Freshman Matt Loesch knocked off the No. 4 wrestler in the country at 197 pounds and came just one win short of All-America status at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, hosted by Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Sophomore Dale Mills lost two matches to seeded opponents at 149.

In his second match of the day and his first of the second session, Loesch won a 9-3 decision against fourth-ranked Todd Carone of Montclair State, who entered the bout with a 15-2 record.

A win in his next match would have kept Loesch alive until Saturday and secured him an All-America honor as one of the top eight wrestlers at his weight,

Loesch finished his first season as a Mule with a 25-5 record.

but he was defeated by the sixth-seeded wrestler from Augsburg. Loesch fell to the No. 5 seed from Delaware Valley in his first match to end his 10-bout winning streak.

Mills got the worst draw of any wrestler at 149. All but two wrestlers in the weight class, Mills and his fourth-ranked opponent from Case Western Reserve, drew first-round byes. Mills lost a 10-5 decision in the opening round to end a streak of eight consecutive wins.

In the consolation round, Mills lost a 13-12 decision to a Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestler ranked third in Division III. Mills finished the season with an outstanding 26-10 record.

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