Thursday, March 21
Kansas City, MO
Air Force Academy
vs
NCAA Championships
Trio of Falcons to Compete at 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/20/2024 1:14:00 PM | Wrestling
2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Thursday-Saturday, March 21-24
T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
NCAA Championship Tournament Central
Air Force seniors Wyatt Hendrickson, Giano Petrucelli, and Sam Wolf will compete for All-America status and national titles at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend.
AIR FORCE SEEDINGS
The Falcons came together for the highest conglomerate of NCAA Championship seedings in program history. Wyatt Hendrickson checked in at No. 3 in the heavyweight division for the highest AF seeding to date. Sam Wolf earned the No. 8 seed, up eight spots from his first NCAA Championship visit last season. In his first NCAA qualification, Petrucelli is seeded No. 14. The full bracket can be found here.
FOLLOW ALONG
All matches of all sessions can be viewed on the ESPN+ platform. Sessions 1, 3, and 5 will also air on ESPN U, while Sessions 2, 4, and 6 will be aired on ESPN. Live updates for Air Force Wrestling can be found on X.com @AF_Wrestle.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 21
Doors Open 9:30 a.m.
Session 1 11:00 a.m.
Doors Open 4:30 p.m.
Session 2 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Doors Open 9:30 a.m.
Session 3 11:00 a.m.
Doors Open 5:30 p.m.
Session 4 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
Doors Open 8:30 a.m.
Session 5 10:00 a.m.
Doors Open 4:30 p.m.
Parade of All-Americans 5:35 p.m.
Session 6 6:00 p.m.
IN THE FIRST ROUND
(14) Giano Petrucelli (AF) 22-7 vs. (19) Gunner Filipowicz (ARMY) 25-10
(8) Sam Wolf (AF) 18-4 vs. (25) David Key (NAVY) 18-12
(3) Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) 22-1vs. (30) Seth Nevills (MD) 15-9
CHASING NATIONAL CHAMPION
Air Force has one NCAA National Champion in program history: Don Henderson. A three-time MIWA champion, Henderson won the title at 145 pounds in 1967. Hendrickson has his eyes set on the feat.
EYES ON ALL-AMERICA
The Air Force wrestling program boasts a proud history, with nine different wrestlers earning All-America accolades a combined 12 times.
Terry Issacson became the Falcons' first All-American, finishing second at 167 pounds in 1962. He backed up that performance with a fourth-place finish in 1963 and a sixth-place finish in 1964, becoming Air Force's first and only three-time All-American.
Henderson, who won the title at 145, earned the coveted status in 1967.
Twins Ken and Kirt Donaldson were next to garner All-America honors in 1971. Ken became the next runner-up, finishing second at 126 pounds, while Kirt took fifth place at 118 pounds that season. Four years later, Bob Orwig became the next All-American, finishing fifth at 190 pounds.
It was almost 30 years before another Air Force wrestler would earn All-America honors, but the Falcons came on strong in 2002— three Air Force wrestlers finished as All-Americans that year. Scott Frohardt (149) and Kevin Hoy (HWT) took eighth place, while Terry Parham (174) finished seventh.
Hoy had an even more impressive finish in 2003, placing second. He became just the third national runner-up in Air Force history, and just the second wrestler to earn All-America accolades in more than one season.
Hendrickson's major decision over Zach Elam in the quarter finals match of the 2023 NCAA Championships guaranteed his All-America status, marking the first All-American for Air Force in 20 years.
LAST TIME AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Hendrickson returned to the United States Air Force Academy bearing a third-place medal from the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Air Force finished tied for 18th in the field with the most team points in program history. Hendrickson claimed four major awards for Air Force including his second consecutive NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Award.
QUICK HITS FROM 2023
-Best team finish in program history
-28.5 team points: tied for 18th (OK State), overtaking the talented 2002 Air Force team (22.5) that boasts a program best three All-Americans
-Finished tied for 5th in the Big 12 out of 12 conference teams in attendance.
-Finished ahead of Navy (T-50th, 2.5) and Army (T-56th, 0.5)
-Hendrickson earned the Most Falls Award (16, season), the Gorriaran Award (most NCAA tournament pins, 3), and his second Div. I Most Dominant Wrestler Award.
-Falcons pinned three All-Americans boasting a total of eight All-American accolades.
-Air Force pinned four B1G wrestlers in a total time of 14:02, averaging 3:05 per pin with a fastest pin coming by way of Cody Phippen against three-time NCAA qualifier Dylan Ragusin of Michigan (2:02).
-Falcons beat four All-Americans with 10 total AA accolades on the event.
IN THE HUNT FOR MOST DOMINANT
Hendrickson, the reigning two-time NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler, is in the chase yet again. He is tied with Kelvin Griffin of Lehigh for most pins in the nation (15). Hendrickson assumes the lead on to time criteria. The Falcon notched his 15 pins in 23:08 while Griffinn took 44:59 to tally his.
