By: Nolan DeVriese | Athletic Communications Student Assistant

Roanoke, Va. (Mar. 10, 2023) - Day one has come to an end and the Loras College wrestling team has two wrestlers heading to day two with All-American status and a shot at winning an individual title. All wrestlers put on a great show at the Berglund Center in Roanoke Va.

With the pre-match ceremonies and national anthem, the stage was set for the best Division III wrestlers in the country. Freshman Eric Kinkaid had a good first round but fell short and was put in the consolation bracket. Kinkaid started off slow in the first period until he got a quick escape to put him on the board and get his feet wet in his first nationals experience.

Kinkaid came back and looked completely different in his win or go home match. He started off hot with a quick take down in the first period and didn't look back. He ended up with 10 points and not letting his second opponent score at all. Kinkaid would put up another great match in his third match losing 8-2 as he finished his freshman campaign 21-11 overall with seven falls, seven major decisions and six tech falls.

Senior Gabe Fiser had a similar path on day one where he fell short 2-0 in his first round and then snapped back and won by decision 5-2 in his second match. In his third match up, he fought hard and ended up going into an overtime period but lost by one. Fiser finished his senior year with a record of 19-10 with12 of his wins by decisions, two by tech fall and fibe by major decisions.

Seniors Zeke Smith and Shane Leigel both dominated their first matches with Liegel winning by decision 5-0 and Smith winning by decision 2-0. Neither wrestler had an easy first round matchup but prevailed and advanced to the second round in the winner's bracket. Smith dominated most of the match but was low scoring until a late take down in the third period to get the loyal Loras fans that made the travel from Dubuque on their feet. The rest was history and Smith moved on to tomorrow's semifinals. 

Liegel did what he has done his whole college career, not letting you move a muscle. If you didn't see the score, you would think he won by 10 and then some by the way he was dominating his first-round opponent. In Liegel's second round match he never trailed and prevailed with a 9-7 win and moved on to the semifinals tomorrow morning.

Smith also won his second round match by the score of 9-7 but was a completely different match. Late in the second round he was trailing 4-5. Zeke shot and scored a quick take down putting him up 1 then an escape and a takedown later he had 9 points on the board. Zeke also moves on to the semi-finals tomorrow morning.

What they Said:
"Being a freshman I had nothing to lose and I was going to go out there and prove that I belong for years to come and I definitely proved I would be back for years to come. I loved the experience here and it has been a great atmosphere to wrestle in and I was glad I had the honor to do so." - Eric Kinkaid

"Losing at one point in the second period then quickly turned it around for the better and it worked out in my favor. For tomorrow, just need to stay focused and stay confident. When I feel my guy out and I get stronger as the match goes on and I also get better when my opponent gets better each round." – Zeke Smith

"Never down was a good thing. Just need to focus and have a next-up mentality, being me and being dominant and I should be good for tomorrow. Being a four-time All-American feels nice but we all know why everyone is here and that is to win the big one. With this atmosphere it should be fun and I'm excited for what comes next." – Shane Liegel

Liegel and Smith wrestle in their bracket semifinals at 11 A.M. ET on March 11, 2023 in the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Va.