CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. - The Elmhurst University men's wrestling team put forth a determined effort at the NCAA DIII Region V tournament, placing 13th of 17 teams with standout performances and hard-fought battles across multiple weight classes.

The highlight of the day for Elmhurst came at 157 pounds, where Rhenzo Augusto delivered an outstanding performance, placing second and scoring 20.0 team points. With his top-three placement, Augusto has earned himself a spot in the 157-pound bracket at the 2025 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.

Augusto stormed through the bracket with a first-round fall over Deonta Giles (Wheaton), a dominant major decision over Thomas Wagner (Case Western Reserve), and another fall in the semifinals against Darian Estevez (Chicago). In the finals, he fell to Aiden Smith (Adrian) in a tough 8-0 major decision.

At 125 pounds, Donovin Fields fought his way to an eighth-place finish, securing 6.0 team points. He opened with a thrilling sudden victory over Jeremy Sarter (Albion) before falling in the quarterfinals to Benyamin Kamali (Olivet). Fields rebounded with a dominant tech fall over Edward Alizio (Case Western Reserve) but was later defeated in the consolation bracket by Mason Jones (Manchester) and in the seventh-place match by Cameron A. Lee (Millikin).

Joe Fornaro (133 lbs) ended his tournament with a 1-2 record, scoring 2.5 team points. After an early loss to Anthony Zamora (Wheaton), Fornaro bounced back with a quick fall over Tyler Davis (Adrian) before being eliminated via tech fall by Robert Davids (Olivet).

Competing at 149 pounds, Diego Garcia also went 1-2, earning 1.5 team points. He dropped his first bout to Brendan Connolly (Chicago) but came back strong with a major decision over CJ Briner (Trine). His tournament run ended in a narrow decision loss to Kyle Bizjak (John Carroll).At 165 pounds, Mataeo Blessing had a challenging day, finishing 0-2 and unable to score team points. He lost by tech fall to Brayden Peet (Wisconsin-Whitewater) in the opening round and was eliminated after a major decision loss to Peyton Brooks (Albion).

Caleb Smith (174 lbs) recorded a 1-2 finish, contributing 2.5 team points. After an opening-round loss to Javen Estrada (North Central), Smith picked up a fall over Cooper McCloy (Wabash) in the consolation bracket. However, his run ended with a pin against Zachary Knapp (Albion).

At 184 pounds, Connor Kelly was unable to secure a win, going 0-2 on the day. He suffered a fall in his opening match against Cade Creighton (Chicago) and then lost by major decision to Zachary Huckaby (Wabash).

Finally, at 197 pounds, Eugene Lee battled to a 1-2 record, scoring 2.5 team points. He was overpowered in his first match by Gunnar Garriques (Chicago) via tech fall but responded with a pin against Bryce Warner (Alma). His tournament ended in another tech fall loss to Jesse Kanatzar (John Carroll).

UP NEXT

Augusto will compete at the 2025 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday, March 14-15 at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.

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