Elliott Spence of MSJ Places Second at Wrestling National Championship Tournament
March 8, 2008 (Mount St. Joseph Relese)
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - College of Mount St. Joseph junior 149-pound wrestler Elliott Spence (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) placed second on Saturday night at the NCAA Division III National Championship in Cedar Rapids, IA. This is the highest national finish for the Lions' junior, after receiving All-American status the past two seasons by placing eighth in the 157-pound class at the national championships. Spence, seeded third in the tournament, lost by a 9-2 decision in the championship match to top-seeded Jacob Naig of Wartburg College. Naig led 3-0 after the first period and 5-0 after the second period, before going up 6-0 against Spence in the third period. Spence got on the scoreboard with 50 seconds remaining in the match, scoring a two-point takedown, before falling 9-2. Naig finished the season 42-3.
By finishing in the top eight, Spence achieves his third All-American award. The runner-up placing by Spence at the national tournament is the highest finish by a Mount athlete or individual ever.
Spence, who finished the season with a 43-6 mark, advance to the championship match by defeating Ithaca's Blaine Woszcak, 13-10, Merchant Marine's Dan Twito, 4-2, and Augsburg's Willy Holst, the second seed in the semifinals, 9-3.