DANVILLE, Virginia -- Ferrum College's Zach Beckner (125 lbs) and Rayshawn Dixon (285) punched tickets to the NCAA Wrestling Tournament with today's performance in the NCAA Region IV Championships. Both wrestlers won individual regional titles to lead Ferrum to a sixth-place finish in a field of 20 teams held at Averett University's E. Stuart James Grant Center.

TEAM SCORES
1. Baldwin Wallace 180; 2. Roanoke 154.5; 3. Ohio Northern 150.5; 4. Washington & Lee 139; 5. Averett 104; 6. Ferrum 83; 7. Mount Union 77; 8. Washington & Jefferson 72; 9. Otterbein 62.5; 10. Greensboro 42; 11. St. Vincent 38.5; 12. Heidelberg 37.5; 13. Shenandoah 24; 14. Wilmington 17; T15. Randolph 16.5; T15. Waynesburg 16.5; 17. Southern Virginia 16; 18. Thiel 15.5; 19. Hiram 14; 20. Muskingum 6.5

THE BASICS
Beckner and Dixon's regional titles today are the second for each wrestler, and marks the first time Ferrum has had two regional champs in the same season. Beckner won a regional title in 2017, while Dixon won in 2024.

This is the third trip to the NCAA Tournament for both wrestlers. Beckner qualified as a freshman in 2017, reaching the NCAA finals and finishing up as an All-American and becoming Ferrum's first-ever NCAA runner-up in any sport. He also qualified a year ago as a junior. Dixon first qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2023, when Ferrum hosted the national championships at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. He qualified again in 2024, placing fifth to earn All-America.

Beckner and Dixon are the second and third wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Tournament twice, joining current Head Coach Logan Mister, who punched his firth ticket as a freshman in 2014 in Ferrum's first year as a varsity program, then qualified again in 2016 and 2017.

Also competing today for the Panthers and Sam Slate (197) and Joseph Olalde (157), who finished in sixth and seventh place, respectively. This is the first All-Region finish for both wrestlers.

TODAY'S FERRUM WRESTLERS
125: Zach Beckner (4-0, pin, TF, major)
Champ. Round 1 - Zach Beckner (Ferrum) won by fall over Edward McCarthy (Thiel) (Fall 1:56)
Quarterfinal - Zach Beckner (Ferrum) won by tech fall over Matthew Papa (Southern Virginia) (TF-1.5 3:15 (16-1))
Semifinal - Zach Beckner (Ferrum) won by injury default over Tony Urso (Washington & Lee) (Inj. 4:11)
1st Place Match - Zach Beckner (Ferrum) won by major decision over Mason Barrett (Averett) (MD 8-0)

157: Joseph Olalde (3-2, TF, major) 7th place
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Olalde (Ferrum) 3-2 won by major decision over Luke Dolan (Otterbein University) 4-3 (MD 14-1)
Quarterfinal - Michael Petrella (Baldwin Wallace) 4-0 won by fall over Joseph Olalde (Ferrum) 3-2 (Fall 1:25)
Cons. Round 2 - Joseph Olalde (Ferrum) 3-2 won by tech fall over Logan Bechtold (St. Vincent College) 8-9 (TF-1.5 3:43 (17-2))
Cons. Round 3 - Casey Smith (Washington & Jefferson) 22-3 won by decision over Joseph Olalde (Ferrum) 3-2 (Dec 4-2)
7th Place Match - Joseph Olalde (Ferrum) 3-2 won by forfeit over Thane McCoy (Wilmington) 19-9 (For.)

197: Sam Slate (3-3, 2 pins) 6th place
Champ. Round 1 - Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 won by fall over Aidan Belgiorno (Heidelberg) 1-2 (Fall 4:36)
Quarterfinal - Joseph Petrella (Baldwin Wallace) 5-0 won by major decision over Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 (MD 9-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 won by decision over Britton Sorenson (Southern Virginia) 13-20 (Dec 9-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 won by fall over Joseph King (Thiel) 3-2 (Fall 2:13)
Cons. Semi - Gavin Layman (Ohio Northern) 4-1 won by decision over Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 (Dec 6-1)
5th Place Match - Hunter Moore (Roanoke College) 4-2 won by major decision over Sam Slate (Ferrum) 3-3 (MD 11-2)

285: Rayshawn Dixon (4-0, pin, major) 1st place
Champ. Round 1 - Rayshawn Dixon (Ferrum) 4-0 won by fall over Jaron Polk (Waynesburg) 1-2 (Fall 0:29)
Quarterfinal - Rayshawn Dixon (Ferrum) 4-0 won by decision over Scotty Edwards (Muskingum) 28-18 (Dec 7-5)
Semifinal - Rayshawn Dixon (Ferrum) 4-0 won by major decision over Christian McChesney (Washington & Jefferson) 28-6 (MD 15-2)
1st Place Match - Rayshawn Dixon (Ferrum) 4-0 won by decision over Myles Johnson (Ohio Northern) 3-1 (Dec 7-4)

UP NEXT
Meister and his staff will travel to Providence, Rhode Island, with Beckner and Dixon for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, to be hosted Friday and Saturday, March 14-15, by Johnson & Wales University.