York College wrestler Dalton Rohrbaugh finishes second at NCAA nationals

Dalton Rohrbaugh’s decorated college wrestling career came to an end in the NCAA Division III finals on Saturday, as the York College fifth-year senior came home with a runner-up finish in the 133-pound weight class at the national championships in Roanoke, Virginia.

Rohrbaugh, a Spring Grove High School graduate, was the sixth seed in the tournament and captured three straight high-profile victories at the two-day event. He ultimately fell by 3-1 decision in the final against North Central’s Robert Precin, whose repeat national title capped a second straight undefeated season.

It was Rohrbaugh’s second All-American finish in as many years with the Spartans after beginning his college career at Division I Lock Haven. Rohrbaugh went 52-4 in his two seasons with York College, and his second-place finish at nationals this year followed a third-place showing in 2022.

Rohrbaugh beat Ithaca College’s Isaias Torres by 8-6 decision in the first round of nationals Friday morning, then followed with a 16-11 victory over Concordia-Moorhead’s Ty Bisek, the bracket’s No. 3 seed. On Saturday morning, Rohrbaugh beat No. 2-seed Jaden Hinton of Baldwin Wallace, 11-9, which ensured his final college match would be for a title.

National college success seemed like a sure thing when Rohrbaugh was at Spring Grove; he’s the Rockets’ all-time wins leader with a 153-16 record, and he qualified for states in all four of his high school seasons, winning two PIAA bronze medals. At Lock Haven, Rohrbaugh went 20-14 as a freshman but was asked to move down a weight class as a sophomore. He left the Bald Eagles midway through his sophomore campaign and transferred to York College, but had to wait nearly two years to return to the mat as the 2020-21 D-III season was canceled amid the pandemic.

Rohrbaugh went 26-1 for the Spartans last year — losing only in the national semifinals — and finished this season 26-3. He punched his return ticket to nationals by reaching the finals at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, which were held Feb. 24 and 25 in York. Rohrbaugh was unable to defend his regional title due to medical forfeit, but he made the most of his final tournament.

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Another York College graduate student, Camden Farrow, also reached nationals by claiming regional gold in the 197-pound class. He won his opening match Friday by 15-3 major decision against Augsburg’s Parker Venz, then fell 9-7 against Wartburg’s Massoma Endene in the quarterfinals and lost by pin in the consolation round against RIT’s Josh Harkless. Farrow posted a 35-7 record this season and finished his York career 106-31.

The Spartans’ 17 points — 15 from Rohrbaugh, two from Farrow — merited a T-20 finish among 71 teams represented at nationals. Rohrbaugh became the fourth Spartan to reach the D-III national finals; Greg Warner did so in both 2018 and 2019, and current head coach Duane Bastress (2005 and 2006) was the last to accomplish the feat before that.

Rohrbaugh, Farrow and Jared Kuhns were the three fifth-year seniors on this year’s York College team. The Spartans will look to reload before next season begins in November.

FIELD FINALE

York College senior Julia Pena was a premier track and field standout all season, and she closed her brilliant indoor campaign at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships on Friday. Pena competed in two events at nationals, finishing 11th in the pole vault (3.75 meters) and 20th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.07). The first woman to represent the Spartans at indoor nationals also qualified in the long jump but opted not to compete in the event.

Pena will look for an encore in the outdoor season, which the Spartans will begin with the Blue and Gold Classic hosted by Coucher College in Towson, Maryland, on March 24.

SPARTAN SPRING NOTES

Sticking the landing: York College women’s lacrosse made a statement with an 18-7 road victory over former conference foe Christopher Newport on Saturday. The No. 11 Spartans (2-1) led 7-4 at the half, then outscored the Captains 10-1 in the third quarter. Freshman midfielder Sydney Mentzer (York Catholic) forced five turnovers and corralled four ground balls en route to a MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week honor. York College will visit Gettysburg on Wednesday.

The No. 10 Spartan men fell to 1-3 with a 14-10 loss at No. 6 Salisbury, continuing a string of close defeats against top-tier opponents. All three of York College’s losses are against teams who were in the top seven of last week’s coaches’ poll. The Spartans will look for some wins this week against Franklin & Marshall and Amherst at the Mustang Classic in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Balls in play: York College baseball snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-9 victory in the second leg of a doubleheader Saturday at Messiah. The Spartans (4-7, 1-2 MAC Commonwealth) had fallen 10-6 at home and 4-0 on the road against the Falcons before scoring five runs in two separate innings in the series finale. They’ll host Catholic on Tuesday, visit Elizabethtown on Wednesday and battle Albright in a three-game series this weekend.

The softball team came home from Kissimmee, Florida, with a 4-4 record at the end of a busy week. York College started 3-0, then dropped four straight before closing the week on a high note. The Spartans host Misericordia for a doubleheader on Thursday.

Warm-up swings: Men’s and women’s tennis began their spring seasons over the weekend, with both teams losing at Randolph-Macon on Saturday. The men (2-4 overall) suffered an 8-1 defeat, while the women (4-3) fell 7-2. Both teams will battle Lancaster Bible this Thursday at the Hempfield Racquet Club.

York College men’s golf also opened the spring leg of its two-semester season, although the two-day Tiger Invitational in Pinehurst, N.C., was shortened to one round due to weather. The Spartans tied for 16th among 18 teams with a four-man score of 321 at Forest Creek Golf Club.

Women’s golf returns to action at The Rukus, a two-day event this Saturday and Sunday at Jamestown National Golf Club in Williamsburg, Virginia.