Bowlen earns berth in national wrestling championship
Submitted photo
Seton Hill University freshman Billy Bowlen (back) wrestles a bout during the 2016-17 season. Bowlen, a Carmichaels grad who wrestled for Jefferson-Morgan, has qualified for the 2017 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. (Photo courtesy of Dave Miller.)
Seton Hill University freshman Billy Bowlen (top) wrestles a bout during the 2016-17 season. Bowlen, a Carmichaels grad who wrestled for Jefferson-Morgan, has qualified for the 2017 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
Billy Bowlen
The transition from one of the best Class AA wrestlers in the state to a starting Division II wrestler was not an easy one for Billy Bowlen, but the Seton Hill freshman was able to do so at the right time to earn a berth into the NCAA Division II National Championships.
The national championship will be held Friday and Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, as part of the 2017 Division II National Championships Festival.
鈥淚t was a huge transition. I was in the top echelon of guys. I had easy matches,鈥� said Bowlen, a Carmichaels graduate who wrestled for Jefferson-Morgan. 鈥淚n college, everyone is good.
鈥淚t was rough on me. I was the top guy in the state. It was hard to get those bumps and losses. You have to prove yourself all over again.鈥�
Bowlen credited coach Brian Tucker for getting him through the transition.
鈥淚 had to have trust in the process and the plan coach lays out,鈥� explained Bowlen, who won three consecutive WPIAL titles.
Bowlen got off to a 5-1 start in his first season, but the wins were hard to come by as he moved through the season, especially through December.
鈥淚 had rough patches in the middle of the season. There was a point in time when I lost 5-of-6 matches,鈥� said Bowlen. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 place in the PSAC tournament. That was my rough patch.
鈥淚 was 1-2 in the Indianapolis tournament (Midwest Classic) and 0-2 in the PSACs.鈥�
But, Bowlen, a biology major who made the Dean鈥檚 list last semester, said he stayed the course set by the coaches and things turned around.
鈥淲e have meetings on Wednesday. Wrestling is such a grind. We talk things through. Practice and it would pay off,鈥� said Bowlen, son of Toni and Bill Bowlen, of Carmichaels. 鈥淚 started to feel myself elevate my level of wrestling a couple weeks before the tournament.鈥�
Part of the growth in his first intercollegiate season was improving technique.
鈥淢y hand fighting and my strength,鈥� two areas where Bowlen said he鈥檚 improved. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a difference I had to develop this year.鈥�
A college wrestling match is seven minutes long (3-2-2), plus has the added feature of riding time where a wrestler can add a point for a certain control time.
鈥淩iding time is a big deal. One minute of riding time is one point,鈥� said Bowlen. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 necessarily get a lot of riding time. I win my matches on my feet.鈥�
Bowlen fought his way back through the consolation rounds at 184 pounds in the NCAA Division II Super Regional at Mercyhurst College in the final weekend of February to finish third and earn an automatic bid into the national championship.
He opened the Super Regional with a 14-5 major decision against Millersville鈥檚 Evan Morrill, but fell into the consolation bracket with a 14-4 major decision loss to Notre Dame College of Ohio鈥檚 Garrett Lineberger, the regional champion.
Bowlen then won three consecutive matches to earn his berth into the national championship.
He won a 5-4 decision over Alderson Broaddus鈥� Cody Spinks, pinned Mercyhurst鈥檚 Mike Green in 3:37 and won the third-place consolation final with a 12-5 major decision over Pitt-Johnstown鈥檚 Levi Niebauer.
The wins not only allowed Bowlen to earn a berth into nationals, but he also managed to avenge earlier losses to the trio.
鈥淚 lost to Spinks 5-4. Green beat me by major decision. Niebauer beat me twice,鈥� said Bowlen.
Although the regional was guaranteed four spots at 184 pounds, the loser of the consolation final was not assured of the fourth berth. The tournament wrestled to 鈥渢rue fourth place,鈥� meaning if Bowlen lost he would鈥檝e had to wrestle one more time for fourth place.
Bowlen said he鈥檚 nervous, but that鈥檚 not necessarily a bad thing.
鈥淒efinitely, I鈥檓 nervous. This is the biggest thing our level offers. Being in the top 16 is huge,鈥� said Bowlen. 鈥淚 win two matches and I鈥檓 in the top eight, All-American.
鈥淭o be honest, nerves is a good thing to have. If I鈥檓 not nervous, why do it?鈥