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Devan Richter of Chicago Qualifies For NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

Devan Richter of Chicago Qualifies For NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships
Posted: Feb 28, 2015

From University of Chicago Athletics

Freshman Devan Richter punched his ticket to nationals and the University of Chicago wrestling team took eighth place at the 2015 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional on Saturday.

Wabash College served as host for the 12-team regional, where the top three individual finishers at all 10 weight classes advance to the NCAA Division III National Championships. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater claimed the team title with 133.5 points while UChicago was eighth with 48 points.

Richter was the standout for the Maroons at 125 pounds. The freshman blazed through his opening two matches with a pair of pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the championship match, he scored a big major decision 17-4. Richter automatically received a bid to nationals as a result.

"Devan Richter was only seeded fifth, but it appeared to the coaching staff that he had a strong chance of finishing in the top three and punching his ticket to the NCAA Tournament," said Head Coach Leo Kocher. "He put together three dominating performances – and quite honestly, we are looking forward to seeing what this freshman can do at the NCAAs."

Senior Mario Palmisano finished his wrestling career with a fourth-place showing at heavyweight. He went 2-2 on the day, reaching the semifinals and then rebounding to get to the third-place match. He scored a first-period pin in the consolation bracket, but lost his last match 8-6 to take fourth in his bracket.

Sophomore Paul Papoutsis also went 2-2 at 165 pounds. He ended up winning the fifth-place match via 10-6 decision. Freshman Elliot Henderson (141 pounds) tabulated a 2-3 record on the day and placed sixth. He won twice in the consolation half – 6-4 and 4-1.

"I was pleased with our performances in general as almost every wrestler achieved or exceeded his seed in a very tough regional," Kocher said. "Mario Palmisano caught a bad break in that he injured his knee in the semifinals. In order to get to the NCAAs, he needed to win his third-place match against an opponent that he beat in the quarterfinals. He wrestled tough, but with the bum knee, he just could not perform at the level he needed to get the win."