WICHITA, Kan.--Jack Latimer finishes as the National Runner-Up,
Cole Smith takes fourth place, and
Sammy Shires finishes in eighth place as the Phoenix finish in eighth place at the 2024 NAIA National Championships.
This is the fourth consecutive season the Phoenix have finished in the Top 10 and sixth overall in program history (2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). Grand View won their 12th team National Championship in 13 years while Life University finished as the Runner-Up.
Latimer was the third Phoenix to make the National Title bout in the last four seasons. Latimer faced off with No. 3 seed Chase Zollmann from Missouri Valley. Zollmann got the upperhand early with a takedown and two point near fall. Latimer would get the escape to trail 5-1 after the first period.
The second point saw Zollmann extend his lead with an escape to go into third up 6-1. Zollmann rode Latimer nearly the entire third period, not giving him a chance to get up and get points to win 7-2.
Cole Smith opened up the morning session against No. 1-seed Riley Smucker from Life. Smucker defeated Smith earlier this season, but Smith avenged his loss with a 10-5 decision to advance to the third place match.
Smucker grabbed a 3-0 lead after the first period with a takedown. After electing to choose bottom, Smucker got another point with an escape to lead 4-0, but Smith got a takedown to get three back and go into the third period down 4-3. Smith chose neutral to start the third and picked up a takedown to grab the lead. Smucker got another escape, but Smith again took him down before the match ended to win 10-5.
With the win, Smith advanced to the third place match against Abel Nava from Providence. Nava caught Smith at the end of the first with a takedown before pinning him to give Smith fourth place.
Smith is now a four-time NAIA All-American finishing in third place in 2021, first place in 2022, third place in 2023, and fourth place in 2024.
Sammy Shires had just one bout today competing for seventh place in the morning session against 8-seed Andrew Voiles. Voiles grabbed a 10-0 lead before Shires took an injury forfeit in the match.
The 2024 season comes to an end tonight with another very successful season for Cumberland Wrestling. The team registered a Top 10 finish at Nationals, three NAIA All-Americans, a Mid-South Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship, four individual conference champions, and had a program-record 11 national qualifiers.
