WSC Wrestler Donovan McMahill Wins National Championship
Mar. 15, 2010 -- Junior Donovan McMahill took an early 3-0 lead against Augustana’s Tyler Copsey and gave up only an escape in the third period en route to his first national championship at 197 pounds in the final round of the 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
McMahill becomes the 14th different Mountaineer to win a national title and the first since Jared Haberman and Adrian Jiron won titles in 2004.
Charlie Alexander and Charlie Pipher each placed fifth at 285 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively, to provide Western State with three All-Americans this season.
McMahill needed to defeat the defending champion at 197 pounds in the semifinals, Keeno Griffin of Newberry, and won by a 2-0 decision to reach the evening finals. It was his second victory against a 2009 national champion this season after claiming a victory against Kyle Sand of Adams State Jan. 28, who won the 184 national title last season before moving up to 197 pounds in 2010.
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The win sent McMahill to his second career national championship match to face Copsey, who advanced to the finals with a win against Nebraska-Omaha's Jacob Marrs in the semifinals. McMahill led 3-0 by the second period before claiming the national championship.
Pipher won his opening match of the day in the wrestleback bracket with a 7-1 victory against Grand Canyon's Ryan Becerra. A lost to Kutztown's Tim Darling by a 5-1 decision sent Pipher to the fifth-place match, who avenged an earlier loss in the tournament to Patrick Walsh of Pittsburgh-Johnstown with a fall in three minutes and 31 seconds.
Alexander also won his first match of the day in a 3-2 decision against Gannon's Neil McGrath. A loss to St. Cloud State's Jake Kahnke, who would go on to finish fourth, took Alexander to the fifth-place match against San Francisco State's Steve Franklin. In a rematch of the regional final Feb. 27, Alexander won by a 6-2 decision for his third All-America title in his three-year career.
Story by: Jared Verner, sports information director
