Butler felled by eventual national champ at NCAAs

Junior wrestler Jake Butler traveled to St. Louis, Mo. last weekend to compete for the first time in the NCAA championships. The most dominant and consistent of Princeton's grapplers this year, Butler's strong performance with the Tigers and during the EIWA Championships was honored with an at-large berth to college wrestling's Big Dance. This achievement was all the more impressive considering that only 12 of these invitations are given.

While Butler's appearance at the tournament was a gift in itself, there would not be another gift when the bracket was determined. The seeding gods were not smiling on Butler, pitting him against No. 2 seed Jake Rosholt from Oklahoma State, the defending champion in the 197 pound weight class.

The seasoned Rosholt easily overpowered Butler, 12-3, in his first win en route to claiming his second consecutive national title. When Greg Parker '03 made his final appearance in the NCAA tournament, he faced off against Rosholt and suffered the same fate as Butler.

Still, Butler's trip to St. Louis was not over with just the one match, as the loss pushed him into the consolation bracket. Determined to prove he deserved his at-large berth, Butler pulled out a tightly contested match against Purdue's Nathan Moore. His 4-3 victory in the first round of the consolation bracket would be his last, however, as he was defeated by Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak, 7-4, the next time he took to the mat.

Butler's showing in the NCAA tournament was the culmination of the hard work and effort he displayed all season. While his record in St. Louis was 1-2, he entered EIWAs with a record of 19-4 overall and 4-1 in the Ivy League.

Although Butler's performance was not strong enough to earn him a spot on the podium this season, his continuous improvement throughout the past three seasons make it a good bet that this year will not be his only trip to compete on the national stage.