The senior duo of
Tate Murty and
Chase Luensman are prepared to take on the NCAA Wrestling Championships held in Park City, Kan. on Mar. 15-16. The brackets have been released and the pair of UIU wrestlers are set to compete on Friday morning in the opening round.
In the 141-weight class, Murty, who is ranked 7
th by the NWCA, is scheduled to go head-to-head with the winner of the matchup between Omar Armengol (Coker) and Ethan Leake (Chadron State). Murty enters the tournament with a 21-7 record after his four win-boost at the regional in Minot. He won the opening round by fall (2:51) and proceeded to the quarterfinals, defeating Braydon Mogle (Northern State) in a 7-1 decision. He fell to Cayden Henschel (Wisconsin-Parkside) in a tight 8-7 decision. Murty clawed his way back through the consolation bracket, trumping Kaden DeCoteau (UMary) by major decision and advancing to the third-place match, where he punched his ticket to the national tournament after a hard-fought win over Alyeus Craig (St. Cloud State) in sudden victory.
In the 165-weight class, Luensman, who is ranked 2
nd by the NWCA, will battle Kaden Hart from Nebraska Kearney, who holds a 15-6 record. The 2023 National Champion claimed first at the regional after going 4-0 on the day, entering this year's championship event with a 23-5 mark. He received a bye in the first round in Minot before pinning Brady Schuh (Wisconsin-Parkside) in the quarterfinals. His next two wins were more narrow victories, as he trumped Kole Marko (Minnesota State) by decision in the semi-finals and Anthony Herrera (St. Cloud State) in the first-place match by decision in a 4-2 margin.
Murty is returning to the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the fourth time in his career. His best finish was in 2021, where he placed sixth. He is a 2x All-American and is coming off an 8
th place finish last season.
Luensman has qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships four times and is coming off his National Title at 165-pounds from last season. He is a 2x All-American and the reigning champ with the opportunity to defend his title next weekend.
See the full bracket for each respective weight class attached with this story, along with a direct link for purchasing tickets.
