WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 16) – Fans of Division III collegiate wrestling would do well to turn their focus towards the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 18. Starting at 10 a.m., Waynesburg University, which is ranked 18^th in the country according to D3wrestle.com, welcomes two more of the top teams in the nation to take part in a quad-match that features over a dozen nationally recognized grapplers.
 
The Yellow Jackets host Heidelberg University, which is ranked 23^rd in the nation according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), and Messiah College (8^th by NWCA and D3wrestle.com), along with Penn State Dubois, for a full morning of wrestling that will be contested on two mats. Messiah cemented its spot as maybe the best Division III team east of the Mississippi River when it won the 16-team Bud Whitehill Duals tournament this past weekend. The Falcons went 4-0, with three of those victories coming against teams ranked in the D3wrestle.com top 15.
 
Heidelberg also took part in the tournament and placed a program-best sixth as a squad. The Student Princes defeated Waynesburg's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rivals from Thiel College, which currently sits in 24^th place in the NWCA rankings.
 
Along with three matchups of top-25 teams, a total of 15 wrestlers over nine weight classes featured in the D3wrestle.com individual rankings are expected to see mat time at the Marisa Fieldhouse. The marquee matchup of the day appears to be a top-10 clash between Waynesburg senior Anthony Bonaventura and Messiah senior Ricardo Plummer, who are ranked fourth and seventh in the nation, respectively. Plummer currently boasts an 18-3 overall record, while Bonaventura is a team-best 20-1 this winter.
 
The 165-pound weight class could see as many as three nationally recognized grapplers competing on the day. The 125, 133 and 184-pound classes all boast multiple nationally recognized grapplers. Leading this group of standouts is 29-1 Messiah junior Kaleb Loht, who is the number-one 141-pounder in the country.
 
If you can't make it to the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Saturday, all Wayneburg matches will feature live audio and statistical coverage links on www.waynesburgsports.com. The Jackets will open the day by facing Penn State Dubois at 10 a.m., before tangling with Messiah at 11:30 a.m. The Orange and Black concludes a busy day by facing Heidelberg at 1 p.m.