Kent State's Drew Opfer Wins First Round Match at NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Opfer, who improved his season record to 25-5, next will meet top-seeded Jason Powell (22-2) of the University of Nebraska in the second round.
Powell beat Chris Helgeson of the University of Northern Iowa 10-1 in his first-round bout. The Opfer-Powell winner will face the winner of the match between Jeremy Hartrum of North Carolina State University and Rob Rebmann of Drexel University in the quarterfinals.
Opfer was the runner-up at 125 pounds at the 2004 Mid-American Conference Championships, losing in the final to top-seeded Mark McKnight of the University at Buffalo 6-5 in double overtime. Opfer then defeated Matt Smith of Ohio University 2-0 in the wrestleback to secure second place.
Opfer's wildcard bid continues an impressive streak for the Kent State wrestling team as at least one KSU wrestler has qualified for the national championships every season of the program's existence since the NCAA meet was established in 1928.
