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Wills Bronson file photo
Gavin Hunter

Wills Bronson Punches Tickets to Nationals to Lead JCU Wrestling at Regionals

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Men's Wrestling notched five placers at Regionals

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – Wills Bronson is going to the big dance.

The sophomore will represent John Carroll Men's Wrestling at the NCAA Division III Championships in two weeks.

Bronson guided the Blue Streaks' efforts at the NCAA Central Regional Championships, as John Carroll finished in ninth place as a team.

Final Brackets

The Tennessee native notched a second-place team to lead the Blue Streaks. Additionally, Brett Stanley (125) and Thomas Lunt (285) both tabbed sixth-place efforts. Kyle Bizjak (149) and Jesse Kanatzar (197) each notched seventh-place finishes.

Bronson worked hard to get all the way to the championship bout. The Christian Brothers alum started with a 14-8 decision and then a 10-1 major decision. Bronson eked out an 18-17 decision in the semifinal in clutch fashion. Unfortunately his great run ended there, as Bronson accepted a 10-2 major decision.

But even with the runner-up finish, Bronson will be headed to Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island on March 14.

Thomas Lunt started on a great note, rolling into the semifinals with a pin and then a 2-1 decision. But the heavyweight lost his next three matches, settling for sixth. Brett Stanley needed to fight through the consolations, dropping his quarterfinal bout after a 13-1 opening win. Stanley rebounded with a pair of narrow victories, but then his day ended with back-to-back losses to accept sixth. 

Kyle Bizjak opened with a 19-7 major decision, but then lost to the eventual champ at 149. After a 1-0 decision win, he dropped his next consolation match, though he did finish the day on a high note by winning his seventh-place match. Jesse Kanatzar experienced a very similar path at 197, with a 3-2 weekend getting him to seventh.

Next Up
Wills Bronson will compete at the National Championships on March 14, hoping for an All-American finish. 
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