2023 NCAA Division II Championships [Live Video] [Live Results] [Brackets]
hosted at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Friday/Saturday

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OREDIGGERS SEND FOUR TO IOWA
The 2022-23 college wrestling season comes down to one final meet as four Colorado School of Mines grapplers head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships on Friday and Saturday. Friday's first session begins at 10 a.m. CT with Friday night's second session at 5 p.m. CT; Saturday's sessions are at 10 a.m. CT with finals at 7 p.m. CT. Live video of every mat will stream on ncaa.com, and live results are on trackwrestling.com.

WHO'S IN
Mines qualified four individuals to this year's national tournament: Weston DiBlasi at 133 pounds, Grayston DiBlasi at 141 pounds, Carter Noehre at 157 pounds, and Anderson Salisbury at 197 pounds. It marks the first time since 2020 that Mines has had four qualifiers, which is tied for the most under head coach Austin DeVoe (also in 2019). 

LAST YEAR AT NATIONALS
Mines finished 11th at the NCAA Championships last year, their best team showing since 1996 as they scored 26.5 points. The Orediggers got plenty of point production out of their three qualifiers as Weston Hunt finished fourth and Anderson Salisbury seventh, with Grayston DiBlasi going 2-2 in his NCAA debut.

SUPER REGIONAL REWIND
Mines placed seven of its nine entrants at the NCAA Super Region VI Championships which took place Feb. 25 at Chadron State. Mines' four nationals qualifiers came thanks to runner-up finishes by Grayston DiBlasi and Anderson Salisbury, and third-place wins by Weston DiBlasi and Carter Noehre. Jack Damenti placed fourth and Levi Farris and Ryan Cody fifth at the tournament as Mines came in fifth as a team in one of the closest team races in recent memory. 

NOTING MINES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mines is making its 53rd NCAA championship appearance since 1958 … Mines' best team finish at the NCAA Division II meet was seventh in 1996 ... Mines was 11th last year, its best finish since that 1996 meet ... The Orediggers were also the national runner-up in 1964 before there were divisions, and have been top-10 four times overall at NCAA meets ... The Orediggers have seven individual national champions, the last coming in 1998 when John Simpson won at 184 ... The program has had 55 all-Americans since 1960. 

133 POUNDS - WESTON DIBLASI
Weston DiBlasi makes his first NCAA appearance in his first season as an Oredigger after going 18-9 during the season and 17-7 vs. D-II. Moving up to 133 from 125 midway through the season, DiBlasi's bracket draw sees him face third-seeded Gavin Quiocho (Glenville State) in the first round, then facing the winner or loser of Taylor Robinson (Mount Olive) and Reece Barnhardt (UMary). DiBlasi is 0-2 against NCAA qualifiers, most recently facing #1 seed Quen Campbell of Chadron at regionals and losing by decision by just a point, 5-4. DiBlasi's tournament finishes this year include third at the Mines Rookie Open, seventh at the Midwest Classic, and third at NCAA regionals.

141 POUNDS - GRAYSTON DIBLASI
Grayston DiBlasi makes his second straight NCAA appearance as a sophomore, leading Mines in wins going 27-5 during the season. DiBlasi heads to nationals ranked #10 by the NWCA this week. DiBlasi's first-round opponent is Central Oklahoma's Nate Keim, the sixth seed, who DiBlasi faced twice at the Midwest Classic. DiBlasi is 3-3 against NCAA qualifiers this season, losing both times to Keim but defeating second-seeded Cayden Henschel of Wisconsin-Parkside by fall, beating potential second-round opponent Josh Blatt of Newberry 3-1, and going 1-1 with Western Colorado's qualifier Dean Noble. DiBlasi won the Mines Rookie Open, was seventh at the Midwest Classic, and runner-up at NCAA Super Regionals. 

157 POUNDS - CARTER NOEHRE
Carter Noehre ends his career on the big stage in his first nationals appearance, with the three-time regional placer going 13-7 in an injury-limited season before making a run two weeks ago to finish third and punch his ticket. Noehre was drawn into one of the first preliminary matches to start the 157-pound bracket, facing Eric Faught of Upper Iowa; the winner will face Dominic Means of Gannon, who Noehre wrestled to a close 5-4 loss at the Midwest Classic. Noehre is battle-tested against NCAA qualifiers, going 3-4 in those matches; four of them were against Colorado Mesa's Ryan Wheeler, whom Noehre split his season series with 2-2, and both men have pinned each other this season. Noehre also owns a win over Belmont Abbey's Maxwell Kiel at the Midwest Classic, and a loss to top-seeded Noah Hermosillo of Adams State.

197 POUNDS - ANDERSON SALISBURY
Becoming just the third Oredigger in the qualification era to make four straight NCAA Championships, Anderson Salisbury hopes to end his Mines career as a three-time all-American, as well. Salisbury earned podium finishes in 2021 and 2022 at 184 pounds; he is the first Oredigger since 2004 to qualify at a second weight class. This year at 197 he is 21-6, and Salisbury is ranked #10 by the NWCA this week. Salisbury is also drawn into a preliminary bout, facing Emmanuel's Micha Clemson to start with the winner facing eighth-seeded Luke McGonigal of Mercyhurst, who Salisbury has faced twice this year. Salisbury has faced four qualifiers in the field, going 1-1 against McGonigal at the Midwest Classic, beating him in sudden victory before forfeiting their third-place bout; Salisbury also faced #1 seed Dalton Abney of UCO there in a 5-2 loss, and has faced Fort Hays State's third-seeded qualifier Tereus Henry three times this season, going 0-3 including two overtime battles, and suffered a close loss to Kash Anderson during the regular season. 

DOUBLE DIGITS
At 11-2 in duals this season, Mines tied the program record for wins (11-3 in 2018-19) and racked up double digit wins for the third time overall under Austin DeVoe. Prior to DeVoe taking over the program, Mines had never won 10 or more duals in a season dating back to 1920. 

IN THE POLLS
Mines is receiving votes in the final regular-season NWCA coaches' poll out last week, with both Grayston DiBlasi (#10 at 141) and Anderson Salisbury (#10 at 197) in the individual rankings. In the latest Open Mat rankings last week, Mines is #25 in both the tournament and dual team rankings, and has four wrestlers in the individual top-20: Weston DiBlasi (#13 at 133), Grayston DiBlasi (#9 at 141), Carter Noehre (#16 at 157), and Salisbury (#7 at 197).