Go Green's Notes from Post
Six for Kansas City, Please
Yes, #AmericasTeam will be sending a squad to Kansas City. Your favorite cadets put together an incredible effort in Lewisburg and left with a half dozen Black Knights bound for the NCAA tournament. We will have to wait till early in the week to see if Nate Lukez is awarded an at-large bid. Here are your auto Qs:
125 Ethan wrestled some exciting bouts and was dominant in just about every 3rd period. Incredibly proud of the way he kept his composure late in matches. His "winback" over Maida from American really set the tone for our team. He is now a 2x qualifier with an eye on a strong performance this year.
133 Braden had another "winback" - something that defines all good teams. He reversed the result of his previous meeting with the Bucknell opponent. His climb to 3rd was highlighted by a solid win over a top opponent from Penn. He is one of THREE plebes to qualify.
149 Matty battled hard to earn his first trip to the big show. Always gratifying to see a Firstie finish their career with an NCAA berth. He was on when he needed to be in his win over the Drexel wrestler to secure his spot.
165 Gunner was on brand Gunner this weekend. He dropped his first bout and then stormed all the way back to the bronze match. If you sense a theme developing, it is- as he dominated a Bucknell opponent he had previously lost to. Another plebe on his way to KC.
174 Benny Bombs!! Two big moves got Benny to the finals, including a pin in the semis. No one loved the way the finals was officiated, but we know that we will encounter more adversity like that and need to work through it. This is Ben's 4th NCAA appearance, and he will be focused on the climb up!
285 Lucas is the 3rd plebe to secure his spot, and the 3rd to do so by virtue of a winback- this time over Navy. He showed great promise throughout the event, but also showed he is still learning and has a high ceiling. Six is a good number.
Team Trophy
When you perform well as individuals, you put yourself in position to get it done as a team. This was the case this weekend as we outpaced rival Navy, upstart Columbia and heavily favored Penn to take 3rd as a team. A team trophy will be the expectation moving forward, but it was gratifying to get one before the exodus of the Ivy schools. Top three in the EIWA is a Big Deal. This is only the fourth time since 1990, we have done it (1990, 2008, 2020, 2024).
Reflecting back- absolutely nobody would have predicted this team to finish ranked 25th in the nation and to place 3rd at the EIWAs, except the people who are close to this program.
Fortunately, we are the only people who had to believe.
Coach of the Year
This was a no brainer, and well deserved. Coach Ward was named the Coach of the Year by his peers for his efforts with this crew. Great to see everyone taking notice of what is going on at West Point.
NCAA Social
We hope you are headed to Kansas City, and we hope to see you at the social if you are. If you can't make it- please sponsor our social if you can.
NCAA Celebration Reception - Kansas City 2024 | West Point Wrestling Club (Powered by Donorbox)
May the 4th Be With You!
Lastly, please make plans to join us on post for our end of the year Alumni and Awards Gala. We will continue to roll out details, but plan to dine with the Cadets on the 4th floor of Kimsey at 5pm for the main event. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased here.
Other activities will include an alumni practice, an after dinner social, brunch and lots more. Come to dinner, or spend the weekend with current and past BHAW brothers. We can't wait to see you.