Thomas Lunt Punches Ticket to Nationals to Lead Men's Wrestling at Regionals in the AWE

2/28/2026 9:44:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Lunt's victory proved a fitting end to a busy weekend of wrestling at JCU

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – Thomas Lunt saved the best for last.

The senior stood strong with a berth to the NCAA Division III National Championships on the line in one of the last matches of the meet. In front of the home fans inside John Carroll's Athletic, Wellness & Event Center, Lunt won the third-place match at 285 pounds at the NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling Region V Championships.

Not only did Lunt secure a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but Lunt also secured a solid fifth-place finish for John Carroll Men's Wrestling in a packed region.

In addition to Lunt's third-place effort, Ty Daughtery (133), Adom Sharpley (141), and Kyke Bizjak (149) all notched fourth place. Aiden Ashburn and Wills Bronson both snagged fifth place, while Brett Stanley grabbed seventh place. Bronson also won the Manuel Gorriaran Most Falls Award.

Many of Lunt's matches needed overtime today. The Connecticut native certainly showed a flair for the dramatic. "It's way cooler to celebrate right after you get the takedown in sudden victory," Lunt joked afterwards.

Lunt traded escapes with his opponent in the second and third periods. With just 7 seconds left in the third, Lunt roared for a takedown just in time to solidify his name in the JCU recordbooks as a national qualifier.

"I feel amazing, on top of the world," said Lunt after taking the podium for third place. "All of the hard work and things I sacrificed, it all paid off. I'm excited to compete and keep wrestling. It'll be my last match at Iowa, I get to keep the dream going.

"I want to thank my parents for coming out and always supporting me throughout my career, my girlfriend for being awesome, the coaches and all my teammates who pushed me to compete even in overtime."

Lunt needed extra time in his opening match of the day at 285. The Connecticut native waited and waited for his foe to slip up, and Lunt took advantage in the first sudden-victory period with a takedown near the edge of the mat for a 5-2 win. The senior made it interesting again in the consolation semifinal. Lunt battled to a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation. Once again, Lunt outlasted his foe, firing up a takedown in the initial sudden-victory period for a 4-1 victory.

Ty Daugherty stood as the Blue Streaks' lone man in the championship bracket heading into Saturday. The Avon native fought and fought in the semifinal, but his opponent evaded Daugherty and snagged a 4-1 win. Daugherty rolled in his consolation semifinal, roaring for 17-1 tech fall. The third-place battle for the national qualifier spot needed extra time, as the senior battled with Case Western Reserve's Art Martinez to a 1-1 tie through regulation. One narrow opening in sudden victory was exploited by Martinez, and Daugherty dropped the match, 4-1. An injury occurred in the first-place match, so Daugherty might have a shot at getting to Nationals still.

Adom Sharpley took the mat next at 141 with the chance to go to nationals. The first year earned a spot in the third-place bout by virtue of a clear 8-2 decision win for starters on Saturday, and then a great 10-3 decision in the consolation semi. North Central's Joshua Robison, the #3 seed, struck first with a late first-period takedown. Sharpley notched a pair of escapes in the second, but a close takedown by Robison put Sharpley in a 6-3 hole heading into the third. Sharpley got one of the two takedowns needed, but his opponent didn't yield anything down the stretch.

Kyle Bizjak trotted onto the match at 149 looking to punch his ticket. A fantastic 18-0 tech fall in the second period of his consolation quarterfinal started the day. The veteran then tabbed a 7-2 decision to get to the third-place match. The Aurora native fell behind early in the first, 7-0, falling behind the eight-ball. Bizjak scored a reversal and takedown in the second, but could not get enough points on the board late, losing 11-5.

Aiden Ashburn got going early with a pin to begin the day at 174. But the senior lost via an 11-6 decision to the #2 seed, Jake Luce. And so, Ashburn took the mat in the fifth-place match to conclude his career against Milliken's Kody Marschner. Leaving no doubt, Ashburn roared for a first-period pin in 2:37.

Wills Bronson opened with a pin win in the consolations at 184. But then the Memphis native lost a drawn-out match in his consolation quarterfinal, dropping a 2-1 decision. In the fifth-place match, Bronson took out his disappointment on his opponent, dominating in a pin win in 4:01 after building up a 13-0 lead.

Brett Stanley lost a tough one in his first match of the day in a 10-7 decision defeat at 125. But the Broadview Heights native finished strong, firing up a 15-2 victory to conclude the tournament with a seventh-place finish.

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