DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University men's wrestling seniors Mason Barrett and Anthony Taylor finished as the region runner-up in their weight classes while punching a ticket to the national tournament Saturday as the NCAA Division III Region 4 Championships wrapped up in the E. Stuart James Grant Center on the campus of Averett.

Barrett and Taylor automatically qualified for the NCAA National Championships scheduled for March 14-15 in Providence, Rhode Island, by finishing in the top three of their respective weight classes. In all, Averett had seven of its 10 wrestlers place in the region, one shy of the program record set last season.

Barrett and Taylor advanced to the region finals at 125 pounds and 157 pounds, respectively, with semifinal wins early in the day on Saturday. Barrett, who is nationally ranked, earned a tough 8-7 decision over Roanoke College's Isaic Paulino to get to the region finals for the third consecutive year. The reigning two-time region champion fell short of a three-peat in the first-place match with an 8-0 major decision loss to Ferrum College's Zach Beckner. However, as runner-up, the two-time All-American Barrett qualified for his third consecutive NCAA national tournament. Taylor won his semifinal 9-5 over Washington and Lee University's Colin Bridges to send him to the 157 finals, where he ran into two-time defending national champion Michael Petrella, who has won 112 matches in a row. Petrella won by technical fall, 19-1, but Taylor still earned his second consecutive trip to the national tournament.

Averett had five other wrestlers in contention to battle back from the consolation rounds when Saturday began, but none made it to the third-place match after falling either in the third round of the consolation or in the consolation semifinals. Sophomore A.J. Orlando III placed fifth at 133 and junior Xavier Swanson placed fifth at 165, while freshman Andres Cortes finished sixth. Fifth-year senior Mauricio Reyes placed seventh, and junior Nolan Gerwitz finished eighth in the region to round out the Cougars' placers.

Averett, in the team scoring, finished fifth.

Averett hosted the two-day region tournament for the first time as 20 teams completed over the 10 weight classes to a packed arena.

 



NCAA Region 4 Championships
Feb. 28-March 1, 2025

125
Mason Barrett placed second
Champ. Round 1 - Mason Barrett (Averett) def. Anakin Burks (Shenandoah), Fall (0:50)
Quarterfinal - Mason Barrett (Averett) def. Justin Porter (Randolph), TF 18-0 (1:55)
Semifinal - Mason Barrett (Averett) def. Isaic Paulino (Roanoke College), Dec 8-7
First-Place Match - Zach Beckner (Ferrum) def. Mason Barrett (Averett), MD 8-0

133
A.J. Orlando III placed fifth
Champ. Round 1 - A.J. Orlando III (Averett) def. Francisco Ramirez (Southern Virginia), Fall (1:34)
Quarterfinal - Jonah Paulino (Roanoke) def. A.J. Orlando III (Averett), TF 15-0 (4:42)
Cons. Round 2 - A.J. Orlando III (Averett) def. Jason Louiso (Wilmington), TF Cons. Round 3 - A.J. Orlando III (Averett) def. David Gelman (Heidelberg), Dec 2-0
Cons. Semi - Vincent Ziccardi (Washington & Lee) def. A.J. Orlando III (Averett), Dec 9-6
Fifth-Place Match - A.J. Orlando III (Averett) def. Chase Vanderhorst (Ohio Northern), Forfeit

141
Champ. Round 1 - Mauricio Reyes (Averett) def. Will Brodbeck (Hiram), TF 21-5 (4:28)
Quarterfinal - Josh Wilson (Greensboro) def. Mauricio Reyes (Averett), Fall (0:51)
Cons. Round 2 - Mauricio Reyes (Averett) def. Josh Gibson (Heidelberg), Dec 10-4
Cons. Round 3 - Robert Palmieri (Baldwin Wallace) def. Mauricio Reyes (Averett), MD 12-0
Seventh-Place Match - Mauricio Reyes (Averett) def. Ridge Barkley (Mount Union), MD 14-5

149
Andres Cortes placed sixth
Champ. Round 1 - Andres Cortes (Averett) def. Noah Williams (Randolph), Fall (1:34)
Quarterfinal - Taylor Smith (Washington & Jefferson) def. Andres Cortes (Averett), MD 18-5
Cons. Round 2 - Andres Cortes (Averett) def. Trent Vandeneynden (Otterbein), Cons. Round 3 - Andres Cortes (Averett) def. Anthony Orlandini (St. Vincent College), Fall (1:18)
Cons. Semi - Emmanuel Scordos (Baldwin Wallace) def. Andres Cortes (Averett), Dec 4-2
Fifth-Place Match - Josh Carman (Mount Union) def. Andres Cortes (Averett), TF 15-0 (3:00)

