Wrestler ends slump, earns berth to nationals

Consider his slump done with.

UNC senior Kenny Hashimoto emerged from the NCAA West Regional as a qualifier for the NCAA National Championship on March 18 to 20 in Omaha, Neb.

It was a rough season for Hashimoto. The 141-pound wrestler suffered an early injury that put him out for a little more than a month. Once he returned to the mat, Hashimoto, who was highly regarded by the NCAA, fell into a slump during duals.

That slump ended when Hashimoto grappled his way to third place in the tournament, earning him a national berth.

“It feels good, personally, but the team aspect nobody did as well as we wanted to or nobody had the results we wanted, so in that aspect it’s a little bit tougher to swallow,” Hashimoto said.

University of Northern Colorado head coach Ben Cherrington shared the same disappointment as Hashimoto when he said UNC wanted more qualifiers.

“Obviously, we wish we had more (qualifiers), but Kenny went in there and did what he had to do,” Cherrington said. “I think for the first time in a while he’s excited to go wrestle.”

The NCAA released its bracket for the national tournament Wednesday, and also in the field for UNC is 157-pound wrestler Justin Gaethje. The junior finished fourth in his weight class at the West Regional.

Senior Tony Mustari was denied a fourth-straight trip to the tournament after controversially finishing third at 125 pounds during the regional.

Overall, UNC finished in seventh place at the regional tournament, marking the end of a difficult injury-ridden season for the Bears. 

Nonetheless, an early review from former long-time UNC wrestling coach and current Associate Director of Development for Athletics Jack Maughan said the program is still in good hands.

“I have confidence in the new coach,” Maughan said. “I know what kind of person he is, and that’s why I was confident leaving. I feel good about where the program is.”