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Flames wrestlers defend NCWA national championship crown, earn five individual titles

Liberty University’s men’s wrestling team won a school-record five individual titles and defended its NCWA Grand National Championship crown on Saturday night at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.

The Flames had 11 All-Americans, with 10 of them winning their final match in the first- through seventh-place finals to pull away from Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Apprentice School, 201.5-164, and clinch their third NCWA Grand Nationals trophy in five years. All five Liberty championship finalists prevailed — juniors Andrew Burgette (157 pounds) and Sam Karel (174), seniors Austin Amos (197) and Dominick Johnson (285), and sophomore Jeffrey Allen (235).

“It was the most amazing championship round I’ve ever seen,” said Liberty Assistant Coach Chris Williamson. “Teams rarely put five wrestlers in the finals, and it’s even rarer to win all five. Every single match was very tightly contested and very hard-fought. It was unbelievable.”

Junior Cendall Manley won her third consecutive NCWA women’s title at 170 pounds and her older sister, Charisse Manley, won her first at 143 pounds to lead the Lady Flames to a fourth-place finish.

Read the full story on Liberty’s Club Sports page.

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