The Wichita, Kan., native went 2-0 on the first day of the national tournament to reach the semifinals. Page picked up a 15-0 technical fall against Pittsburg-Johnstown’s Damon Sims and a 4-0 decision against Chris Giddens (UNC Pembroke).
In the semis, Page ran into top-ranked heavyweight and defending national champion Ziad Haddad. Page trailed Haddad, 4-1, after the first period and scored an early escape in the second to cut the deficit to two (4-2). Late in the match, Page looked for a match-tying takedown by was countered by Haddad, eventually losing 6-2.
Page reached the third-place match with a 10-4 decision over Andy Welton of Mercyhurst, jumping out to an 8-3 lead in the first two periods. From there, Page added a takedown and gave up an escape in the third, hanging on to advance to the consolation finals.
Page started in a flurry against Garrett Grey (Tiffin) in the third place match, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in the first. Page had a takedown and seven near-fall points (one five-count) in the first minute of the match, racking up over two minutes of riding time. After choosing top in the second, Page was hurt by a switch and Grey awarded the reversal. After an escape late in the period, Page held a 10-2 advantage entering the third, where both wrestlers started on their feet. Late in the match, Page countered a desperation takedown attempt for another two points, earning a point of riding time and securing the major decision.
Page is the ninth All-American coached by Chas Thompson and the 35th All-American in FHSU’s NCAA history. Overall, the program has had 74 All-Americans in its time in the NAIA and NCAA, including Page.
The final round of the NCAA Championships is set to begin at 7 p.m., at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. Fans can follow this finals through www.trackwrestling.com, or through the live feed atwww.ncaa.com/liveschedule