INDIANAPOLIS, IN: The Newberry College men's wrestling team showcased determination and the annual Midwest Classic. Several Wolves delivered standout performances, with John Paker placing 2nd overall in the 197 pound bracket. Newberry placed 19th overall out of 43 teams and a team score of 55.

Tournament Highlights:

125 – Hunter McCullough
McCullough brought energy to the mat, earning 6.5 team points. He notched three wins by technical fall, including a dominant 15-0 victory in just two minutes over Dylan McDonald (Minot State). Despite battling through rounds, his journey concluded after an injury default in the consolation bracket.

133 – Ethan McCullough
McCullough added 4.0 team points, advancing to the third round of the championship bracket with an impressive fall victory over Jacob Gardner (Seton Hill) in 4:19. His tournament ended in the consolation bracket after facing strong opponents.

141 – Braden Tatum
Tatum secured 3.5 team points, rebounding from a sudden-victory loss in the first round to claim two wins, including a quick pin over Nathan Wishne (Drury) in just 1:18. He fell in a close 8-6 decision in the fourth consolation round.

149 – Cael Alderman
Alderman contributed 2.0 points with a technical fall victory over Cqari Bacote (American International). Despite early success, his run ended in the third round of the consolation bracket.

174 – Dayton Fields
Fields tallied 6 points, showcasing his skills with two major decision victories, including a commanding 11-0 shutout over Aiden Knight (Montevallo).  Fields delivered another standout moment in the fourth round of consolations, pinning Zane Coleman of Central Oklahoma in 3:46. His run came to an end in the fifth round, where he faced Wyatt Reisz of Colorado School of Mines.

184 – Andrew Reed
Reed added 3.0 points with back-to-back major decision wins in the consolation bracket, defeating Gaetano Savelli (Gannon) 16-4 and Troy McClelland (Seton Hill) 9-0.

197 – John Parker
Parker led the Wolves with 23 points and went undefeated in day one. In day one, he showcased his power with two pins, including a second-period fall over Dominic Joyce (Chadron State) in 2:35. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Ryan Cody of Colorado School of Mines in just 2:01, showcasing his ability to control the mat. He followed that up in the semifinals with a gritty 4-3 decision over Lucas Salmon of Tiffin. Parker lost the championship match with a reversal in the final seconds. The match was tied 3-3 and he held major riding time advantage. Despite his lost, this was Parker's first loss to a D2 wrestler this season.

285 – Kale Schrader
Schrader matched Parker-Wilson with 7.0 points, demonstrating dominance in the heavyweight division. His three victories included a lightning-fast pin in just 25 seconds over Laith Ibrahim (Colorado School of Mines).

Tournament Facts:

This was the first time Newberry had a finalist in the Midwest Classic since Isiah Royal in 2018.

The last time Newberry had a champion was Trung Duong (125lbs) in 2014.

Hunter McCullough, who went 3-2, had the second most tech falls in the least amount of time.

Schrader had the 3rd fasted pin in the tournament, with a pin time of 25 seconds.

Newberry had the 3rd most pins in the least amount of time with a total of 8 pins.