INDIANAPOLIS – History has been made for Maryville Wrestling.
For the first time in program history, the Maryville Wrestling team has won multiple national titles in one year.
Cole Ritter, at 174, and
Ryan Herman, at 285, combined for two titles at the NCAA Division II National Championships, held at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis.
Ritter and Herman become the third and fourth Saints to win an individual title. The Saints finished ninth as a team, despite only sending three wrestlers to the big dance.
This year's event is part of the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival, with competition taking place at Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Semifinal action took place at 10 a.m., with Ritter beginning it with some vengeance over Lawson Losee of Upper Iowa who knocked off Ritter at the GLVC Tournament earlier this year. Ritter used big takedowns in both the first and second periods to punch his ticket to the final match, finding a final score of 10-6.
Herman's semi-final match saw his battle No. 6-seed Jake Swirple of Minot State. Despite some early aggression by Swirple and some physical wrestling, Herman found himself in control heading into the third period.
A stall penalty broke the 0-0 tie in the third in Herman's favor, with an escape and take down helping bring the final score of 6-0 into picture.
As the sun started to set, the champions began to be crowned in Indianapolis. Ritter battled the No. 6-seeded Jacobi Deal of Nebraska-Kearney. Much like his bout against Losee, Ritter was on aggression early.
Ritter scored a first period takedown which left it 3-0 after one. A quiet second bled into a third where Ritter grabbed a fast escape. A stalling call on both wrestlers and riding time found the final score of 5-1, leaving Ritter with his first national title.
It was déjà vu for Herman as he battled Isaiah Vance of Pitt-Johnstown, a foe he had already battled and defeated at the Midwest Classic this season via pin.
The pair stayed even, with escape trades and a Vance reversal leaving it 3-3 with riding time out of period three. The two-minute sudden death saw neither man score, leaving it to ride outs, which after a notoriously tough on top Herman rode out Vance for thirty seconds, Vance chose to let Herman up and try for the take down to win the title.
The phrase "defense wins championships" rode true in the final thirty seconds as Herman stifled any offense from Vance, leaving Herman the 285 National Champion.
DAY 1
Ritter got the ball rolling for the Saints, scoring a 8-0 major over Gannon's Patrick Johnson. He kept the fire going and earned his spot in the semifinals with a big win by sudden victory over No. 4-seed Sevi Garza of Ashland.
For Herman, the day went smooth, with some added revenge. Coming in as the No. 2-seed, he quickly dispatched his first foe by a score of 8-2, setting up a rematch with Wis.-Parkside's Lloyd Reynolds, one of two men all season that have defeated Herman.
That rematch went Herman's way, as a third-period takedown iced the match and sent the big fella to Saturday action unbeaten.
Jeremiah Larson, making his first appearance at the big dance, suffered some unfortunate circumstances, not moving onto Saturday competition.
