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Wrestling

Roanoke Claims Division III Title at NWCA/USMC Showcase

No. 6 Maroons Down Four Ranked Teams En Route to Championship

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The national rankings are due for an update thanks to the Maroons.

Nationally sixth-ranked Roanoke College are in line for a major climb up National Wrestling Coaches Associate (NWCA) table following victories over four ranked programs -- three ranked higher than the Maroons -- on the way to claiming the Division III title at the 2026 NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Roanoke is now 10-0 in dual format events with seven victories over ranked programs. The Maroons traveled to Iowa with wins over No. 16 Stevens (28-10), No. 14 Castleton (26-16), and #11 Wisconsin-Eau Claire (26-15) already populating the program's résumé. Roanoke added four more over the week with day one triumphs over No. 13 Wisconsin-Whitewater and No. 3 Wisconsin-La Crosse. They defeated defending event champion and second-ranked Augsburg in the semifinals early on Saturday, and then their run of ranked upsets to three with triumph over No. 1 Wartburg in the title bout.

This championship has been dominated by Augsburg and Wartburg since its inception in 2002. Roanoke joins UW-La Crosse as the only two schools not named Augsburg and Wartburg to claim the Division III event trophy.

DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JANUARY 9
  • No. 6 Roanoke def. No. 13 UW-Whitewater, 31-3
    • ?125 - Mac Cafurello (RC) over Brady Phelps (UW-W) Dec 5-0
    • 133 - Michael Policarpio (RC) over Tyler Tiangco (UW-W) Dec 5-0
    • 141 - Mark Samuel (RC) over Justin Fortugno (UW-W) Maj 12-4
    • 149 - Dominik Mallinder (UW-W) over Taylor Smith (RC) Dec 7-3
    • 157 - Bailey Wilman (RC) over Luke Swan (UW-W) Dec 1-0
    • 165 - Kyle Lee (RC) over Cal Kirchner (UW-W) Maj 8-0
    • 174 - Xavier Preston (RC) over Jermaine Butler (UW-W) Dec 4-2
    • 184 - Brock Sullivan (RC) over RJ Samuels (UW-W) Maj 14-4
    • 197 - Hunter Moore (RC) over Hunter Coons (UW-W) Maj 11-2
    • 285 - Nicholas Cook (RC) over Isaak Smith (UW-W) Dec 3-2
  • No. 6 Roanoke def. No. 13 UW-La Crosse, 20-16
DAY 2 - SATURDAY, JANUARY 10
  • Semifinals -- No. 6 Roanoke def. No. 2 Augsburg, 23-11
    • ?125 - Mac Cafurello (RC) over Ethan Aird (Augsburg) TF 18-2
    • 133 - Jude Robson (RC) over Chance Suddeth (Augsburg) Dec 4-2
    • 141 - Mark Samuel (RC) over Cole Becker (Augsburg) Dec 4-1
    • 149 - Matt Randolph (Augsburg) over Taylor Smith (RC) TB-1 4-3
    • 157 - Casey Smith (RC) over Karsen Otis (Augsburg) Dec 2-1
    • 165 - Cooper Willis (Augsburg) over Kyle Lee (RC) Maj 8-0
    • 174 - Xavier Preston (RC) over Nick Alexander (Augsburg) Dec 10-4
    • 184 - Brandt Bombard (Augsburg) over Brock Sullivan (RC) Maj 15-3
    • 197 - Hunter Moore (RC) over Ethan Winkelman (Augsburg) SV-1 12-9
    • 285 - Lorenzo Pellot-Vázquez (RC) over Keegan Kuball (Augsburg) Dec 12-6
  • No. 6 Roanoke def. No. 1 Wartburg, 19-16
    • ?125 - Mac Cafurello (RC) over Brett Birchman (Wartburg) Dec 5-0
    • 133 - Patrick Mullen (Wartburg) over Jude Robson (RC) Dec 9-4
    • 141 - Mark Samuel (RC) over Kade Blume (Wartburg) SV-1 5-2
    • 149 - Taylor Smith (RC) over Caleb Olson (Wartburg) Dec 11-8
    • 157 - Charlie Dojan (Wartburg) over Bailey Wilman (RC) TF 17-1
    • 165 - Cade Parent (RC) over Aiden Brosinski (Wartburg) Dec 7-5
    • 174 - Xavier Preston (RC) over Mike Slade (Wartburg) Maj 18-7
    • 184 - Kasey Ross (Wartburg) over Brock Sullivan (RC) Maj 11-1
    • 197 - Hunter Moore (RC) over Cal Dorota (Wartburg) Dec 8-5
    • 285 - Mitch Williamson (Wartburg) over Nicholas Cook (RC) Maj 11-1