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.

WIAC Statement

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has canceled all athletic events, including contests and practices, for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s Athletic Directors agreed to cancel all athletic events, including conference and non-conference competitions and WIAC spring championships, for the 2019-20 year.

In addition, any organized athletic related activities, including practices, strength and conditioning and athletic training, an all on- or off-campus, in-person athletic recruiting activities are suspended indefinitely.

“Our department is taking the COVID-19 situation very seriously, and we as leaders decided that the health and well-being of those in our campus community comes first,” Interim Athletic Director Ryan Callahan said. “We encourage our student-athletes, coaches and support staff to be safe in the coming months.”

“My heart breaks for all of our student-athletes, especially our seniors from fall and winter sports who were not able to close their careers competing for championships, and all our spring teams who are unable to play out their traditional seasons and qualify for individual and team championship events.”

Last Thursday, the NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring national championship events, including the Division III wrestling and indoor track and field championships.

UW-Whitewater announced last week that Spring Break will begin one week early and run through Sunday, March 29. Beginning Monday, March 30, face-to-face instruction will be suspended, and the campus will move to alternative delivery of classes through at least Friday, April 17. All campus events are canceled through at least Friday, April 17, with limited exceptions.

Campus will remain open, and the university will continue daily operations.

Questions about the COVID-19 situation can be directed to 262-472-1362 or covid19info@uww.edu. The phoneline and e-mail will be monitored during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer