broaddus) injury default
149
Final: Lukas Martin (Fairmont St.) dec. Dominic Means (Gannon) 6-3
2nd place: Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Dominic Means (Gannon) 3-2
3rd place: Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Sean Johnson (American Int`l) 13-2
157
Final: Nick Young (Gannon) pin Nathan Smith (Pitt-Johnstown) 1:57
2nd place: Nathan Smith (Pitt-Johnstown) tech fall Taven Swick (Fairmont St.) 15-0, 3:07
3rd place: Taven Swick (Fairmont St.) pin Spencer Head (Mercyhurst) 2:02
165
Final: Baltazar Gonzalez (American Int`l) pin Alex Farenchak (Gannon) 4:51
2nd place: Alex Farenchak (Gannon) pin Jamar Williams (Alderson Broaddus) 5:24
3rd place: Jamar Williams (Alderson Broaddus dec. Dillon Keane (Pitt-Johnstown) 5-4
174
Final: Brock Biddle (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Connor Day (Gannon) 16-2
2nd place: Connor Day (Gannon) dec. Cade Moisey (Fairmont St.) , 8-6 2 OT
3rd place: Cade Moisey (Fairmont St.) dec. Alfred MacNeill (American Int`l) 12-2
184
Final: Cam Page (Gannon) dec. Trever Begin (Mercyhurst) 10-3
2nd place: Trever Begin (Mercyhurst) over Alexander Delp (Pitt-Johnstown)
3rd place: Alexander Delp (Pitt-Johnstown) pin Cory Hupp-lasure (Fairmont St.) 1:52
197
Final: Luke McGonigal (Mercyhurst) dec. Joel Leise (Gannon) 4-2
2nd place: Joel Leise (Gannon) over Dakoda Rodgers (Pitt-Johnstown)
3rd place: Dakoda Rodgers (Pitt-Johnstown) pin John Halajian (Fairmont St.) 5:08
285
Final: Freddie Nixon (Gannon) dec. Allan Beattie (Pitt-Johnstown) 3-2, 3 OT
2nd place: Allan Beattie (Pitt-Johnstown) pin Demetrius Daniels (Alderson Broaddus) 0:24
3rd place: Demetrius Daniels (Alderson Broaddus) dec. Adam Allen (Mercyhurst) 3-1

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of Connecticut Wrestling Online. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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