NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships page
OMAHA, Neb. – Redshirt senior
Shane Mallory became East Stroudsburg University's first All-American in wrestling in 21 years and was the runner-up at 184 pounds, falling 2-1 in overtime to Bryant Blanton of Newberry (S.C.) in the finals, on Saturday night at the NCAA Division II Championships at Sapp Fieldhouse at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Mallory is the 17th All-American in ESU wrestling history and the first since Jack Cuvo and Anibal Nieves earned spots on the podium in 1989. He knocked off a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers, including a 7-3 decision over No. 4 Tim Darling of Kutztown in the semifinals, before falling to Blanton, ranked No. 7 in the nation. He finishes his career with a record of 80-47, including a 26-9 mark as a senior and victories in 16 of his last 19 matches.
Mallory posted his decision over Darling in their third meeting in the last month, winning an 8-6 decision in ESU's dual win over Kutztown on February 16 and falling 5-4 in the rematch in the semifinals of the Super Region 1 tournament on February 27. Darling finishes his season at 17-2, with both losses coming to Mallory.
Blanton beat Mallory 2-1 in overtime for the second time in two weeks, posting a decision in the second tiebreaker period in the third-place match in the regionals. He earned his second career All-America honor and first national title for Newberry, which has won the Super Region 1 title three straight seasons.
Mallory began his run to the finals with a 7-6 decision over No. 2 Derek Skala of St. Cloud State, a returning All-American, in the first round and posted a 5-2 decision vs. Derek Ross (Nebraska-Kearney) in the quarterfinals before taking out Darling in the semifinals.
Redshirt sophomore
Adam Hluschak (141) saw his season come to a close on Saturday morning with a 4-3 loss in the second tiebreaker against Andrew Milanak of Gannon, a rematch of Hluschak's 4-3 victory in the quarterfinals of the regional on his way to finishing second and earning a trip to the NCAA's.
Hluschak was 21-16 on the season and finished in the top 12 in the country. He earned a 10-9 decision over No. 6 Jimmy Savala (Chadron State), a three-time national qualifier, in the opening round before falling to Mario Morgan (Nebraska-Omaha), 8-3, in the quarterfinals.
