CORALVILLE, Iowa – After securing nine All-Americans on the opening day of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III National Championships, Coe College's Wrestling team continued a historic weekend on Saturday at Xtream Arena. The Kohawks' Alex Friddle, Brock Henderson and Josh Gerke topped the podium in their respective weight classes, giving Coe three NWCA National Champions for the first time in program history. Coe had the most individual National Champions of any team in the field as the A-R-C claimed 7-of-10 titles.
 
"It was a historic weekend for our guys and there is a lot to be proud of," said head coach John Oostendorp. "It's great to see so many of our athletes reach their goals while placing second in the overall team results. It was a great opportunity to wrestle despite the challenges of the past year and I am proud of the way our guys handled themselves throughout the process." 
 
The Kohawks got off to an excellent start in the opening session on Friday, placing eight wrestlers in the quarterfinal round. Brady Henderson, Riley Wright, Ryker Kurimski, Ryan Schott and Kaleb Reeves joined the previously mentioned Kohawks in the final-eight of their respective brackets as Brady Henderson earned runner-up at 157 lbs. Tristin Westphal battled back after a loss in the round of 16 to earn eighth-place while securing All-American status. 
 
Third-seeded Friddle (125 lbs.) opened the evening against Wartburg's Brady Kyner, the fourth-seed, in their second matchup of 2021. Much like the first tilt, the Morris, Ill.-native dispatched Kyner in a tight match, using a late takedown to claim National Champion status, 6-3.
 
At 133 lbs., second-seeded Brock Henderson defeated top-seed Robbie Precin of North Central, 4-2. The North Linn prep did so in dramatic fashion, taking down Precin in overtime for a sudden victory and the Kohawks' second national title of the night. Henderson has now earned NWCA All-American honors in two-straight seasons. 
 
Coe's dominance at the lighter weights continued at 149 lbs. as Gerke edged out Wartburg's Brady Fritz with a takedown in the final seconds after a wild scramble between both wrestlers. After a coaches' challenge from the Knights was unsuccessful, Gerke notched the 4-2 victory and topped the podium as a National Champion. Josh reached the final earlier in the semifinal where he took down the top-seeded Brady Kaliner 4-3. 
 
Brady Henderson had a solid two days at 157 lbs., advancing all the way to the National Final. Henderson battled his opponent from Wartburg, David Hollingsworth, but was ultimately pinned at the 4:17 mark in the match. Henderson defeated fifth-seeded Daniel Ruiz in the quarterfinal 3-1 before taking down Killian Perrigon, who knocked off the top-seed, in the semifinal. 
 
Riley Wright, the fourth-seeded wrestler at 141 lbs. got off to a great start, picking up a 14-5 major decision and 9-2 victory in the round of 16 and quarterfinal. Wright then faced the top-seed and would-be runner-up in Kyle Briggs of Wartburg. The two battled in a tightly-contested match but Briggs pulled out the narrow 4-2 victory. Wright went on to earn fifth-place overall while securing his second All-American nod. 
 
Ryker Kurimski was the eighth-overall seed at 165 lbs., picking up a 2-0 win in the opening round before defeating Dylan Briggs of Olivett, 5-2 in the round of 16. Kurimski dropped his first match of the weekend to top-seeded and eventual national champion Bradan Birth of Millikin. Kurimski came back in the blood rounds to earn eighth-place while securing his first All-American status. 
 
Tristin Westphal entered the tournament as the 11th seed at 174 lbs., but outperformed his ranking over the weekend. Despite an early loss in the round of 16, Westphal fought back and won three-straight matches to secure All-American status. 
 
Ryan Schott had a strong performance at 184 lbs. in the mini-homecoming. The Iowa City native earned his first All-American honor while taking home sixth-place on Saturday. He picked up a 9-1 major decision in his opening match on Friday and moved on to the quarters with a 7-4 victory over the 12th ranked wrestler. After his loss in the quarter finals, Schott picked up back-to-back wins to secure sixth-place overall. 
 
Kaleb Reeves, the third-seeded wrestler bounced back after an early exit from the championship bracket. After winning his first match by a 4-2 decision, Reeves fell 9-6 to Wyatt Wriedt of Loras who went on to win the National Championship. Despite the loss, Reeves fought back in the wrestle-backs, earning four consecutive wins including three falls to take home third-place. The junior heavyweight earned his first All-American honor. 
 
FULL RESULTS
  
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