WICHITA, Kan. - Twelve Mid-South Conference wrestlers advanced to the NAIA Men’s Wrestling Championship Quarterfinals on the first day of the NAIA Championships at Heartland Credit Union Arena.
 
Cumberlands (Ky.) leads all MSC teams in the standings in sixth with 25 points. Campbellsville (Ky.) is 13th with 19 points, while Georgetown (Ky.) tallied 14.5 points in 19th. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) garnered 12.5 points in 21st, and Cumberland (Tenn.) is 22nd with 12 points. Rio Grande (Ohio) sits in 26th with 8.5 points.
 
Campbellsville’s Izaeah Beavers reached the quarterfinals at 133 pounds. Beavers - seeded 10th - opened his tournament with a 10-4 decision over Randy Frailey of Sienna Heights (Mich.). He then earned a 15-3 major decision over #7 Jason Ramirez of Arizona Christian. Beavers will square off against #2 Gabe Gonzales of Grand View (Iowa) in the quarterfinals.
 
Lindsey Wilson’s Adrian Ayala and Cumberland’s Sammy Shires both made the quarterfinals at 141 pounds. Top-seeded Ayala earned a 15-0 tech fall over Keiser’s (Fla.) Anthony Santos in the first round. He then recorded a 5-0 decision over #16 Drew Jones of Southeastern (Fla.). Ayala faces #8 Logan Wagner of Marian (Ind.) on Friday.
 
Shires - seeded third - recorded a 15-10 decision over Oklahoma City’s Jace Province in round one. He earned a close 8-7 decision over #14 Horacio Godinez of Evergreen (Wash.) to advance to the quarterfinals. Shires faces #11 Yoshiya Funakoshi of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).
 
Campbellsville’s Nik Yancey and Cumberland’s Victor Guzman advanced to the quarterfinals at 149 pounds. The third-seeded Yancey earned a 20-4 tech fall over William Penn’s (Iowa) Brody Brisker. In the second round, he recorded an 8-2 decision over #14 Kris Arrey of Missouri Valley. Yancey will square off against #6 Mario De La Torre of Southeastern.
 
Guzman - seeded fifth - pinned Concordia’s (Neb.) Cal Price in 1:36 in round one. He then recorded a 20-3 tech fall over #12 Caden Eggleston of Morningside (Iowa) in the second round. Guzman now faces #4 Evan Solis of Life (Ga.).
No. 4 seed Jastin Kubwimana of Campbellsville advanced to the quarterfinals at 165 pounds. Kubwimana opened his tournament with a 24-9 tech fall over Concordia’s Cole Price. He advanced to the quarterfinals with an 11-5 decision over #13 Jordan Lomeli of Oklahoma City. Kubwimana takes on #5 Alexander Couto of Life in the quarterfinals.
 
Cumberlands’ Westin Melvin and Campbellsville’s Shadrick Slone advanced in the 174-pounds bracket. #7 Melvin earned a hard-fought 2-1 decision over Teagan Forman of Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.). In the second round, he earned an SV-1 4-1 victory over #10 Braylin Ruchti of Southern Oregon. Melvin faces #2 Roman Garcia of Central Methodist (Mo.) in the quarterfinals.
 
Slone the No. 8 seed advanced to the second round after Keiser’s Ronald Butler medically forfeited in round one. He then pinned Arizona Christian’s #9 Leonardo Galasso in 1:55 to advance to the quarterfinals. Slone now faces top-seeded Tate Picklo of Oklahoma City.
 
Georgetown’s Navarro Nanpuya and Lindsey Wilson’s Ashton Habeil advanced to the quarterfinals at 184 pounds. Nanpuya - seeded seventh - pinned Zahquel Davis of Brewton-Parker in the second period in round one. He then earned an 11-1 major decision over #10 August Batson of Southeastern. Nanpuya takes on #2 Kendall Norfleet of Life in the quarterfinals.
 
No. 9 seed Habeil recorded a 17-0 tech fall over Wayland Baptist’s Dayne Stormer in round one. He then earned a 4-1 decision over teammate #8 Cory Cannan in the second round. Habeil squares off against #1 Tyson Beauperthuy of Doane (Neb.).
 
Cumberlands’ Austin Silva and Rio Grande’s Bruce Wagers advanced to the quarterfinals at 285. #10 Silva opened his tournament with a third-period pin of Texas Wesleyan’s Wilbert Martin. In the second round, Melvin earned a 14-11 decision over Central Methodist’s Garine Gibson. He takes on #2 Kenneth Copley of Embry-Riddle.
 
Wagers pinned #9 Luke Cox of Georgetown in just 52 seconds. He then needed just 20 seconds to pin #8 Shane Mattson of Montana State-Northern. Wagers faces off against top-seeded Zeph Sivels of Midland (Neb.) in the quarterfinals.
 
An additional 10 wrestlers are still alive in the consolation brackets of their respective weight classes.
 
Day two of the NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championship gets underway Friday morning at Heartland Credit Union Arena.