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Jake Oster Earns All-America Honors
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Elmhurst College wrestling team sent three individuals to compete at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Jake Oster (Lockport/H.S.) earned all-America honors by placing seventh at 125 pounds. As a team, the Bluejays placed 34th with 8.5 points.
Oster, seeded seventh at 125 pounds, scored a 9-8 win over Jacob Calhoun of UW-Stevens Point in his first round match. Coe College's Brian Clement pinned Oster in 1:31 in round two. Oster bounced back to defeat Stephen Kingsland of Ursinus 9-4 in the third round of the consolation bracket. Oster earned a thrilling 16-15 win over fifth-seeded Mike McInally of Rochester Institute of Technology. The match was filled with reversal, with Oster scoring a near fall with under a minute left to earn the win. Oster dropped a 10-6 match to eighth-seeded Eracieo Vellejo of Manchester in the consolation quarterfinals. Oster avenged his first loss of the tournament by pinning Clement in the seventh-place match in 37 seconds.
Jeff Kastel (Hinsdale Central) had a tough-draw at 149 pounds. He faced second-seed and returning All-American Matt Pyle of Luther in his first match. Pyle pinned Kastel in 2:16. After a consolation round bye, Kastel finished one win shy of All-America honors, falling to eighth-seeded Ryan Higgins of UW-Platteville 16-4.
Kenny Thomas (Richmond, Mich./H.S.) dropped his opening match at 141 pounds, falling to fifth-seeded Jared Creason of Coe. Creason won by fall at 4:38. Thomas fell in the consolation bracket to UW-Platteville's Zach Chambers 19-3 (technical fall).
The Bluejays were ranked seventh in the nation in the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll. Elmhurst won its third straight CCIW title earlier this season.
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