Opelt Captures First All-American Status
Monday, March 14th, 2016 -- 6:58 PM
Cornell College junior 133-pounder Phillip Opelt of Neillsville went 4-3 in the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships to garner an All-America sixth-place finish.The unseeded Opelt (21-9) went 3-1 on Friday. Opelt, a 2014 qualifier, secured All-America status with a dominant 12-2 victory over No. 5 seed Tyler Keane of Springfield. Opelt got rolling early with three first-period takedowns.
Opelt's busy day began with a 17-3 major decision over Johnson & Wales' Joseph Ferinde. He lost by fall (2:37) to No. 3 seed Ryan O'Boyle of McDaniel in the next round. Opelt bounced back strong with a 15-5 consolation victory over Hunter's Jaydon Rice.
Opelt received a medical forfeit against Alma's Romeo Riley in Saturday's first consolation match. He then met McDaniel's third-seeded Ryan O'Boyle for the second time in the tournament, and was pinned in 1:42.
In the fifth-place bout, Opelt dropped a 4-2 sudden victory against three-time All-American Jesse Gunter of Baldwin Wallace. Opelt scored a second-period reversal and took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Gunter tied it with an escape and ended it with a takedown in overtime.
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