Thursday-Saturday, March 21-24
T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
NCAA Championship Tournament Central
Air Force seniors Wyatt Hendrickson, Giano Petrucelli, and Sam Wolf will compete for All-America status and national titles at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend.
AIR FORCE SEEDINGS
The Falcons came together for the highest conglomerate of NCAA Championship seedings in program history. Wyatt Hendrickson checked in at No. 3 in the heavyweight division for the highest AF seeding to date. Sam Wolf earned the No. 8 seed, up eight spots from his first NCAA Championship visit last season. In his first NCAA qualification, Petrucelli is seeded No. 14. The full bracket can be found here.
FOLLOW ALONG
All matches of all sessions can be viewed on the ESPN+ platform. Sessions 1, 3, and 5 will also air on ESPN U, while Sessions 2, 4, and 6 will be aired on ESPN. Live updates for Air Force Wrestling can be found on X.com @AF_Wrestle.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 21
Doors Open 9:30 a.m.
Session 1 11:00 a.m.
Doors Open 4:30 p.m.
Session 2 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Doors Open 9:30 a.m.
Session 3 11:00 a.m.
Doors Open 5:30 p.m.
Session 4 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
Doors Open 8:30 a.m.
Session 5 10:00 a.m.
Doors Open 4:30 p.m.
Parade of All-Americans 5:35 p.m.
Session 6 6:00 p.m.
IN THE FIRST ROUND
(14) Giano Petrucelli (AF) 22-7 vs. (19) Gunner Filipowicz (ARMY) 25-10
(8) Sam Wolf (AF) 18-4 vs. (25) David Key (NAVY) 18-12
(3) Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) 22-1vs. (30) Seth Nevills (MD) 15-9
CHASING NATIONAL CHAMPION
Air Force has one NCAA National Champion in program history: Don Henderson. A three-time MIWA champion, Henderson won the title at 145 pounds in 1967. Hendrickson has his eyes set on the feat.
EYES ON ALL-AMERICA
The Air Force wrestling program boasts a proud history, with nine different wrestlers earning All-America accolades a combined 12 times.
Terry Issacson became the Falcons' first All-American, finishing second at 167 pounds in 1962. He backed up that performance with a fourth-place finish in 1963 and a sixth-place finish in 1964, becoming Air Force's first and only three-time All-American.
Henderson, who won the title at 145, earned the coveted status in 1967.
Twins Ken and Kirt Donaldson were next to garner All-America honors in 1971. Ken became the next runner-up, finishing second at 126 pounds, while Kirt took fifth place at 118 pounds that season. Four years later, Bob Orwig became the next All-American, finishing fifth at 190 pounds.
It was almost 30 years before another Air Force wrestler would earn All-America honors, but the Falcons came on strong in 2002— three Air Force wrestlers finished as All-Americans that year. Scott Frohardt (149) and Kevin Hoy (HWT) took eighth place, while Terry Parham (174) finished seventh.
Hoy had an even more impressive finish in 2003, placing second. He became just the third national runner-up in Air Force history, and just the second wrestler to earn All-America accolades in more than one season.
Hendrickson's major decision over Zach Elam in the quarter finals match of the 2023 NCAA Championships guaranteed his All-America status, marking the first All-American for Air Force in 20 years.
LAST TIME AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Hendrickson returned to the United States Air Force Academy bearing a third-place medal from the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Air Force finished tied for 18th in the field with the most team points in program history. Hendrickson claimed four major awards for Air Force including his second consecutive NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Award.
QUICK HITS FROM 2023
-Best team finish in program history
-28.5 team points: tied for 18th (OK State), overtaking the talented 2002 Air Force team (22.5) that boasts a program best three All-Americans
-Finished tied for 5th in the Big 12 out of 12 conference teams in attendance.
-Finished ahead of Navy (T-50th, 2.5) and Army (T-56th, 0.5)
-Hendrickson earned the Most Falls Award (16, season), the Gorriaran Award (most NCAA tournament pins, 3), and his second Div. I Most Dominant Wrestler Award.
-Falcons pinned three All-Americans boasting a total of eight All-American accolades.
-Air Force pinned four B1G wrestlers in a total time of 14:02, averaging 3:05 per pin with a fastest pin coming by way of Cody Phippen against three-time NCAA qualifier Dylan Ragusin of Michigan (2:02).
-Falcons beat four All-Americans with 10 total AA accolades on the event.
IN THE HUNT FOR MOST DOMINANT
Hendrickson, the reigning two-time NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler, is in the chase yet again. He is tied with Kelvin Griffin of Lehigh for most pins in the nation (15). Hendrickson assumes the lead on to time criteria. The Falcon notched his 15 pins in 23:08 while Griffinn took 44:59 to tally his.
Players Mentioned
HWT
/ Wrestling
157/165
/ Wrestling
125/133
/ Wrestling
174
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