CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Johns Hopkins senior Hank Behaeghel (285) battled back from an opening-round loss at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships on Friday to win two straight matches in the consolation bracket and secure All-America honors; already the first heavyweight in school history to qualify for the NCAAs, Behaeghel becomes the ninth All-American in program history.

Senior Dominick Reyes (165) joined Behaeghel at the NCAA Championships, but was eliminated on the first day of competition.

Behaeghel draw sixth-seeded Tyler Kim of Augsburg in the opening round.  After a scoreless first period, Kim started on top in the second period and worked Behaeghel to his back about 45 seconds into the period and locked up the fall at the 4:04 mark.

Beheaghel stayed alive in his first match in the consolation bracket as he erased a 1-0 deficit entering the third period and scored a 3-2 win over Ithaca's Edwin Rubio.  Behaeghel started on bottom in the third, scored a reversal 22 seconds into the period, earned a penalty point when Rubio was called for fleeing the mat and then held on for the one-point win after Rubio worked an escape with 65 seconds remaining.

Behaeghel then needed a win over TCNJ's Thomas Marretta to secure a spot in the top eight and assure himself a spot on the podium.  A scoreless first period was followed by a more action-filled second as Behaeghel answered an early Marretta escape with a takedown; Marretta worked himself free before the end of the period to make it 2-2 heading to the third.

Starting from the bottom position, Behaeghel quickly worked himself free to go up 3-2 and then fought off a Marretta shot and spun behind for the final takedown with four seconds remaining to win 5-2.

Behaeghel will take on Southern Virginia's Nico Ramirez on Saturday morning as he continues action on day two of the championship.

Reyes dropped a tight 6-3 decision to Coe's Will Esmoil in the opening round to slip into the consolation bracket.  Down 4-0 after the first period, Reyes worked from the top in the second and scored a two-point nearfall to trim the deficit to 4-2 entering the third.  Reyes nearly scored a takedown on the edge with just under 10 seconds remaining before Esmoil scored a takedown of his own after a restart in the final seconds to secure the win.  A point of riding time for Reyes made it a 6-3 final.

In the consolation bracket, NYU's Cooper Pontelandolfo used a first-period takedown and four sets of back points to eliminate Reyes with a 16-0 victory.  Reyes ends the season at 24-2 and finishes one of the most accomplished careers in Johns Hopkins wrestling history with a career record of 110-26.

- 30 -