Linahon headed to national wrestling meet

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS — Gutting out a 1-0 win in the 197-pound semifinals at the NCAA Division III Lower Midwest Regional, Central College wrestler Gage Linahon (junior, Newton) secured his spot at the NCAA Division III Championships in two weeks.

Linahon will give Central representation at the national meet for the 11th consecutive time. The Dutch finished ninth in the 19-team field with 47.5 points.

Linahon was tasked with the No. 2 seed Austin Cooley of Schreiner University in the semifinal. Cooley had pinned Linahon in the first period at the Under Armour Invitational in January. The two wrestlers remained scoreless through two periods after Cooley elected to start the second period in the neutral position. Linahon escaped from the bottom 23 seconds into the third period and stayed on his feet to preserve the 1-0 win. Linahon would lose by fall in the final to Massoma Endene of Wartburg College.

Winning two of his final three matches Saturday, freshman Pierre Baldwin (141 pounds, Carol Stream Ill., West Chicago HS) finished in fifth place. In his consolation quarterfinal match, Baldwin scored all four of his points in the third period to avenge a loss he suffered earlier this season against Jevontea Yarbrough of the University of Dubuque with a 4-2 decision. He won by a 9-3 decision in the fifth-place match against Jordan Carson of Millikin University (Ill.)

Seniors Luke Condy (Memphis, Tenn., Christian Brothers) and Peyton Hammerich (Princeton, Ill.) finished in eighth place at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively. Both went 0-2 on the day, with all four losses coming by narrow decisions.

The NCAA Division III Championships are set for Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11 in Roanoke, Virginia.