Linahon looking for redemption at national wrestling meet
PELLA—Central College junior Gage Linahon (197 pounds, Newton) is looking to write a different story at this year’s 2023 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in his second appearance at the national level.
This year’s meet is Friday and Saturday at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. Linahon’s appearance marks 11 straight national meets for Central to qualify at least one wrestler. He’ll open Friday morning against the No. 8 seed Demitreus Henry from the State University of New York at Cortland.
As a sophomore, Linahon made his national debut after placing third at the Lower Midwest Regional. Linahon was placed in a preliminary round bout against Camden Farrow of York College (Pa.) and was edged 7-5 in overtime Farrow went on to finish the weekend in fourth place. Linahon lost his second match against Josh Harkless of Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) by fall in the waning moments of the first period and never made it on to the main bracket. Regardless of his record a year ago, he’s more prepared for his second trip.
“He knows what the experience is like now,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “He’s really excited and knows that he belongs there. He knows he can compete at the highest level.”
Linahon (23-6) placed second at the 2023 Lower Midwest Regional to qualify this year. His tournament a 1-0 decision against No. 2 Austin Cooley of Schreiner University (Texas) in the semifinals.
“He’s wrestling as well now as he has at any time in his college career,” Van Kley said. “When you are going to nationals, you hope you are peaking at the right time and he definitely is.”
The junior hasn’t lost a match that’s gone the full seven minutes since that match with Farrow in March of 2022. He has won by fall nine times this year but he’s also picked up seven major decisions and six decisions.
“Gage has a monster gas tank,” Van Kley said. “If you’re going to wrestle him, you better have it ready for seven minutes. He’s going to give you everything he’s got.”
He’s battle tested with a 1-3 record against other qualfiers this year. He took a 12-9 decision over Voss of Coe College in November. He lost to Beau Yineman of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at the season’s opening tournament and has been defeated Massoma Endene of Wartburg College twice. Linahon also has a win over NAIA National Championships qualifier Bronson Borttorf of William Penn University on his resume.
197-pound history—Linahon is one of just two Central wrestlers to qualify at 197 pounds since the new weight classes were instituted for the 1998-99 season. But it’s the fifth time since 2015 that the Dutch will be represented at the weight class. Linahon is a repeat qualifier from the 2022 season and Matt Seabold was a three-time qualifier (2015, 2016, 2017). Seabold’s eighth-place effort in 2015 landed him on Central’s All-American list.
Home Sweet Virginia—Since 1972, this is just the second time the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships will be held in the state of Virginia. The first time was in 2019 and Central’s 125-pounder Cam Timok placed sixth to earn All-American honors
The first session of wrestling is Friday morning at 11 a.m (EST)
