Webb Earns All-American Status at U23 Nationals
Webb Earns All-American Status at U23 Nationals
GENEVA, Ohio – Standout junior wrestler Daryus Webb became the first athlete in Avila wrestling history to earn All-American status in any discipline, placing eighth at the USA Wrestling U23 Greco-Roman Championship last weekend.
Associate head coach Zach Revier brought a crew consisting of Webb, Luke Ward and Tyler Johnson out to Ohio to compete in one of the premier wrestling events in the annual schedule last weekend. A major launching pad for many athletes, Nationals meets provide direct pathways for wrestlers to represent the United States in national and international competitions. It’s the first time Avila wrestling has had multiple athletes compete at an event of this caliber, and it’s certainly the first time an Eagle has placed at an event like this.
“This proves that we’re trending in the right direction. It’s a major stepping stone for Avila as a program,” Revier said.
Webb, Ward and Johnson all wrestle collegiately in the Folkstyle discipline, as every male collegiate wrestler in the United States does. But once a wrestler gets to the nationals level, they have to be prepared to compete in one or two completely different disciplines: Freestyle and Greco-Roman, the two international standards.
All three wrestlers competed in both disciplines against some of the best wrestlers born in the U.S. in the year 2000 or later from across the nation. It’s an elite competition, pitting wrestlers from across the collegiate landscape – NAIA to NCAA – against top club wrestlers and even some with international experience already.
“This is the hardest tournament these guys will compete in,” Revier said.
Just like in the NAIA Tournament, the top eight wrestlers in each weight class earn All-American distinction, an elite recognition. But unlike in a collegiate tournament, there’s an even bigger prize on the line: with one or two caveats aside, the top three wrestlers in each weight class automatically make the U.S. National Team, with the privilege of competing in national and international events for Team USA.
And Webb’s eight-place finish means he was in with a legit shot to become an international wrestler, and he is technically on the shortlist for a longshot call up to the national team this year. Seeded sixth in the 87 kg weight class in the Greco event, Webb had a first-round bye and then won three of his six contested matches – all by fall. He ultimately dropped the seventh-place match to Jared Voss of Coe College to finish 8th and earn All-American status in Greco, and then turned around the next day and won two matches in the 86 kg bracket in Freestyle to give himself a total of five wins on the weekend.
Ward and Johnson held their own in the biggest event of their careers. Johnson defeated Michael Tharpe of Indiana Tech in an 18-7 final to earn a victory on the national stage, and the two young athletes will bring a ton of experience back to Kansas City heading into the fall.
“I’m proud of their ability to push their comfort zone, especially with a different discipline,” said Revier, who has plenty of experience with Greco wrestling from his time at Williams Baptist. “Greco is tough, it’s not everyone’s forte. But this experience is going to pay huge dividends not only in their wrestling careers but in their lives as well.”
