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Daggett Into NCAA Semifinals, Earns All-America Status

| By: Todd Anderson, Associate AD/Strategic Initiatives
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Nick Daggett used a takedown in the first overtime period to subdue third-ranked Dawson Collins of Colorado Mesa, punch his ticket to Sunday's semifinal round and clinch all-America honors for the third-straight season on Friday at the NCAA Division II Championships.
 
Daggett will face a familiar foe in Saturday's semifinal matchup – top-ranked and top-seeded Cole Laya of West Liberty. Laya upended the UNCP senior three times last season, including a 12-2 major decision in the national championship matchup. Laya registered a win via technical fall in his opener on Friday, and then tallied a 6-1 decision over Limestone's Kevin Radcliff in the quarterfinal round.
 
Sophomore Zach Shaffer was the only other UNCP wrestler to register a victory in Friday's opening round at the NCAA Championships when he used a second-period escape and a third-period stalling point to oust fourth-ranked Jacob Robb of Mercyhurst from the heavyweight tournament. Shaffer had his run on the sport's biggest stage ended a short time later with a tough 2-1 loss to 11th-ranked Freddie Nixon from Gannon.
 
Of UNCP's 13 individual matchups on the day, nine of them came with nationally-ranked opponents. Jake Piccirilli dropped a pair of bouts to top 8-ranked opponents in the 149-pound tournament, while Bryce Walker went the distance with top-ranked Dalton Abney from Central Oklahoma before succumbing via a 4-0 decision.
 
125 Pounds
No. 8 Nick Daggett (UNCP) pinned Branden Mendoza (Tiffin) F 1:17
No. 8 Nick Daggett (UNCP) dec. No. 3 Dawson Collins (Colorado Mesa) SV-1 3-1
149 Pounds
No. 4 Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) maj. dec. Jake Piccirilli (UNCP) M 8-0
No. 8 Wyatt Turnquist (Northern State) dec. Jake Piccirilli (UNCP) D 7-2
165 Pounds
No. 7 Dillon Keane (Pitt-Johnstown) maj. dec. Rahsaan Vereen (UNCP) M 17-4
Ruben Garcia (CSU Pueblo) dec. Rahsaan Vereen (UNCP) D 7-5
184 Pounds
No. 7 Billy Higgins (Nebraska-Kearney) maj. dec. Jovaun Johnson (UNCP) M 18-5
Logan Hall (Notre Dame) maj. dec. Jovaun Johnson (UNCP) M 12-2
197 Pounds
No. 1 Dalton Abney (Central Oklahoma) dec. Bryce Walker (UNCP) D 4-0
Darius Parker (Lander) pinned Bryce Walker (UNCP) F 1:49
285 Pounds
No. 3 Ian Kuehl (McKendree) dec. No. 12 Zach Shaffer (UNCP) SV-2 2-0
No. 12 Zach Shaffer (UNCP) dec. No. 4 Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst) D 2-0
No. 11 Freddie Nixon (Gannon) dec. No. 12 Zach Shaffer (UNCP) D 2-1
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