Allendale, MI - The 2018 installment of the Great Lakes Conference tournament featured twelve teams - two of which were new to the conference this season and three approaching twenty seasons in the NCWA. The brackets contained forty returning placers, eight prior All-Americans holding twelve such awards, and six defending conference champions.

Longtime NCWA power Grand Valley State University claimed their fifth consecutive conference championship and sixteenth overall - leaving a comfortable cushion between them (148.5 points) and second place University of Akron (95 points) and third place University of Toledo (83.5 points). Rounding out the top-six were Kent State University-Tuscarawas in fourth, Mott community College in fifth, and Macomb Community College in sixth. Kent State-Tusc and Macomb are in their inaugural season. Kent State-Tusc was coming off a third place finish at the 2018 USCAA National Invitational.

Taylor Workman, a 2016 All-American and two-time defending GLC Champion, came in as a third seed after a recent loss, but battled through a thick bracket to repeat as champion, recording his 100th career victory along the way. For his efforts, Workman was named Co-Outstanding Wrestler after earning the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the 2017 GLC tournament.

Workman shared that Outstanding Wrestler Award with Arthur Payne of Mott Community College. Payne won a tough 133 bracket by defeating two returning All-Americans - De’ante Evans of Toledo and Brendan Hazelton of Grand Valley State.

GVSU led the way with four champions - Sean Halverson at 125, Joseph Posledni at 157, and Miguel Correa at 285 each claimed their first GLC championship. Harun Bogdanic won a battle of returning All-Americans to claim his second GLC title.

The University of Akron, the University of Toledo, and Mott Community College each claimed two individual crowns. Payne of Mott was joined by Jerron Thomas - the champion at 184. Zach Blevins dominated the 149 bracket as Toledo’s other champion. For Akron, Shane Brown won the 174 bracket to claim his second GLC championship and Jesse Slocum won his first title after placing third at 197 on two prior trips.

The remaining GLC Champions is Nick Pipes of Macomb at 141. He is the first conference champion for this new program.

Winston Ruffin of Mott Community College and Rick Bolhuis of Grand Valley State University shared the GLC Coach of the Year honors.

All told, sixty-one wrestlers will advance to the 2018 NCWA National Tournament to be held in Allen, Texas March 8-10.

Outside of the wrestling honors, the GLC named an All-Academic Team for the first time. GVSU claimed the team honor with a team GPA of 3.315. The following individuals were recognized as members of the GLC All-Academic Team:

WRESTLER NAME -- ACADEMIC CLASS -- NCWA ELIGIBILITY -- TEAM
Andrew Jaworski -- SO -- 1st -- Ferris State University
Nick Reddy -- SR -- 4th -- Grand Valley State University
Jacob Sobeck -- JR -- 3rd -- Grand Valley State University
Arthur Payne -- SO -- 2nd -- Mott Community College
Tommy Bowles -- JR -- 3rd -- The Ohio State University WC
John Iacano -- JR -- 3rd -- University of Akron
Jesse Slocum -- JR -- 3rd -- University of Akron
Brendan Rice -- SO -- 2nd -- University of Michigan WC
Taylor Workman -- SR -- 4th -- University of Toledo
Austin Brown -- JR --1st -- University of Wisconsin WC
Daniel Rascher -- SO -- 1st -- University of Wisconsin WC

The full brackets may be viewed here: https://goo.gl/K6kNrh

The full team scores may be viewed here: https://goo.gl/27B75q