Kent State University
NCAA Championships
McNally Bows Out of NCAA Tourney
3/22/2019 2:15:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH - Kent State sophomore Andrew McNally's season came to an end Friday during day two of the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships at PPG Paints Arena. McNally fell to No. 2 seed Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) 9-1.
Rasheed was able to lock up a first period cradle for a four-point near fall. The 6-0 first period deficit was too big to overcome. Rasheed became one of 16 wrestlers standing in the 184-pound bracket.
However, McNally hit an individual milestone Thursday at the NCAA Championships and helped Kent State's program reach another notable mark. His 33rd victory of the season became the most by a Kent State wrestler since Dustin Kilgore in 2013. As a team, the Golden Flashes scored points at the NCAA Championships for the 60th time and have done so every year since 1998.
"You never know how a transfer is going to adjust and he's become the foundation of our team," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said of McNally's season. "He's a quiet leader that's done everything we've asked him to do. And we're really glad we've got him for two more years. What he'll need to figure out for the offseason is whether he's going down to 174 or becoming a bigger, stronger 184-pounder."
McNally's 14 pins on the season were the most by a Kent State wrestler since 2002 (Jim Swetter). Three of those pins helped the Flashes to team dual wins, including one over Michigan State.
"I know last year at this time, we thought we'd be a Top 20 team before injuries and everything else hit," Andrassy added. "But we were able to get a lot of young guys experience. And with next year's recruiting class, we're looking forward to seeing how much better we can be."
Players Mentioned
