CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — When the announcement was made, senior Brandon Woody jumped into the awaiting arms of head coach Blake Roulo as the two shared a moment in history. Woody not only punched his ticket to the NCAA Division III national semifinals, he became the first place-winner in the program's history as Averett University wrestling opened the first day of the NCAA National Championships on Friday at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.
 
Woody and fellow senior Sam Braswell both secured All-American status by guaranteeing themselves top-eight finishes in the national tournament.
 
Woody knocked off No. 2 seed Jimmy McAuliffe from Elmhurst College with a 7-6 decision in the 141-pound quarterfinals, marking the second seeded wrestler Woody took down on his path to history on Friday. Elmhurst challenged that there was a late take down, but the referees reviewed it and ruled there was no takedown, giving Woody the one-point win.
 
Woody opened the tournament with 7-4 win by decision over No. 7 seed Sam Stuhl from Augsburg University in the first round. With his quarterfinal win, Woody advanced to Saturday morning's semifinals against No. 3 seed Zayren Terukina from Wartburg College.
 
Woody and Braswell both made history with their first round wins, marking the first wins at the NCAA National Championships by a Cougar. Woody and Braswell were among the three Averett wrestlers who went a combined 0-6 in their first NCAA Championship appearance in 2019 — the last year the NCAA Championships were conducted prior to the pandemic.

"Those guys have just been workhorses for our program and we wouldn't be where we're at without them," Roulo said.
 
Sam Braswell dominated his first round matchup to improve to 39-0. As the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds, Braswell beat the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Isaac Wiegel by a 14-4 major decision to advance. However, Braswell suffered his first loss of the season with a heartbreaking 7-0 decision to No. 7 seed Carlos Champagne from Wabash College. That send Braswell to the consolation bracket. He rebounded with a 6-5 win by decision over Jack Stanley from the University of Mount Union. Braswell can still wrestle back to as high as a third-place finish with three more wins on Saturday.
 
 
Two of Averett's wrestlers saw their seasons come to an end in their first NCAA Tournament. At 165 pounds, senior Alex Turley drew No. 1 seed Braden Birt of Millikin University in a pigtail match. Birt won by fall (2:22), to send Turley to a consolation matchup with Bridgewater State University's Fox Maxwell later in the day on Friday. Maxwell edged Turley by decision, 6-2. For Turley, he finished his senior season with a 19-8 record. 
 
Freshman Hunter Campbell lost his opening preliminary bout at 149 against the University of Southern Maine's Colby Frost, who won by a 3-0 decision. Campbell then faced Muhlinberg College's Brandon Bowles in the consolation bracket. Bowles won by an 11-1 major decision to eliminate Campbell. 
 
Woody and Braswell become the first Averett wrestlers in the program's five-year history to earn All-American honors based on their finish in the NCAA National Championships. Braswell has earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA ) All-American honors the last two seasons — first in 2020 after the NCAA Tournament was canceled because of COVID and again in 2021 after he placed third in the NWCA national championships, which were held in place of the NCAA's event. Averett junior George Moseley also earned NWCA All-American honors in 2020 and 2021, while Turley placed at the NWCA event last spring to earn All-American honors as well.



NCAA National Championship Results
Friday, March 11, 2022
125     Champ. Round 1 - Sam Braswell (Averett) def. Isaac Wiegel (Wisconsin-Platteville), MD 14-4
125     Quarterfinal - Carlos Champagne (Wabash) def. Braswell (Averett ). Dec 7-0
125     Cons. Round 2 - Sam Braswell (Averett) def. Jack Stanley (Mount Union), Dec 6-5

141    Champ. Round 1 - Brandon Woody (Averett) def. Sam Stuhl (Augsburg), Dec 7-4
141    Quarterfinal - Brandon Woody (Averett) def. Jimmy McAuliffe (Elmhurst), Dec 7-6

149    Prelim - Colby Frost (Southern Maine) def. Hunter Campbell (Averett), Dec 3-0
149    Prelim - Brandon Bowles (Muhlenberg) def. Hunter Campbell (Averett), MD 11-1

165    Prelim - Bradan Birt (Millikin) def. Alex Turley (Averett, Fall (2:22)
165    Prelim - Fox Maxwell (Bridgewater State) def. Alex Turley (Averett), Dec 6-2