March 18, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - Germane Lindsey will head to the NCAA National Wrestling Tournament in St. Louis on Thursday where he will represent the Bobcats at 141 pounds.

Lindsey (Cincinnati, Ohio) qualified for nationals after taking third place at the MAC Championships on March 8. He is just one of three true freshmen wrestlers to qualify at 141 pounds for the national tournament this year.

At the conference tournament, Lindsey lost his opening round match to Kent State's No. 18 ranked Drew Lashaway but fought his way back into the qualifiers with two straight victories in the consolation bracket before falling to Lashaway again the consolation championship.

While normally a conference champion and runner-up will be the only wrestlers to qualify, the field at 141 pounds in the MAC was so strong that Lindsey, finishing third, also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Lindsey will begin his day at nationals against Boise State's Levi Jones, who compiled an 8-4 record at 141 pounds this season. If Lindsey defeats Jones, awaiting in the second round could be Michigan's No. 3 seeded Kellen Russell, who posted a 25-5 mark this season.

Of the three MAC competitors to qualify at 141 pounds, Lindsey could have the best chance at advancing in the bracket.

Lashaway, with a 29-9 record this season, could see the No. 1 seed - Caly Poly's 26-0 Chad Mendes - while MAC Tournament champion Pat McElmore has drawn No. 4 seeded Nathan Morgan of perennial powerhouse Oklahoma State, who posted a mark of 29-3 this season.

The NCAA National D-I Wrestling Tournament is a double elimination event with losers in the champions bracket dropped to the consolation bracket. But unlike in the MAC, the highest a consolation bracket competitor can finish is third, as the loser of the championship match does not have to compete for his runner-up status.