INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Bryce Beatty and Nick Cottone concluded the Marauders' 2024–25 season on wrestling's biggest stage--the NCAA Championships. Both Marauders made their national championship debuts.
Only the top three wrestlers in each weight class from six regions qualified for this elite championship experience. Beatty and Cottone competed with pace and urgency Friday but fell short of their desired results, finishing with a combined 0–4 record. Beatty hangs up his singlet, while redshirt sophomore Cottone will share his experience with his teammates to prepare for the next season.
"Outside of Nick's first match, where he kind of had a little mental block and then couldn't get his stuff going, I think we wrestled hard today," said head coach Jerry Boland. "We prepared well. I was proud of their effort. Bryce, he's a senior, and he kind of just put it all on the line."
Beatty faced tough back-to-back matches, drawing No. 3 seed and 2024 national runner-up Jaxson Rohman from Augustana in the opening round. Beatty fought hard in the first match but was pinned in 1:43, sending him to the consolation round.
"Everybody comes into this tournament 0–0, and it's so true," Boland said. "When you look at the whole perspective of the draw factor, he may have had the toughest draw in the entire tournament. I honestly think in my heart that Bryce went out thinking he could win both matches. That's the kind of competitor Bryce is."
Beatty met Gannon's Logan Shallot in the consolation bracket, which was a rematch from the regular season, which Shallot won by technical fall. Beatty improved the result but not enough, falling by 12-2 major decision. Beatty matched Sallot's intensity, took appropriate shots, and wrestled a hard-fought final match.
Cottone did not have an easy path either. The 141-pounder lost to Quincy's Sabian Russel 5–1, in his first match of the day. Cottone fought throughout the match but could not find his shot to secure a takedown and close the gap.
"We talked after the match and kind of had a bit of a reset," Boland said. "Then he went out and wrestled his tail off in that second match."
Cottone had a complete turnaround in the second match, facing a familiar foe from Gannon, Caleb Chaves. Neither wrestler secured a takedown during regulation. Both earned one escape point, leveling the bout at 1–1. With the match in sudden victory, Chaves managed to gain the edge and secured an early takedown to win 4–1.
"Sometimes, you push to the end and don't get the breaks, and that's what happened in that match," Boland said. "Last time Cottone wrestled Chaves in the regular season, it went his way. This time, Chaves got the break in overtime. I mean, that's the way it goes sometimes."
Beatty concluded his career as a Marauder with a record of 58–44, including six major decisions, 10 technical falls, and 13 falls. His fastest fall came during his senior year in just 46 seconds. Beatty finished on a high note, adding a national qualifier to his resume. There is still much hope for Cottone, who has three more years of eligibility and now NCAA Championships experience. The redshirt sophomore concluded his first season with a 19–8 record, including four major decisions, three technical falls, and four falls, with his fastest clocking in at 1:41.
"With Nick now having this NCAA Championships experience, he can bring that knowledge back and help grow the team," Boland stated. "He's a leader in the 141-pound weight class. Even though he's a sophomore, he's a leader on the team, and the guys look up to him. He does the right things, trains hard, diets properly, prioritizes his time, gets his sleep, and takes care of his body."
