SAN JUAN, P.R. - The Allen University Wrestling Team crowned two All-Americans at the NCWA National Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the weekend.
Juniors Michael Jackson (184) and Drevon Wallace (149) have each earned All-American status by at least placing in the top 8 at their weight class.
Jackson finished 5-2 to place fourth overall while Wallace was 6-2 and came in 4th place. Wallace won five matches in a row in the consolations to place 4th. Jackson finished his season with a record of 35-6 while Wallace was 24-16 this season and both will return to wrestle Div. II action next year. 

As a team, Allen placed 14th overall with 50.5 points, while Div. I Bellarmine (KY) and Liberty (VA) led the team competition with Bellarmine outscoring Liberty by 17 points for the team title. There were over 65 schools in the event.

After Top-Ranked junior Michael "MJ" Jackson's (184 lbs) quick 35 second fall in the first round, he went on to win by another quick first period fall in the second round sticking his Wash. St. opponent in 1:48 on Thursday afternoon before going on to win his third-round bout by an 11-4 decision over Liberty Thursday evening. Jackson then won his quarterfinal match 5-2 over JMU on Friday morning to advance to the semifinals and earn All-American status as he can place no worse than 6th.
However, Jackson then fell 4-3 in a tough battle against the 5th seeded Rutgers foe Friday night with a championship final berth on the line. Jackson tried to get the winning takedown in the final minute, but his opponent just wrestled defensively and stalled his way to the victory over MJ.
*In the consolation semifinals, Jackson won by a 15-4 major decision over the Liberty foe that he beat only 3-2 in the Region Finals a week ago. Then, in Jackson's third place bout, the junior fell by second period fall to the #2 seed in the weight class from Bellarmine.

18th seeded junior Drevon Wallace fell in his Round of 16 bout at 149 lbs 5-3 in heartbreaking overtime fashion Thursday night before winning three straight matches in the consolation bracket on Friday to earn All-American status. Wallace won his first consolation match by a score of 12-5 before pinning his next foe from Ohio State in 35 seconds to advance to the "Blood Round," which determines all-American status. Wallace then won 8-3 over a UConn grappler to become an All-American.

*Finally, on Saturday, Wallace kept his tournament rolling by notching another win by fall over the #5 seed in the third period to make top six. He then advanced to the third place bout by winning his consolation semifinals bout 5-2 over the #3 seed and the MAC Champion. Wallace then ran out of gas in the third place bout falling 15-9 to Grand Valley st. but still posted another great effort. Wallace finished the weekend 6-2 and won four matches by bonus points.

Day One action
Winning first round matches on Thursday were #19 Quincy Gash by an 8-3 score at 141 lbs, #11 seed Terrence Mills as he blew threw his opponent at 165 lbs by a 17-1 second period technical fall, and top-seeded Jackson as he pinned his first round foe in a mere :35 seconds.

In second round action on Thursday, Allen won five of the seven Round of 32 bouts with still to wrestle. Winning Round of 32 matches were #23 Reco Robinson at 125, #18 Drevon Wallace at 149, #13 Ya'Donnis Hardaway at 157, Mills at 165 and Jackson at 184.

Robinson won by a quick :41 fall and will next face a Rowan (NJ) grappler in the Round of 16 later Thursday night. At 141 lbs, freshman Quincy Gash lost a hard-fought second round bout 4-2 to a Wayne St. College (Neb.) wrestler. Wallace then rolled to a 15-1 major decision victory at 149 lbs in second round action over a Northeastern foe before falling 5-3 in overtime in the Round of 16.

Hardaway cruised to a 7-1 decision win over a Rutgers foe at 157 lbs in the second round before falling to the #4 seed from Ohio State later in the day 8-6. After Mills' opening-round win at 165, he then came back and won 10-4 in the second round to advance to the final 16, but ended up falling 3-2 to his opponent that then went on to make the National Finals.
Mills then came back to win his next consolation match 10-9 later Thursday night before seeing his tournament run end in the consolation quarterfinals to the #3 seed on Friday.

Freshman heavyweight Emmanuel Velazquez was the last Yellow Jacket to take to the mat in second round action Thursday but suffered a 9-6 loss to his foe from Penn State Club team. He then came back in the consolation round Thursday night winning 16-1 before his tournament run ended Friday morning in the third round of consolations.