Wichita, Kan.  – The Missouri Baptist Men's Wrestling team sent two members to the NAIA Men's Wrestling Championships in Wichita, Kan. over the weekend, with nationally-ranked Dillon Witt entered at 133 pounds and Tony Connor competing at 174 pounds.
 
Witt, a junior from Sullivan, Mo. had his tournament start with a thud, but picked up momentum and made an impressive run through the consolation bracket. Entering the tournament as the No. 15-seeded wrestler in the weight class, Witt lost his opening match by major decision 10-0 to Isaiah Miller of the University of Jamestown (N.D.). Moving into the back side of the bracket, Witt was able to regroup for an 11-7 decision over No. 16-seed Nate Becker of Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.). Witt then cruised through his next match with a 9-3 decision against Randy Frailey of Siena Heights University (Mich.) Witt's tournament run would come to an end in the Round of Twelve or "Blood Round" when he lost by fall to third-seeded Sammy Shires of Cumberland University (Tenn.). Witt came within one match of achieving All-American status and was one of 12 wrestlers left standing in the tournament at the time of his departure.
 
Meanwhile in the 174-pound weight class, Connor was pitted against No. 2-seeded Cole Smith of Cumberland. The native of Collinsville, Okla. was able to get the match to a second period before losing by fall. In the consolation bracket he was matched up with No. 16-seed Cade Gubler of Montana State University – Northern. Connor trailed only 4-2 late in the second period before ultimately dropping the match via a 10-2 decision.
 
This is the third time in three years at Missouri Baptist that Witt has qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, his first year at 125 pounds and the last two at 133. The tournament berth for Connor is his first as a Spartan after qualifying for the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament a year ago when he was at Labette Community College (Kan.).

In the team competition, Grand View University (Iowa) won their twelfth national championship in the last 13 years.