ROANOKE, Va. – Freshman Joziah Fry capped off a historic first season of collegiate wrestling by winning the 125 lb. championship for the Johnson & Wales (RI) University wrestling team at the 2023 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship Saturday night at The Berglund Center.

Top-seeded Fry began the day with a 21-3 tech fall victory in 6:09 over No. 4 seed Christian Guzman of North Central College, which set up a meeting with No. 2 seed and defending national champion Jacob Decater from Baldwin-Wallace in the finals. Fry recorded his 43rd and final win of the 2022-23 campaign with a 4-2 win by decision to become the first national champion from JWU since Jay Albis, who won both the 2018 and 2019 crowns at 125 lbs.

Earlier in the day, junior Hayden Brown (149 lbs.) was defeated in the round of 16 via fall in 1:26 against No. 6 seed Javen Estrade (North Central). He responded with a win against No. 8 Chase Summer (Ohio Northern) in :58 seconds via pin in the consolation bracket to advance to the finals, where he faced No. 4 seed Hunter Gutierrez (Stevens). Brown – who defeated Gutierrez by a 3-2 decision back on January 27 at the Wildcat Center – won a 6-1 decision in the consolation finals to finish No. 3 in the country at 149 lbs.

Sophomore Dylan Harr finished No. 4 in the nation in the 197 lb. weight class to earn All-America status. Wrestling out of the consolation bracket, he defeated No. 5 seed Beau Yineman (Wis.-Oshkosh) via 6-5 decision and No. 6 seed Tyler Hannah (Wis.-Platteville) by a 3-1 decision to advance to the finals. Matched against No. 4 seed Chibueze Chukwuezi (Ithaca), Harr was on the losing end of a 5-1 decision. 

Overall, the Wildcats placed sixth as team with 52.0 points. Augsburg was crowned national champions with 101.0 points, ahead of Wartburg (66.5 points), Baldwin Wallace (66.0), North Central (IL) (63.5), and Wis.-La Crosse (61.0).