SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The second-ranked Newberry Wolves closed out a strong second day at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals with a 24-12 win over the fifth-ranked Upper Iowa Peacocks to claim fifth place in the tournament at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Sunday afternoon.

Newberry is now 11-1 on the season entering the Super Region One Duals, which the Wolves will host on Jan. 25-26. The Wolves went 4-1 in Illinois, with the four wins marking the most in a single year at the National Duals in any of the Wolves’ five trips.

No. 5 Jeff Vesta at 125-pounds was Newberry’s only 5-0 wrestler for the entire tournament, finishing off his weekend with a pin of Tanner Schmidt at the 6:26 mark to give Newberry the quick 6-0 lead. Vesta allowed only two total points in his five matches, with the two points coming on a takedown against Kutztown in a bout he would win by pinfall.

Nick Lankford at 133-pounds appeared in four matches on the weekend, winning all of them. His 8-2 decision over UIU’s Mitch Funk put Newberry up 9-0 and gave the freshman a 4-0 mark in his first National Duals action.

No. 2 B.J. Young at 141-pounds pushed Newberry’s lead to 12-0 with a 7-2 decision over Matt Paulus and No. 8 Deral Brown at 149-pounds. took a 4-1 decision from Jordan Rinken to make it 15-0.

No. 5 Taylor Knapp at 157-pounds had been beaten by the Peacocks’ No. 2 Bryce Lumzy by fall in the semifinals of the Midwest Classic in December, but Knapp exacted revenge with an 8-1 decision to put Newberry up 18-0 at the halfway point.

An upset at 165-pounds gave Upper Iowa its first dual points, when No. 5 Wade Gobin pinned No. 2 Blake Ridenour at the 1:44 mark to narrow the Wolves’ lead to 18-6. That upset was followed with another at 174-pounds, when UIU’s No. 7 Blake Sorensen took a 7-4 decision from No. 3 Travis Sheehy to cut the lead to 18-9.

At 184-pounds, Jared Holliday earned a 4-0 decision over Brock Gobin, making it a 21-9 lead, meaning the Peacocks could tie with a pair of pins. At 197-pounds, UIU lined up the No. 1 wrestler in the country at that class in Carl Broghammer, but Braden Carter lost by an 8-2 decision to make it 21-12 and clinch a win for Newberry. Matt Wade earned an 11-6 decision over Jeremy Brazil to give Newberry wins in seven of the 10 bouts and end the Wolves’ tournament on a high note.

Newberry is now 15-6 all-time in five appearances at the National Duals. Despite the fifth place performance, it is the fourth year of the five in which Newberry suffered only one defeat at the prestigious team tournament.

Wolves crush No. 20 Kutztown 45-0

The No. 2 Newberry Wolves jumped out to a quick start and used a pair of dramatic late finishes to put the closing touches on a 45-0 shutout of the No. 20 Kutztown Golden Bears in the consolation semifinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Sunday morning.

Vesta needed just two minutes to pin Nick Lamoreaux, followed by a pin at the 2:24 mark byLankford in the 133-pound bout.

Young won by forfeit at 141 lbs. to put Newberry up 18-0 in a hurry.

Deral Brown took an 11-4 decision from Mitch Voelker and 157-pounder Seiji Borja earned an 8-2 decision over Jackson Stabile to make it 24-0. Davis Bagwell pinned Justin Heller at the 2:50 mark of the 165-pound bout to stretch the lead to 30-0.

The Golden Bears kept the remaining bouts close, but Newberry prevailed in every instance.

Sheehy eked out a 4-2 decision over Wade Rivera, Holliday benefitted from late cautions on his opponent to take a 6-5 decision over Giovanni Ortiz and Carterwon by forfeit to push the lead to 42-0.

Wade led going into the third period, but saw the tables turned and was trailing late before pulling a late reversal and nearfall to earn a 9-5 decision over Daniel Ortiz and clinch Newberry’s third shutout of the season.

Newberry eliminates No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney from National Duals, 20-11

The No. 2-ranked Newberry Wolves and No. 1-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Lopers were not supposed to be meeting in Saturday’s consolation bracket elimination match of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, but it was the Wolves who lived to wrestle another day with a 20-11 win at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Saturday evening.

