Vikings take on wrestling, fencing and basketball postseasons – The Cauldron
As regular seasons come to a close, the Cleveland State Vikings are heading to the postseason in wrestling, fencing and basketball.
Wrestling
Wrestlers Ben Smith and Daniel Bucknavich are heading to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships at 197 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively.
CSU wrestlers Ben Smith (right) and Daniel Bucknavich (left). Photo Credit: Cleveland State Athletics
With a 23-5 record for the year, Smith heads into the tournament as the 25 seed to face the eight seed from Oklahoma. This will be Smith’s third appearance in the NCAA Championship.
Bucknavich had a 23-4 record on the year and is the 20 seed in the tournament. In Bucknavich’s first trip to the NCAA Championships, he is set to face the 13 from Rutgers in the first round.
The wrestling tournament will begin on Thursday, March 21 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Fencing
CSU Fencer Jesse Ndjeka. Photo Credit: Cleveland State Athletics
Fencer Jesse Ndjeka is also off to the NCAA Championships on March 23 and 24 in Columbus, Ohio after qualifying at the Midwest Regional competition. He is one of 24 fencers from across the nation who will compete for the men’s title in the epee field, the largest and heaviest of fencing weapons.
Basketball
The Vikings will also join the first edition of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT), a selection of 28 teams not selected for the NCAA tournament. The first four teams out of the women’s NCAA tournament will join the WBIT as the top four seeds. CSU will play Toledo at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 21.
Though they did not make the NCAA tournament, the women’s basketball team went 18-2 in the regular season against league opponents, earning the 2023-4 Horizon League Regular Season Championship for the first time in program history. Horizon League awards were also earned by:
- Colbi Maples, Player of the Year
- Mickayla Perdue, Newcomer of the Year
- Carmen Villalobos, Defensive Player of the Year
- Chris Kielsmeier, Coach of the Year
The men’s basketball team is heading to the Ro College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in Daytona Beach. Coming off of a loss to Oakland in the Horizon League Semifinals, the Vikings enter the tournament as the nine seed, joining 15 other teams not selected for the NCAA tournament. CSU’s opening round match up is against Northern Colorado at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 24.