Yellow Jackets’ Evans wins national title
Waynesburg University鈥檚 Jake Evans made history on March 10 in Cleveland with a Division III national title at 285 pounds.
The junior and Elizabeth Forward graduate earned a 10-5 decision over SUNY Oneonta State鈥檚 James Bethel (37-8) to give head coach Ron Headlee his first national champion in his 10th season with the program.
Headlee, who was very successful at Jefferson-Morgan High School, has coached nine All-Americans, including Evans, who is now a two-time placewinner at the Division III National Tournament.
鈥淚t was some pretty exciting stuff. I am very happy for Jake,鈥� Headlee said. 鈥淗e works so hard every day and that鈥檚 just what he did; he outworked everyone at this tournament. He kept believing in himself, just like he has done all year.
鈥淭he kid (Bethel) in the finals was an athletic kid and he had pinned his first three opponents, but Jake wore that kid down.鈥�
Evans (54-3) opened up the tournament with a 6-4 decision over Wisconsin-Platteville鈥檚 D鈥橝ndre Johnson (23-8) to advance to the quarterfinals.
鈥淲e knew the first kid (Johnson) he wrestled, and Jake controlled the whole match.鈥�
Evans edged Wesleyan鈥檚 (Connecticut) Isaiah Bellamy, 3-1, to reach the semifinals. Bellamy (43-4) would wrestle back for third place.
鈥淗e (Bellamy) was the No. 4 seed and had the most falls,鈥� Headlee said. 鈥淗e was really good, but Jake stayed in good position that match.鈥�
Evans, the fifth seed, wrestled top-seed Lance Evans (25-5) of Wartburg in the semifinals, who had pinned the Waynesburg junior in last year鈥檚 national championships, but the Yellow Jackets鈥� Evans won an 8-6 decision to move to the finals.
Wartburg鈥檚 coach thought they had a takedown at the end of the third and challenged the call, but after the review, no takedown was awarded and Jake Evans advanced to the finals.
鈥淚 was pretty confident we were going to get the call,鈥� Headlee said. 鈥淚 was watching the clock and it had already hit zeros by the time the move was complete. I really wasn鈥檛 worried.鈥�
Waynesburg University鈥檚 Tristan Buxton (35-10) qualified for the national tournament as a senior at 125, but lost his first two matches.
鈥淚t was nice for Tristan (Buxton) to make it to the national tournament as a senior,鈥� Headlee said. 鈥淚t was a nice way for his career to end.鈥�
Teammate Ken Burrs (27-9) opened up action at 197 with a 9-8 decision over the No. 3 seed, Kyle Koser (46-7) of Messiah, but lost his next two bouts. Burrs will be returning next season as a junior.
鈥淚t was nice to see Ken (Burrs) beat the No. 3 seed, and that is someone who had beaten him earlier,鈥� Headlee said. 鈥淗e will be coming back next year. It was a good experience for him.鈥