Wayne State College wrestling capped off the season at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association National Tournament, Thursday through Saturday, in Allen, Texas.

“We went 8-14 overall, which was our fourth best nationals performance in eight years,” Head Coach Gregory Vander Weil said. “I am just really happy about the season.”

The team was led by 149-pound senior co-captain Devon Rupp, who went 3-2 and was two wins away from becoming an All-American. Rupp was eliminated in the round of 16 for the second straight year.

“Devon was one round away from the round of 12,” Vander Weil said. “There are a lot of guys that are jealous of his success.”

WSC finished with a total of 20 team points, ranking the team 18th overall out of 27 schools in the top division. The Wildcats wrestled against some of the top wrestling programs in the nation.

“You want everyone to be an All-American,” Vander Weil said. “However, there are a lot of other teams that are trying to do the same thing.”

Other WSC wrestlers who picked up victories were 141-pound freshman Ethan Fitzler, 141-pound sophomore Matthew Reeves, 149-pound freshman Hunter Weiss, 133-pound sophomore Nic Gonzalez and 165-pound sophomore Caleb Thomas.

“We hope to get everyone in the weight room this offseason,” Vander Weil said. “You can’t be too strong.”

In addition, the team had three academic All-American representatives: Rupp, Spencer Trout and Matthews Reeves.

“We are hoping to grow our numbers for next season,” Vander Weil said. “Anyone interested can come see me now and get ready to go next year.”

The wrestling club will be celebrating the season with the 2017 Wrestling Alumni and Team Banquet to be held March 25 in Frey Conference Suite. Cost is $20 per person, and to RSVP, contact coach Vander Weil at [email protected] or call (402) 375-7238 by Friday.