Dubuque is the home of the Central Regional NCAA Division III wrestling regional tournament this morning, and the No. 28 ranked Central Dutch are looking to advance as many grapplers as possible. This is the first year of a new format of the national qualifying tournament; starting this year, the top three wrestlers out of each weight class will qualify for the national tournament on March 15 and 16 in Cedar Rapids. Eleven teams will vie for 30 openings in today’s regional tourney, and the 12 – 6 Dutch will have all but one of their wrestlers enter today with no NCAA experience. At 157 pounds, Joseph Atwell is the only returner that participated in the NCAA tournaments last season. He enters with a record of 16 – 5 and leads his team with eight falls. Another senior to watch is Theron Stewart, and leads the team with a 24 – 4 mark and recorded seven pins during the regular season. All of the action gets underway today at 9:00 a.m. in Dubuque at the Five Flags Center.

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