Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Direct of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970 (Written by Simon Schuler, Athletic Communications Student Assistant)
              
WAVERLY, Iowa (Feb. 13, 2021) – Following two victories over University of Dubuque and Simpson College a week prior, the No. 9 Loras College wrestling team (5-3, 5-1 A-R-C) split in their third American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) wrestling triangular of the season, defeating the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves (0-8, 0-8 A-R-C), 47-3 and suffering a setback to the No. 1/2 Wartburg College Knights (8-1, 8-0 A-R-C), 28-5.

The Duhawks kicked off the third triangular of the season against A-R-C foe Nebraska Wesleyan and starting at 125 lbs., freshman Aiden Evans a quick first-period fall over Tyler Laudick. After a Prairie Wolves' victory at 133 lbs., junior honorable mention Mason McMillen recorded a 20-11 major decision, adding four more team points to the scoreboard for the Duhawks. A hard-earned decision victory from Zeke Smith was followed by an emphatic first-period fall at the 56 seconds mark by No. 5 Daniel Ruiz. After the Ruiz pin, grapplers Matt Connolly and No. 6 Jacob Krakow both earned technical fall victories at 165 and 174 lbs. respectively, leading into a dominant finale to the match as the Duhawks strung together three falls in a row via the first period by No. 4 Shane Liegel, Brady Vogel and No. 8 Wyatt Wriedt to post a 47-3 Duhawk win.

The final dual of the day saw an anticipated rematch of two of the top NCAA Division III wrestling teams in the nation. After a string of hard-fought matches, the Duhawks got on the board thanks to a decisive victory for Liegel over Cael Krueger of the Knights at 184 lbs. Using a relentless pace and a pair of takedowns, Liegel maneuvered Krueger to his back, picking up the fall at the 4:02 mark, but the Knights held on through the final two matches and took the dual by a score of 28-5.

The Duhawks will finish the 2021 conference triangular season on Sunday, Feb. 21 against A-R-C rivals Coe College and Central College. Wrestling will kick off from the Athletic Wellness Center at 1:00 P.M.