Two Liberty wrestlers named national champions

Two Liberty University wrestlers won individual national titles in their weight classes at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday, March 10.

Aaron Thompson (197 lbs.) and Scott Clymer (141 lbs.) joined 12 teammates at the competition. Seven Liberty wrestlers earned All-American honors, with the team ending the championships in third place.

“We had more championship finalists than any team, but couldn’t quite match the depth of Notre Dame (first) and California Baptist (second),” said head coach Jesse Castro.

The Flames came into the championships ranked No. 1 in the latest NCWA Coaches Poll.

The Flames have already had success on a national scale. The team took home the NCWA National Duals trophy in January in Dalton, Ga.

Liberty also won the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship at home on Saturday, Feb. 25, where they earned first place in seven weight classes and had 14 wrestlers qualify for nationals.

Liberty is in its first year of NCWA membership after reclassifying its NCAA Division I program to a club sport at the end of last season.

Wrestling has been offered at Liberty since 1973 and is one of the 29 Club Sports programs.

• View results for the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships here.