Mercyhurst College redshirt junior Fred Hale,left, is one of four wrestlers headed to the national Div II tournament. With him is coach Michael Wehler, right.Four of the wrestling team’s student athletes—Mike Pollard, Fred Hale, Jordan Shields and Londele Cox—have earned quite a bit of success this season. All four landed a spot in the NCAA Division II national wrestling tournament March 11 and 12.

These student athletes, as well as the rest of the team, proved tough enough to lift Mercyhurst to a top 25 ranking in the national Division II poll.

Mercyhurst will compete against such top contending schools as Nebraska-Omaha, Augustana and Newberry.

“It’s going to be very hard,” 157-pound wrestler Jordan Shields said. Shields has an impressive record of 24-4.

“There will be no strikeouts in this tournament. It comes down to the simple fact that the tougher guy wins. I am tired now, but when I get to the tournament, I’ll feel like a kid in a candy store,” he said.

Mike Pollard will join Shields. The freshman wrestler weighs in at 197 pounds and has set the school record for pins in a season. Pollard also has an impressive record of 26-10 with 18 pins.

Senior Fred Hale will compete as a heavyweight with a record of 13-5. Hale’s explosive strength and quickness will make him a formidable competitor in this national tournament.

Freshman Londele Cox, meanwhile, begins his first national competition at 184 pounds. Cox is from Pittsburgh and was a four-sport athlete in high school in wrestling, football, baseball and track.

“It is very exciting,” coach Mike Wehler said. “It will be tough for the two freshmen being that it’s their first time at nationals, but they are all tough and they all have enough talent to win.”

Last season, Wehler led the team to a 14th place finish in the national tournament and has high hopes for the four qualifiers this year.