ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Findlay’s James Wimer captured a 157-pound national title and eight different individuals from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference earned Division II All-American status as the NCAA Wrestling Championship concluded over the weekend.
 
Wimer took home the national championship in the 157-pound weight class with a 7-3 win over Lindenwood's Ronald Gamble in the final after advancing with a 3-1 victory against Central Oklahoma's Ty Lucas in the semifinals.
 
Wimer, who went 4-0 at the national tournament, finished the year undefeated with a 14-0 record. It’s an impressive journey for Wimer, who redshirted last season, and just showed no signs of slowing down from his season-opening major decision over eventual All-American Dawson Combest of UIndy.
 
Wimer went on to win his weight class at the Great Midwest Championship tournament and was also named Wrestler of the Meet as voted on by the coaches.
 
He is the second conference national champion following Tiffin’s run by Nick Mason through the 197-pound bracket in 2019.
 
Associate member Ashland had five different All-Americans and finished seventh in the team scoring in its first year affiliated with the Great Midwest. Head coach Colt Sponseller also delivered a conference championship win in Owensboro earlier this year. Findlay had two All-Americans and Lake Erie had one.
 
Everyone going into Saturday’s Day 2 action was guaranteed top 8 in the country and secured All-American status. Eight of the league’s 14 qualifiers went on the All-American parade and 13 out of the 14 qualifiers were in a match to vie for All-American honors.
 
The top Eagles’ finisher was sophomore Daniel Beemer at 174 pounds, who placed third. Beemer dropped his semifinal match to start Saturday, but bounced back with two consolation wins over Pitt-Johnstown’s Brock Biddle and McKendree’s Josh Jones, both via decision.
 
Senior Christian Wellman placed fourth at 125 pounds for his first All-American citation, thanks to back-to-back consolation-round wins to start Saturday – a 5-4 decision over Adams State's Isaiah De La Cerda, and a 4-3 tiebreaker victory over Central Oklahoma's Paxton Rosen.
 
Another senior, Carson Speelman, now is a two-time All-American thanks to his fifth-place finish at 149 pounds. After topping Minnesota State's Kyle Rathman 4-2 in the consolation round, then losing in the consolation semifinal finals, Speelman won the fifth-place match over Noah Hermosillo of Adams State, 9-6.
 
Tristen Weirich, a senior 285-pounder, became the 16^th grappler in Ashland history to earn at least three All-American awards on Saturday. He finished sixth, winning over West Liberty's Francesco Borsellino by pin in 4:37 before losing in the consolation semifinals and the fifth-place match.
 
Finally, senior Aidan Pasiuk earned his second consecutive All-American honor as an Eagle, winning the seventh-place match over Colorado School of Mines' Anderson Salisbury, 7-5.
 
Lake Erie senior Chris Droege worked through a deep weight class at 197 and would finish eighth for All-American honors.
 
Findlay sophomore Branson Proudlock earned All-American plaudits for Findlay as well after taking eighth place in the 141-pound weight class. Proudlock finished the tournament with a 2-3 record.