Takedown Report

#12 Lander Sets Team Points Record En Route to Fourth Straight Super Region Title

GREENWOOD – The 12th-ranked Lander University Wrestling team delivered a historic performance at the NCAA Super Region II Championship inside Horne Arena, winning the team title with 165.0 points and qualifying nine wrestlers for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship on March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The 165.0 team points set a new tournament record, breaking the previous mark set by the 2023 team (164.0). Lander placed all 10 wrestlers for the second straight season and advanced all 10 to the semifinals for just the second time in program history, also accomplished in 2023.
The nine wrestlers who earned their way into the 18-man bracket at nationals were James Joplin, Elijah Lusk, Isham Peace, Reid Noble, David Hunsberger, Maxwell Kiel, Dylan Kohn, Marvelous Rutledge and Isaac Sheeren.
Lander crowned five individual regional champions, pushing the program’s total to 25 all-time.
125 – Kaden Kuenzi (5th Place | 3-2)
Kuenzi opened with a fall in 1:39 and followed with a 15-0 technical fall in 3:29 in the quarterfinals. However a loss in the championship and consolation semifinals saw his qualification run end but the senior ended his career getting his arm raised with a forfiet win in the fifth-place match.
133 – James Joplin (1st Place | 4-0)
Joplin was dominant throughout. He recorded back-to-back first-period pins in 0:50 and 1:25 to reach the semifinals, added a 7-1 decision over UNC Pembroke’s Logan Robinson to secure his third trip to nationals, and capped his run with a 19-2 technical fall in 4:20 in the championship bout.
141 – Elijah Lusk (2nd Place | 2-1)
After a first-round bye, Lusk rolled to a 15-0 technical fall in exactly 3:00 in the quarterfinals. He followed with a gritty 3-2 tiebreaker win in the semifinals to become the first four-time national qualifier in program history … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-15-lander-sets-team-points-record-en-route-to-fourth-straight-super-region-title.aspx

March 3, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized