FHSU Athletics

The No. 10 ranked Fort Hays State wrestling team will be sending one of their own to the NCAA Division II Championships this weekend (Mar. 8-9) in Cleveland, Ohio as junior Brandon Ball earned his way to his third-consecutive appearance at nationals. Ball will take on fellow Division II competitors for a chance at All-American stats and a national championship.

No. 1 ranked Brandon Ball will compete in the 141-pound weight class. He will battle Dylan Nace of East Stroudsburg in an opening-round match, or pigtail match, before entering the round of 16. This is the third-consecutive year that Ball will be competing at the NCAA Division II Championships. He earned a sixth-place finish and All-American status as a redshirt-freshman before finishing one round shy of placing last season.

Ball enters the championships with a 24-0 overall record and a 21-0 clip against Division II competition this year. He is coming off his second super regional title. In Ball’s weight class, there are seven other wrestlers who Ball has faced this season, two of which are on the top half of the 18-man bracket. Including top-ranked Ball, nine of the 18 players are currently ranked in the nation.