The MBU men's wrestling team competed for the last time before the NAIA Wrestling National Championships last weekend in Jackson, Tennessee. The Spartans competed in the ten-team NAIA East Qualifier Tournament hosted by Cumberland University.

The Spartan squad finished fifth in team competition, scoring 95.0 points. That score is a school record for points scored in regional competition. Notre Dame College (Ohio) took the team title, scoring 173.5 points.

Individually, MBU set a school record for individual placers in regional competition, with nine athletes placing. Senior Anton Prater placed the highest for MBU, finishing in second place at 133 lbs. Freshman Zach Meury finished in third at 125 lbs. Seniors Ike Okenwa (197) and Mike Wakim (HWT) both took fourth place. Senior Jake Oberfoell (184), senior Gary Brooks (133), and junior Clayton Olsson (197) each finished in fifth place. Rounding out the top finishers for the Spartans were freshman Gavilan Bland (174) and senior Gerald Harris (157), bothing finishing in sixth place.

The Spartans will now prepare for the NAIA Wrestling National Championships March 4-6 in Oklahoma City. MBU has qualified the maximum allowed 12 athletes. In the final NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll of the season, the Spartans were ranked number 15.  Ike Okenwa finished the season with the highest individual rating for the Spartans at fifth place.