West takes seventh in NCAA DIII wrestling championships

The NCAA wrestling championships have been underway through March, with some local talent taking to the mats.

Plymouth native and former Cooper wrestler Walter West competed for Luther College in the NCAA DIII Championships, finishing seventh in the 285 weight class. The DIII championships were held at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. West played football and competed in track and field for the Hawks.

West opened the championships with a decision loss against Baldwin Wallace’s Doug Byrne, before notching two wins. The first was a major decision over Caleb Burkhart of Wilkes and the second was a decision victory over Olivet’s Donovan King. This put West in the third round of consolation matches with a chance to qualify for either the fifth- or seventh-place matches. He lost on decision to North Central’s Robby Bates, meaning he would battle for seventh.

He won that match with a major decision win over Peter Wersinger of The College of New Jersey.

Other schools with area talent also featured in the NCAA wrestling championships. Jacob Meissner, a Maple Grove native who attended Maranatha Academy and competed for Osseo High School through co-ops, is on the roster for the NCAA DI Arizona State Sun Devils. He did not feature in the tournament, though Arizona State did finish sixth in the DI championships.

Park Center alumnus Victor Perez Meza’s University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire finished fifth in the DIII championships with 69 points. Meza did not compete at the event.