157
Anthony Taylor placed second
Champ. Round 1 - Anthony Taylor (Averett) def. Logan Bechtold (St. Vincent), TF 16-1 (6:47)
Quarterfinal - Anthony Taylor (Averett) def. Anthony Grecol (Heidelberg), Fall (3:58)
Semifinal - Anthony Taylor (Averett) def. Colin Bridges (Washington & Lee), Dec 9-5
First-Place Match - Michael Petrella (Baldwin Wallace) def. Anthony Taylor (Averett), TF 19-1 (7:00)

165
Xavier Swanson placed fifth
Champ. Round 1 - Xavier Swanson (Averett) def. Jake Starkey (Mount Union), MD 11-3
Quarterfinal - Mark Troni (Washington & Lee) def. Xavier Swanson (Averett), Dec 2-1
Cons. Round 2 - Xavier Swanson (Averett) def. Avery Hall (Ferrum), Fall (3:58)
Cons. Round 3 - Xavier Swanson (Averett) def. Ethan Kring (Greensboro), TF 19-4 (4:04)
Cons. Semi - David Reid (Roanoke College) def. Xavier Swanson (Averett), Dec 4-3
Fifth-Place Match - Xavier Swanson (Averett) def. Chase Brandebura (St. Vincent College), Dec 8-5

174
Prelim - Carter Lloyd (Baldwin Wallace) def. Michael Gabbard (Averett), Dec 4-0
Prelim - Michael Gabbard (Averett) 23-16 def. Anthony Joiner (Thiel), Fall (1:56)
Cons. Round 1 - Michael Gabbard (Averett) def. Tyson Hoopes (Southern Virginia), Dec 4-1
Cons. Round 2 - Dylan Weaver (Shenandoah) def. Michael Gabbard (Averett), TF 18-3 (3:16)

184
Nolan Gerwitz placed eighth
Champ. Round 1 - Nolan Gerwitz (Averett) def. Seth Holt (Hiram), Fall (2:36)
Quarterfinal - Owen Frizzell (Heidelberg) def. Nolan Gerwitz (Averett), MD 11-3
Cons. Round 2 - Nolan Gerwitz (Averett) def. Joesph Toner (Ferrum), Dec 8-6
Cons. Round 3 - Ryan Weinzen (St. Vincent) def. Nolan Gerwitz (Averett), TF 17-2 (4:56)
Seventh-Place Match - Gary Steele (Otterbein) def. Nolan Gerwitz (Averett), Injury (2:29)

197
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Jiminez (Averett) def. Jaden Bell (Hiram), Fall (1:47)
Quarterfinal - John Santowski (Washington & Lee) def. Jacob Jiminez (Averett), MD 8-0
Cons. Round 2 - Joseph King (Thiel) def. Jacob Jiminez (Averett), Fall (1:54)

285
Prelim - Braeden Fluke (Averett) def. Michael Hopson (Hiram), Fall (1:54)
Champ. Round 1 - Scotty Edwards (Muskingum) def. Braeden Fluke (Averett), Fall (2:12)
Cons. Round 1 - Braeden Fluke (Averett) def. Jaron Polk (Waynesburg), Fall (0:42)
Cons. Round 2 - Nicholas Cook (Roanoke) def. Braeden Fluke (Averett), TF 19-4 (6:39)


 

Team Scores
1.	Baldwin Wallace	180.0
2.	Roanoke	154.5
3.	Ohio Northern	150.5
4.	Washington and Lee	139.0
5.	Averett	104.0
6.	Ferrum	83.0
7.	Mount Union	77.0
8.	Washington & Jefferson	72.0
9.	Otterbein	62.5
10.	Greensboro	42.0
11.	St. Vincent	38.5
12.	Heidelberg	37.5
13.	Shenandoah	24.0
14.	Wilmington	17.0
T-15.	Randolph	16.5
T-15.	Waynesburg	16.5
17.	Southern Virginia	16.0
18.	Thiel	15.5
19.	Hiram	14.0
20.	Muskingum	6.5