2024 NCAA Division II Championships [Live Video] [Live Results/Brackets]
Hartman Arena - Wichita, Kan. - Friday/Saturday, 10 a.m. CT

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OREDIGGERS START POSTSEASON IN PUEBLO
The college wrestling season comes to an end this weekend in Kansas as Colorado School of Mines 149-pounder Cody Thompson competes in the NCAA Division II Championships at Hartman Arena outside of Wichita. The four-session, double-elimination tournament starts Friday at 10 a.m. CT, with the second session Friday night at 5 p.m. CT; Saturday's two sessions are at 10 a.m. CT and 7 p.m. CT. All mats will stream live on ncaa.com and live results on TrackWrestling.

THOMPSON MAKES FIRST NATIONALS FIELD
After winning the NCAA Super Region VI title at 149 pounds, Cody Thompson will represent the Orediggers at the NCAA Championships this weekend. A redshirt sophomore, Thompson has been red hot in the second half of the season, going 21-2 overall this season including 11 consecutive victories in an undefeated calendar-year 2024 thus far. Thompson blew through the regionals field to clinch his nationals spot, going 3-0 with a win by fall, a decision, and a tech fall in the regional final to make his first trip to the championships. Thompson, a native of Loveland, Colo., holds a 33-12 career record.

BREAKING DOWN THE BRACKET
Thompson, despite winning his region and going 21-2 overall, got a tough draw in the 149-pound bracket, having to face UIndy's Jackson Hoover (23-10) in a pigtail with the winner facing eighth-seeded Cael Larson of Augustana (14-6). Thompson has faced three other wrestlers in this year's field, all of them on the same side of the bracket; he owns three wins over Western Colorado's Dean Noble (10-7 on Dec. 16, 17-1 on Jan. 13, and 19-4 on March 2) and a victory over Nebraska-Kearney's John Burger (13-6 in the UNK Open final on Nov. 18). One of his two losses this season came to Wisconsin-Parkside's Jalen Spuhler (by fall at the Midwest Classic), a potential quarterfinal or consolation first round opponent. 

NOTING MINES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mines is making its 54th NCAA championship appearance since 1958 … Mines' best team finish at the NCAA Division II meet was seventh in 1996 ... 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 … Thompson is the 47th different Oredigger to make the nationals field in the qualification era dating back to 1975. 

NOT ALONE
Thompson isn't the only Oredigger in Wichita this weekend - Mines' 157-pounder, Jakob Smith, has made the trip as Thompson's training partner. Smith had a breakout redshirt freshman season going 12-7 and placing fourth regionally, and has an important job prepping Thompson for the nation's best this weekend.

OREDIGGERS EARN RMAC AWARDS
Freshman of the Year Wyatt Reisz leads five Colorado School of Mines wrestlers named to the 2024 All-RMAC Wrestling Teams on March 4. Cody Thompson earned a spot on the first team, Reisz was named to the second team along with Ryan Cody, and Grayston DiBlasi and Christian Lopez were named honorable mention. Reisz is the first Freshman of the Year in program history.

IN THE POLLS
Thompson is ranked #12 in the latest OpenMat rankings, tying his highest appearance of the season as he has been in and out of the polls. Thompson has been ranked in eight OpenMat and two NWCA rankings releases this season.

LEADING THE WAY
No matter what happens this weekend, Thompson will lead Mines in wins this season as he is the only Oredigger to reach 20 victories at 21-2. He tops the team with seven technical falls and 14 overall bonus-point wins; he was also the only Oredigger to go an unbeaten 10-0 in duals. 

AT THE HELM
Head Coach Austin DeVoe is in his 11th season in charge of the Mines Wrestling program, having rebuilt the Orediggers into a national contender with a pair of RMAC titles, seven all-Americans, and seven Academic All-Americans in his tenure. With 76 dual wins under his belt, Mines has had seven consecutive winning dual seasons including the only three double-digit win seasons in program history, and Mines tied the program record for wins last year at 11-2. On the national stage, Mines has had team success as well including an 11th-place finish in 2022 which was the program's best finish since the 1990s.