Pulling their weight last weekend in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, the Panther wrestlers gave it their all and walked away with high marks. Placing second in the tournament with 106.5 team points, one Panther took a title, four wrestlers ranked second, two placed third and an additional two took eighth place.

Of the eight who were ranked, seven of them will be heading to the NCAA Tournament next Thursday.

Paving a way for himself early on, redshirt freshman Taylor Lujan took first in the MAC Championships this Sunday. After a strong year, Lujan notched three victories to secure his top rank in the conference, two of which were against nationally ranked opponents.

The first victory came Saturday, as Lujan pinned Eastern Michigan’s Jacob Davis in 3:47. His second bout was earned with an 11-8 decision, followed by his final 12-2 major decision, ranking him No. 1 in the MAC, the next day.

Earning second place this weekend was: Dylan Peters, Max Thomsen, Bryce Steiert and Drew Foster.

Competing from the 125-lb bracket, No. 27 Peters earned a fall in his first bout of the tournament over the No. 25 Kyle Atkins of Buffalo, in 4:16. After clinching a 4-2 decision, Peters finished with a 2-7 loss against the No. 15 Shakur Laney of Ohio.

Thomsen, No. 8, only faced ranked competitors from the 149 bout, shutting out No. 25 in a 3-0 decision and claiming a 6-3 decision over No. 10. He then fought for first in a tight 5-6 dual against Missouri’s No. 4 ranked Lavion Mayes.

In the 165-lb bracket, UNI’s No. 9 Steiert notched a 14-3 decision early on, defeated No. 27 Seldon Wright of Old Dominion and was notched out in a close 5-7 dual by Missouri’s No. 6, Daniel Lewis.

Earning another major decision early on, Foster, ranked No. 12 in the 184-lb bout, took a 5-2 decision on Saturday as well, before falling to the No. 9 ranked Jack Dechow of Old Dominion by 3-5.

Third place finish was awarded to Josh Alber and Jacob Holschlag, with Paden Moore and JJ Everard taking eighth.

The NCAA Championship tournament will begin March 16 and run through March 18. Seven Panthers will head to St. Louis, MO next week to compete.