DUBUQUE – Cornell junior Brian Petry beat a pair of American Rivers Conference foes in Saturday's consolation rounds at the Region VI Championships to punch his ticket to nationals for the second year in a row.
 
The 12th-ranked Petry (29-8) placed third in the 165-pound bracket, clinching an NCAA automatic berth with a decisive 7-1 victory over Wartburg's Aiden Brosinski. After a scoreless first period, Petry took control with an escape and takedown in the second and then sealed it with another takedown late in the third.
 
Petry, seeded third, finished 4-1 over the two-day tournament. His lone blemish was an 8-1 semifinal loss to eventual champion Bo Koedam of Coe. Petry won by fall (2:48) and major decision (11-3) on Friday. He prevailed 4-1 over Dubuque's Kale Roth in Saturday's consolation semifinals.
 
Petry becomes the first Ram to qualify for nationals in back-to-back years since Aaron Engle (2016, 2017). He'll compete at the NCAA Division III Championships March 13-14 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids.
 
Coach Brent Hamm's Rams set a new program scoring record for a regional with 115.5 points. Cornell placed sixth in the tough 19-team field and claimed eight individual placewinners inside the Five Flags Center.  
 
Seniors Austin Wilkins (184 pounds) and Jackson Brinker (197) narrowly missed out on joining Petry at the NCAAs. Both took fourth at their respective weights.
 
Wilkins (20-10) strung together four consecutive wins on the consolation side, including two major decisions and a pin. He fell short in the third-place bout to Dubuque's Zane Pannell, 7-2.
 
Brinker (28-8) closed an outstanding career with his third region medal, going 4-2. Both of his losses came against Central's Samuel West, including a 5-1 setback in the third-place match.
 
Brinker climbed to 21st on Cornell's career wins list (95) and seventh in pins (42).
 
The Rams received fifth-place efforts from senior Jase Van Pelt (24-14) at 125 and junior 10th-ranked AJ Parrish (28-9) at 157. Van Pelt earned a spot on the podium for the fourth consecutive year. He secured his highest region finish with an 8-1 victory over Ozark's Shelton Chastain.
 
Parrish went 3-2 in a rugged weight class featuring four other nationally-ranked individuals. The two-time placer handled Coe's 11th-ranked Zachary Montez in the fifth-place match, 8-1.
 
Senior Eli Sneed (29-14) finished sixth for the second straight year at 133, recording two pins and a technical fall. He was edged 5-3 by Coe's Brody Neighbor in the place match. Sneed won 85 career matches as a Ram.
 
Freshmen Nolan Howell (seventh at 174) and Owen Adlfinger (eighth at 149) both made the podium in their first regional attempt. All four of Howell's wins came with bonus points, including a pin in 2:30 over Nebraska Wesleyan's Emilio Chavez for seventh. He finished the season 25-10.
 
Adlfinger (24-22) tallied two pins and a technical fall during his 3-3 tournament.
 
Sophomore Dylan Heater (141) and junior Braydon Hoffman (285) were both first-time regional competitors and did not place.
 
Cornell results
125 – Jase Van Pelt (5th, 4-2). 133 – Eli Sneed (6th, 3-3). 141 – Dylan Heater (DNP, 1-2). 149 – Owen Adlfinger (8th, 3-3). 157 – AJ Parrish (5th, 3-2). 165 – Brian Petry (3rd, 4-1). 174 – Nolan Howell (7th, 4-2). 184 – Austin Wilkins (4th, 4-2). 197 – Jackson Brinker (4th, 4-2). 285 – Braydon Hoffman (DNP, 0-2).