LA CROSSE, Wisc. – Three Ithaca College wrestlers returned to the mat for the second day of the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday. Senior captain Carlos Toribio entered the day vying to become the Bombers first National Champion since IC crowned two champions during the 2012 season, while sophomore Jake O'Brien and freshman Sammy Schneider were still alive in the wrestleback portion of the tournament.
 
Toribio advanced out of the semifinal round to be Ithaca's first championship bout participant since 2014, but ultimately settled for National Runner-Up at 197-pounds. Schneider took fifth place at 149-pounds, while O'Brien finishes eighth at 285 pounds.
 
Overall, Ithaca finished ninth in the team standings with 34.0 points. It is the Bombers' highest team finish since coming in fifth during the 2012-13 season.
 
Carlos Toribio – 197 LBS
 
Toribio began his day with a semifinal bout against Kyle Frank from team National Champion Wartburg. The IC senior continued his incredible run down the stretch with a huge victory over the second-seeded grappler, defeating the 197-pounder in a 4-3 decision.
 
The match was a prototypical defensive battle with neither wrestler giving up much in the way of opportunities. Frank was able to get an early takedown and build up some considerable riding time; however, Toribio responded with a pair of escapes and a takedown to take a 4-3 lead into the final period.
 
In classic Toribio fashion, he was relentless in his ride from the top position in the final period. He rode out the entirety of the period to whittle down Frank's ride time advantage and hold on for the 4-3 decision. The victory punched his ticket to the finals and a match against top-seeded Riley Lefever of Wabash.
 
Unfortunately, it would not be a dream ending for Toribio against the reigning three-time National Champion. Lefever capped one of the most decorated careers in NCAA Division III history with a textbook performance against the IC grappler.
 
With both wrestlers coming out aggressive, Lefever was able to take Toribio to the ground for an early takedown and nearly put him on his back just seconds into the bout. Although Toribio fended off the near-fall, he trailed 8-1 to begin the second period.
 
Lefever was not denied in the second period. He gained a quick escape against Toribio and again put his offensive prowess to work. He got in on a single leg to return Toribio to the mat, before locking in the fall with eight seconds remaining in the period.
 
Toribio finishes as National Runner-Up, the Bombers highest individual finish dating back to Alex Gomez '15, who finished National Runner-Up at 133-pounds during the 2014 season.
 
Sammy Schneider – 149 LBS
Schneider began the day right in the thick of the action in the quarterfinal wrestlebacks at 149-pounds. He opened the morning session with a bout against eighth-seeded Zach Wilhelm of Stevens. The Bombers' grappler looked to make it a trifecta on the season, as he had already defeated Wilhelm twice earlier this season.
 
True to the previous two matchups earlier in the year, Saturday's matchup with Wilhelm was another close battle. Schneider was able to pull ahead in the bout and outlast Stevens' man down the stretch for a 6-5 decision to advance to the wrestleback semi's.
 
Schneider faced one of his toughest tests of the season in that round, as he face top-seeded Kenny Martin of Wartburg, who was upset by Southern Maine's Dan Del Gallo in the winner's bracket semifinals. Early on it looked like the IC freshman was going to be able to tally one of his signature victories of the season.
 
Just seconds into the bout, Schneider nearly pinned Martin. With Wartburg's wrestler over-extended on an attempted takedown, Schneider made an excellent step-through, bringing Martin within inches of a fall. Martin was able to just wiggle out before Schneider could bring him to the mat, with IC's rookie settling for an early 6-0 lead on a takedown and four-point near-fall.
 
Martin showed his experience in chipping away at Schneider's hefty lead during the remainder of the match. Presenting little in the way of openings for Schneider to exploit he leveled the score at 6-6 to force overtime.
 
Looking to take a shot early in the overtime period, Schneider nearly got in on Martin's leg, but the savvy Wartburg veteran was able to shake free, using his leverage to turn Schneider to his back for the pin at 7:19.
 
Schneider closed out his first collegiate season on a high note with a dominant performance in the fifth-place matchup. It was a full-circle moment of sorts for the IC grappler, as he faced a rematch against Cole Erickson of Coe College, who he bested by an 8-7 decision in the opening round.
 
The second matchup against Erickson was not nearly as close, as Schneider turned the Coe College wrestler to his back just 1:31 into the first period for the fall. Schneider concludes his season with a 31-3 record and the first NCAA All-American honor of what promises to be a star-studded future for the freshman.
 
Jake O'Brien – 285 LBS
Ithaca's other grappler to enter Saturday in the wrestleback portion of the competition was sophomore heavyweight Jake O'Brien. Although he went on to come up just shy on a pair of close decisions on Saturday, he can take home an All-American honor in what was a breakout second season for the talented IC wrestler.
 
O'Brien opened the day with a wrestleback quarterfinal matchup against Donny Ralston of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The bout was a tactical defensive battle throughout, as O'Brien's technique squared off against the brute strength of Ralston in a classic showdown.
 
With the score tied at 3-3 at the end of three periods, the match went to overtime. After a scoreless minute, O'Brien took the down position. IC's man was able to score an escape shortly into the 30-second period to go up 4-3 in the bout and just a 30-second ride away from a spot in the wrestleback semi's. Unfortunately, he was unable to keep Ralston down in the ensuing period, as Ralston was able to sweep around for a reversal. Ralston fended off a valiant escape attempt by O'Brien in the waning seconds to hold onto the 5-4 win.
 
O'Brien faced a familiar foe in the seventh-place bout, as he again faced Jacob Evans of Waynesburg. Evans defeated O'Brien in a tight 4-3 decision in the opening round and again was able to get the best of O'Brien. The two wrestlers traded points over the first two periods, but Evans was able to keep O'Brien off the scoreboard down the stretch to win the 8-6 decision.
 
O'Brien finishes the tournament in eighth place at 285-pounds.