Garret Lambrecht and Rulin Pederson each earned All-America honors at the NAIA Wrestling National Championships. Photo / Tim Tushla

Garret Lambrecht, a senior from Wood River, Neb., and Rulin Pederson, a senior from Sioux City, each earned NAIA All-America honors at the 2015 NAIA Wrestling National Championships held March 6-7 in Topeka, Kan.

Lambrecht placed seventh in the 141 lb. division, while Pederson placed eighth at 184 lbs. Pederson also earned All-America honors with a sixth place finish at last year’s NAIA National Championships.

Lambrecht, ranked 13th in the nation, pinned Tyler Hinton of Ottawa University in 2:22 in his seventh place consolation match.

Pederson, also ranked 13th, lost a 5-2 decision against 11th-ranked Sterling Terry of Midland University in his seventh place consolation match. Pederson had dropped a 2-0 decision against Terry when they met earlier this season at the NAIA North Qualifying Tournament.

Lambrecht lost a 14-3 major decision against fifth-ranked Daniel Leonard of Lindsey Wilson College in Saturday’s consolation quarterfinals.  Pederson also lost in Saturday’s consolation quarterfinals by a 10-4 decision against 10th-ranked Jacob Abrams of Southern Oregon University.

Lambrecht opened the tournament with a 9-4 victory against Bobby Ehman of the University of the Cumberlands before he dropped into the consolation bracket after a 13-3 loss against second-ranked Kyle Wilson of the University of Great Falls in the quarterfinals. Lambrecht stayed alive in the consolation bracket when he pinned Alec Chanthapatheth of Hastings College in 4:27. Lambrecht pinned Chanthapatheth for the third time in as many meetings this season.

Pederson opened the tournament with a 6-2 loss against second-ranked Jose Cruz III of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Pederson won an 11-5 decision against 14th-ranked Ethan Jirak of Benedictine College in his first consolation match and then won an 8-3 decision against Dalton Bailey of Life University. 

Steven Garcia, a freshman 149 pounder from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; Jay Sornson, a freshman 165 pounder from Nebraska City, Neb.; and Jared McCoy, a sophomore 197 pounder from Climbing Hill, Iowa, were all eliminated on Friday.

Garcia, the nation’s 14th-ranked 149 pounder, opened the tournament with an 8-3 loss against second-ranked Jake Williams of Cumberland, the reigning 149 lb. NAIA National Champion. Garcia avenged a pair of prior defeats when he won a 6-3 decision against 12th-ranked Seth Ehlang of Dickinson State University in his first consolation match. Garcia had lost 4-2 and 6-5 decisions against Ehlang earlier this season. Garcia added another victory with a 3-2 decision against ninth-ranked Christian Franks of Menlo College before he was eliminated in an overtime match against sixth-ranked Isaac Thomas of Lindsey Wilson. Thomas won on riding time after the two battled to a 3-3 deadlock in two overtimes.

The ninth-ranked Sornson lost a first round 9-4 decision against Brock Pickard of Great Falls. Sornson pinned 14th-ranked D’Monte Aursby of Waldorf College in 3:44 in his first consolation match before he was eliminated after a 4-1 loss against Taylor Hodel of Dickinson State. 

McCoy was pinned in 53 seconds by second-ranked Garret DeMers of Montana State University-Northern in the first round. McCoy won a 3-2 decision against 15th-ranked Erik Medina of Simpson University in his first consolation match before he was eliminated after a 9-8 loss against 12th-ranked Andrew Mahone of Missouri Baptist University.

Morningside Results
141- Garret Lambrecht (Morningside) def. Bobby Ehman (Univ. of the Cumberlands), 9-4; Kyle Wilson (Great Falls) def. Lambrecht, 13-3. Lambrecht pinned Alec Chanthapatheth (Hastings), 4:27. Daniel Leonard (Lindsey Wilson) def. Lambrecht, 14-3. Lambrecht pinned Tyler Hinton (Ottawa), 2:22. Lambrecht placed 7th.

149- Jake Williams (Cumberland) def. Steven Garcia (Morningside), 8-3. Garcia def. Seth Ehlang (Dickinson State), 6-3; Garcia def. Christian Franks (Menlo), 3-2. Isaac Thomas (Lindsey Wilson) def. Garcia, 3-3 2 OT. Garcia is eliminated.

165- Brock Pickard (Great Falls) def. Jay Sornson (Morningside), 9-4. Sornson pinned D’Monte Aursby (Waldorf), 3:44. Taylor Hodel (Dickinson State) def. Sornson, 4-1. Sornson is eliminated.

184- Jose Cruz III (Embry-Riddle) def. Rulin Pederson (Morningside), 6-2. Pederson def. Ethan Jirak (Benedictine), 11-5. Pederson def. Dalton Bailey (Life), 8-3. Jacob Abrams (Southern Oregon) def. Pederson, 10-4. Sterling Terry (Midland) def. Pederson, 5-2. Pederson placed 8th.

197- Garret DeMers (Montana State-Northern) pinned Jared McCoy (Morningside), 0:53. McCoy def. Erik Medina (Simpson), 3-2. Andrew Mahone (Missouri Baptist) def. McCoy, 9-8. McCoy is eliminated.