GREENVILLE, Pa.—One night after earning All-American honors, Thiel junior wrestler Jacob Lowry (Smithfield, Pa./Albert Gallatin) wrapped up the 2014 NCAA Championships with a third-place finish at the U.S. Cellular Center Saturday.
Lowry began the final day with a spot in the 197 lbs., national title match on the line, but lost to second-seeded and returning All-American Shane Siefert of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to drop into the consolation semifinals.
With the loss, the longest winning streak to start a season in Thiel wrestling history came to an end, as the Albert Gallatin product had won 38 straight matches to start the 2013-14 season. It is the second-longest winning streak in school history, as 134-pounder Mike Lewis rebounded from a loss in his third match of the 1992-93 season to rattle off 44-straight wins before taking third at the 1993 NCAA National Championships.
Lowry made quick work of Donnie Horner of Coe College in the consolation semis, as he tacked on two points with a takedown just 16 seconds into the match. The junior followed with three more points by nearfall a minute later, and stuck Horner at the 1:30 mark to advance to the third-place match.
Against Aaron Karns of Delaware Valley in the third-place match, Lowry took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first, and held off a late, third period rally by Karns that tied the match (2-2) to decision (3-2) Karns with the help of riding time.
The third-place finish by Lowry is the highest finish by a Tomcat at the national tournament since Lewis did so in 1993.
Despite Saturday's lone blemish on an otherwise perfect season, Lowry completed an impressive tournament, finishing with a 4-1 record to improve to 40-1 on the season and run his career record to 87-9.
The Smithfield, Pa., native is Thiel's 26th All-American all-time. The Tomcats have had at least one All-American every year since 2008.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.