Four members of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team were selected to the 2020 Division III All-American teams by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Seniors Mike Tortorice (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel), Hazen Rice (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and Jaritt Shinhoster (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Barrington) earned first team honors, while senior Ryder Sigler (Fredonia, Wis./Cedarburg) garnered second team accolades.
The quartet helped the Warhawks place second at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and finish third at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional Championships. All four qualified for the NCAA Championship, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The All-American teams, which usually consist of the top eight finishers in each weight class at the NCAA Championship, is based on each wrestler’s overall body of work through the regional tournaments.
Tortorice finishes his career as a three-time All-American. He was the top seed in the 125-pound bracket for the NCAA Championship with a 33-1 record. Tortorice claimed the WIAC championship for the third straight season and the Upper Midwest Regional title for the second consecutive year. He placed third in the nation in 2018 and finished as national runner-up in 2019.
Rice was set to be the No. 4 seed at the NCAA Championship after a strong senior campaign at 141 pounds. He finished the year with a 32-1 record, with his only loss coming in the Upper Midwest Regional final against Augsburg’s David Flynn, who was set to be the third seed. Rice closed his career as a two-time national qualifier, two-time regional champion and three-time conference champion.
Shinhoster enjoyed a dominant sophomore campaign, reaching the NCAA Championship for the second straight season at 174 pounds. Seeded fourth at the national tournament, Shinhoster finished the year with a 28-3 mark after winning the WIAC title and finishing as runner-up at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional. He finished ninth in NCAA Division III with 18 pins.
Sigler broke through for his first NCAA Championship berth at 165 pounds after finishing as runner-up at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, including a major decision over two-time defending national champion Lucas Jeske of Augsburg in the regional semifinal to punch his ticket. He finished the year with a 23-13 record and placed third at the WIAC Championships.
Both Shinhoster and Sigler earned spots on the NWCA’s Division III Scholar All-America Team.