Vesta continued a great daystarting the dual with an 8-0 major decision over Jake Gentzler to give the Wolves a 4-0 lead. Vesta did not allow a single point in his three matches Saturday.

Lankford picked up a 10-5 decision over Ryan Bauer and Young eked out an 8-7 decision over Andrew Riedy to make it 10-0 in Newberry’s favor.

At 149-pounds, a prime battle ensued but it was the Lopers’ No. 1 Raufeon Stotts who emerged with a 5-3 decision over No. 8 Brown to give UNK its first win and narrow the deficit to 10-3. The Lopers cut it to 10-6 with an upset at 157-pounds., with Chase White taking a 10-3 decision over Knapp.

No. 2 Blake Ridenour picked up bonus points for the Wolves at 165-pounds with a 15-6 major decision over Chase Nelson, and Sheehy pushed Newberry’s lead to 17-6 with a 7-5 decision over Brock Smith.

The Lopers would not go away though, even with the Wolves one bout away from clinching a win. Mark Fiala took a 3-1 decision over Mitch Brown in the second tiebreaker periodbout and No. 7 Matt Lenagh edged Joey Grisko at 197-pounds., 6-4. UNK was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct to make it a 17-11 Newberry lead, meaning the Lopers would need a pin just to get to the tiebreak criteria.

Wade made sure those criteria would never come into play, earning an 8-4 decision over Nick Bauman to clinch the match and keep the Wolves’ trip to Illinois alive.

Wolves stunned by No. 7 Notre Dame (Ohio) in National Duals quarterfinals, 21-15

A pair of pins by No. 7 Notre Dame (Ohio) provided the difference as the Falcons upset the No. 2 ranked Newberry Wolves, 21-15, in the quarterfinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Saturday

Vesta earned a 2-0 decision in the second sudden victory period over Johnny Papesh. Lankford earned a 6-4 decision over Marty Carlson and Young took an 8-1 decision over No. 8 Maurice Miller to stake the Wolves to a 9-0 lead.

Deral Brown was tripped up 4-3 in the second tiebreaker period of the 149-pound bout , but Knapptook an 8-4 decision over No. 8 Jeffery Pelton to give Newberry a 12-3 lead at the halfway point.

NDC’s comeback was boosted by No. 1 Joey Davis, who pinned Ridenour at the 5:21 mark, and Eric Burgey upset Sheehy to tie the dual at 12-all.

The Falcons took their first lead after 184-pounds when Charles Mason took a 6-3 decision from Mitch Brown but Grisko tied the match up at 15-all entering the final bout with his 6-0 decision over Brandonn Johnson.

Unfortunately for the Wolves, Wade was pinned by No. 5 Orlando Scales at the 1:43 mark of the heavyweight bout to send the Falcons to victory.

Wolves win over No. 19 Fort Hays State

Bonus point wins from nationally-ranked Deral Brown and Sheehy powered the No. 2 seed Newberry Wolves to a 28-9 win over the Fort Hays State Tigers in the first round of the NWCA/CliffKeen National Duals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Saturday morning.

Fifth-ranked 125-pounder Vesta started the Wolves out on the right foot with a 2-0 decision over Garrett Jones, followed up by Travis Laxton who had a near fall aid a 7-4 decision over Rory Wilkinson in his first action of the season.

Young was tripped up by No. 6 Charles Napier to the tune of a 6-3 defeat by decision to make Newberry’s lead 6-3.

Deral Brown worked his way to a pin of Mitchell Means at the 5:23 mark of the bout to start a run of Newberry wins.

Knapp earned a 6-4 decision over No. 4 Derek Koehn and Ridenour held off Sam Thoman for a 4-2 decision.

Sheehy) powered his way to a 15-2 major decision over Josh Rodriguez to push Newberry’s advantage to 22-3.

Mitch Brown was on the wrong end of a 6-2 decision to Zack Grimes and No.6 Tanner Kriss at 197-pounds took an 8-3 decision from Grisko to bring the Tigers to within 22-9, but Wade closed out the dual on a high note, earning a pin of John Close just 43 seconds into the heavyweight match.