CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Freshman Adam Whittier of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville made his debut at the NCAA DIII Championships on Friday, becoming the first Pioneer to compete in the national meet since 2023. 

Having punched his ticket to the championships by placing third at 149 pounds at the NCAA Regional meet in Eau Claire, Whittier entered the meet 13-10 and faced off against Jovanni Greco (32-8) of Ohio Northern in the opening round. Greco held a slim 3-2 advantage after four minutes of wrestling, but a strong finish by the Polar Bear led to the 12-5 decision. 

Whittier then faced off against Avery Leonard of Suny Oneonta in the consolation round. Once again, Whittier kept the match close, only trailing Leonard 3-2 with 30 seconds remaining in the second period, but a pair of takedowns gave way for Leonard to win by 10-4 decision, bringing Whittier's season to a close. 

The second day of competition will continue Saturday to determine the top eight place finishers in each weight class.