From University of Chicago Athletics

University of Chicago freshman wrestler Charlie Banaszak went 2-0 and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships on Friday.

Banaszak's first match of the 141-pound bracket came against No. 7-seed Connor Campo of Wartburg College. Campo scored two takedowns in the first period to grab a 4-2 lead. The two competitors exchanged escapes in the second and third period to make the score 5-3 in favor of Campo. Banaszak then came through with a takedown in the third to tie the match 5-5 and force overtime. In the first sudden-victory overtime, Banaszak took down Campo to get the victory 7-5.

In the evening's quarterfinal, Banaszak faced off with No. 2-seed Brandon Jones of New York University. The two wrestlers met previously at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, with Jones emerging with a 13-6 win. This time, the freshman turned the tables and won in convincing fashion, 10-3.

The win assured All-American honors and a top-six finish for Banaszak in his first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships. His next opponent will be No. 6-seed Matt Adcock from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

"Charlie worked really hard, corrected some mistakes and was really focused leading up to nationals," said Head Coach Leo Kocher. "He's shown all along this year that he knows how to come through in a tight match. That's a great quality to have. Nothing is going to surprise him now. He came in unseeded, and now he's guaranteed to make the top six. It's a great accomplishment. His teammates and coaches are really proud of him."