Machesney Park's Denny Earns All-America Honors for UW-Whitewater Wrestling

2017 Mar 13

Zac Denny, a native of Machesney Park, IL, graduate of Harlem Senior High School and member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team, helped the Warhawks tie for 13th place by earning All-America honors over the weekend at the 2017 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis.

The Warhawks finished with 31.5 points, only one-half point shy of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point.

Junior Jordan Newman (Blaine, Minn./St. John's NW Military Academy (Wis.)) became UW-Whitewater's first individual national champion in wrestling since 1991 with a pin in 4:03 against fifth-seeded Justin Kreiter of Luther (Iowa). Newman, the third seed, reached the championship bout with a technical fall against No. 7 Blaise Benderoth of New York University.

Newman capped his season with a 24-3 record and his second career All-America honor. He placed eighth at 174 pounds in 2015.

Senior Zac Denny (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem), the No. 3 seed at 125 pounds, also recorded his second career All-America accolade, placing fifth. He finished the final season of his career with a 34-6 mark, tallying a 7-5 decision over No. 5 seed Arnulfo Olea of national champion Wartburg (Iowa) in the fifth-place match.

UW-Whitewater has now finished among the nation's top 25 in each of the last six seasons and eight of the last 10.

See below for complete results for both Newman and Denny below.

125:
Zac Denny (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) - No. 3 seed
First Round: d. Chris Doyle (Baldwin Wallace) by decision, 8-4
Quarterfinals: d. No. 6 Bobby Jordan (Johnson & Wales) by decision, 7-5 (TB-2)
Semifinals: lost to Zachary Beckner (Ferrum) by decision, 5-2
Consolation Semifinals: lost to No. 2 CJ Pestano (Central) by decision, 4-2
Fifth Place: d. No. 5 Arnulfo Olea (Wartburg) by decision, 7-5

184:
Jordan Newman (Blaine, MN/St. John's Military Academy) - No. 3 seed
First Round: d. Grant Wedepohl (UW-Platteville) by decision, 8-1
Quarterfinals: d. No. 6 Doug Hamann (TCNJ) by decision, 15-8
Semifinals: d. No. 7 Blaise Benderoth (New York University) by technical fall, 18-1 (6:03)
Final: d. No. 5 Justin Kreiter (Luther) by fall, 4:03