BOONE, N.C. — At-large selections
Will Formato and
Caleb Smith from App State have joined SoCon champions
Jonathan Millner,
Codi Russell and
Thomas Flitz as qualifiers for next week's NCAA Wrestling Championships in Detroit.
Millner (149 pounds), Russell (133 pounds) and Flitz (174 pounds) qualified automatically by winning SoCon titles Sunday. Formato obtained one of the four at-large spots available in the 33-man bracket at 165 pounds, and Smith received one of the five at-large bids available at 125 pounds.
The NCAA Championships begin next Thursday, March 17, at Little Caesars Arena. Over the past three seasons, App State has totaled 18 NCAA qualifiers, with 10 of those coming from in-state wrestlers who graduated from North Carolina high schools.
A three-time SoCon champion, Millner (19-1) earned All-America honors last year and entered this year's postseason with a No. 4 national ranking in his weight class.
Russell, a three-time SoCon champion and five-time SoCon finalist, has qualified for the NCAAs for the fourth time in his career. Flitz, another super senior, won his first SoCon title Sunday and has qualified for the NCAAs for the third time. Russell is 19-7, while Flitz is 16-6.
Formato earned an at-large bid to the NCAAs for the second straight year, helped by a ranking of No. 19 from the coaches panel and No. 10 in the RPI. He is 22-7 this season.
Smith placed third in a SoCon bracket that included three ranked wrestlers but only two automatic bids. He's a first-year starter who will be making his NCAA Championships debut with a 23-6 record.
