Bryce Parke’s national runner-up finish leads 4 Coe All-Americans at NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Coe’s Bryce Parke reached the 133-pound title match of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on Saturday night.

The Kohawk senior forged his way to the finals against Coast Guard’s top-seeded Chase Randall (27-0).

Parke capped the season, dropping a 16-8 major decision to Randall for the championshp and highlighted Coe’s impressive weekend that placed all four qualifiers on the awards stand. The Kohawks tied for sixth in the team race.

“I’m super proud of our four guys we brought out here, representing Coe,” Coe Coach John Oostendorp said in a text to The Gazette. “There is very small room for error at the national tournament and to go 4-for-4 with All-Americans is a testament to the guys and how hard they are competing.”

Parke, who entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, posted back-to-back second-period pins to reached Saturday’s semifinal and secure All-American status for the first time in three national tournament appearances.

In the semifinals, Parke used a four-point nearfall in the second and added a point for riding time to edge The College of New Jersey’s No. 3 Garrett Totten, 8-7, to become Coe’s 17th NCAA finalist and first since Kaleb Reeves in 2023.

Parke was joined on the awards stand by his brother, Brayden, who placed fifth at 125. Brayden, a freshman, lost his opening match but won four straight consolation matches and five of his last six.

Both Parkes are former Linn-Mar preps.

L.J. Richardson and Jared Voss also earned All-American honors. Richardson became a two-time national medalist with a sixth-place finish at 174. He was an All-American in 2023.

Voss placed seventh at 184 in his second national tournament, qualifying two seasons ago.

Luther’s Connor Kidd (133) and Clayton McDonough (157) both placed eighth. McDonough became the Norse’s 23rd two-time All-American.

Loras 174-pounder and former Solon prep Zeb Gnida became a two-time All-American. He finished seventh.

Wartburg tied for the team championship. The Knights were co-champions with host Johnson & Wales University, which was determined after the final bout of the tournament.

Wartburg’s Massoma Endene (197) and heavyweight Mitch Williamson captured titles to give Wartburg a four-point lead, going into the last championship at 125.

Top-seeded Endene won his third national title, beating Wilkes’ No. 2 Cameron Butka, 11-3, and earning a much-needed bonus point that helped Wartburg earn another crown.

Unseeded Williamson scored a takedown as time expired for a 4-1 decision over Coast Guard’s No. 8 Carl DiGiorgio.

J&W’s Joziah Fry topped North Central’s Christian Guzman, 10-5, in the rematch of last year’s 125-pound championship match, which Fry won by major. This time, Guzman kept it closer, allowing Wartburg to share the title. J&W became the first team not named Wartburg or Augsburg to win or share the team title since The College of New Jersey won it all in 1994.

The Knights’ Kyler Romero (149) was third, Kasey Ross (184) was fifth and 141-pounder Tommy Thongseng placed seventh.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com