WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (March 2) – Two Saint Vincent College wrestlers placed in the top-8 in their respective weight classes at the 2024 NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Championships.

Senior Jake Beistel earned a seventh-place finish in the 285-pound division, while Mesich placed eighth in the 157-pound bracket to cap off a strong first season of varsity competition for the Bearcats in nearly 50 years.

Beistel opened the tournament by going 2-1 on Friday's first day, earning a quick pin in 1:49 in his opening match over Brian Czaus of Alvernia University, before dropping his second round match. He would then bounce back to record another pin, this time in 1:48, over William Grace of King's College to advance to Saturday. In his first consolation match on Saturday, Beistel dropped a tight, 6-3 decision, before he wrapped up his season - and career - by dispatching Thiel's Seth Phillips by a 7-3 decision to earn seventh place. Beistel's win avenged his loss to Phillips two weeks prior in the championship match of the PAC Tournament, and moved the veteran's record to 14-5 on the 2023-24 campaign.

Mesich followed a similar route as Beistel's to Saturday's consolation rounds. The PAC's 157-pound champion recovered from a loss in his first match on Friday by earning a pair of bonus-point victories. In his first consolation bout, he pinned Washington & Jefferson's Bryce Rodriguez-Uram in 2:20 in a rematch of the PAC title match. He would then advance to Saturday by posting a decisive 16-2 major decision over Martin Ohlsson of Penn State-Behrend. In his first match on Saturday, Mesich lost a heart-breaking 15-12 sudden victory decision, and was then defeated in the 7th-place match. The rookie finished his 2023-24 campaign with 13 victories. 
 
Freshman 165-pounder Chase Brandebura went 2-2 on Friday, winning his first two matches of the tournament by bonus points, First, he dispatched Waynesburg University's Jacob Wilson by an 18-5 major decision, before topping Thiel's Dominic Hartman by a 12-2 score.
 
Classmate Logan Bechtold also picked up a pair of victories in the 174-pound division. He recovered from a loss in the opening round to win by fall over Penn State-Behrend's Ryan Gildersleeve in 5:21 in the first consolation, before blanking Ferrum's William Melton in a 12-0 major decision in the second consolation round.
 
The Bearcats closed the tournament with 26 points to place 16th in their first-ever NCAA Division III Regional Championship.

Under first-year head coach, and PAC Coach of the Year, Dominick Nania, the 2023-24 Bearcats won their first PAC title, and saw a number of wrestlers earn accolades. Brandebura was the conference's 165-pound champion and was named the PAC Newcomer of the Year, while Mesich and Sean Cain (125 pounds) also won conference titles. Beistel, Kyle McCollum (133) Tyler Debnar (141), and Logan Bechtold (174) all advanced to the PAC title match.