By: Nick Pope: Sports Information Director
WICHITA, Kan. – The Life University men's wrestling team delivered another impressive performance on the national stage at the 2026 NAIA National Championships, highlighted by an individual national title from Douglas Terry and a nation-leading 11 All-American finishes over the three-day tournament.
The Running Eagles entered the weekend among the top teams in the country and once again proved their depth and consistency throughout the brackets. Eleven Running Eagles battled their way onto the podium, earning All-American honors across multiple weight classes and compiling key team points throughout the championship rounds.
The Running Eagles were well represented deep into the tournament, advancing several wrestlers into the semifinals and placement rounds. Under the lights on championship night, Douglas Terry (157 lbs.) represented Life University in the national finals and delivered a dominant performance to secure the program's only national title of the tournament.
National Champion
At 157 lbs., Doctor of Chiropractic student Douglas Terry capped off an outstanding run through the bracket to capture his first NAIA National Championship, finishing the tournament with 22.5 team points.
Terry opened his tournament in commanding fashion, earning an 8–0 major decision over Providence's Irish Furthmyre in the opening round before following it up with a 20–3 technical fall against Brice Coleman of Cumberlands in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Terry worked his way through a tightly contested battle with Grand View's Easton Larson, pulling out an 8–7 decision to advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Terry faced teammate Fabian Padilla in an all-Life matchup with a spot in the national championship on the line. Terry controlled the pace of the bout and secured a 3–0 decision to advance to the finals.
On championship night, Terry faced the top-seeded John Wiley of Oklahoma City and delivered a composed and dominant performance. Terry controlled the match from start to finish, securing a 5–0 decision to claim the national title and cap off a remarkable tournament run.
All-American Finishes
At 141 lbs., Mauro Michel earned a third-place finish, scoring 15.5 team points for the Running Eagles. Michel opened the tournament with a fall in 2:23 over Concordia's Steven Barnes before earning an 8–3 decision over seventh-seeded Reese Courtney of Grand View. In the quarterfinals, Mauro got AAC Conference redemption after taking down the No. 2 seed Caden McCrary of Reinhardt with a 7–4 sudden victory, advancing to the semifinals. After dropping a semifinal bout, Michel responded with a gritty 2–1 decision over Arojae Hart of Central Methodist before once again defeating McCrary in the third-place match in a 5–2 decision.
At 149 lbs., true freshman Elvis Solis opened his first national tournament with a strong 20–4 technical fall in the opening round before winning a tight 8–5 sudden victory over Ty Lehman of Cumberlands to advance to the quarterfinals. After dropping into the consolation bracket, Solis picked up another dominant performance with a 22–6 technical fall over Marian's Tiernan Boots before securing seventh place with an 11–6 decision over Cornerstone's Cole Karasinski.
At 157 lbs., Fabian Padilla joined Terry on the podium with a dominant third-place finish, to cap off an incredible 5x run through both junior college and the NAIA. Padilla opened the tournament with an 18–0 technical fall over Reinhardt's Joabe Araujo and followed with a 4–0 decision against Christian Arberry of Marian. In the quarterfinals, Padilla advanced after an injury default before falling in the semifinals to teammate and eventual national champion Douglas Terry. The graduate student then bounced back in the consolation bracket with a 4–1 decision over Providence's Hunter Hobbs and secured a third place finish with a 6–2 decision over Easton Larson of Grand View. Following his third-place win, longtime captain and team leader Padilla untied his shoes and left them at center mat, a symbolic wrestling retirement tradition.
At 165 lbs., Alexander Couto placed fourth, scoring 14 team points. Couto began the tournament with a 17–1 technical fall before earning a 4–1 sudden victory over 2x All-American Dylan Whitt of Grand View. He continued his run in the quarterfinals with an 8–7 decision over Campbellsville's Jasitin Kubwimana to reach the semifinals. After falling to the eventual finalist, Couto battled through a tough match with teammate Konlin Weaver before battling through the placement rounds before finishing fourth.
Also at 165 lbs., Rocky Raby finished fifth, after opening his tournament with a quick fall in 49 seconds before adding a 16–1 technical fall in the second round. After dropping into the consolation bracket, Raby picked up key victories including a fall over Zander Ernst of Morningside and later secured the fifth-place finish with an 8–5 decision over AAC conference-foe Jovon Mitchell of Southeastern.
At 174 lbs., Reese Jones also earned a fifth-place finish, totaling 12 team points. Jones recorded four wins during the tournament, including victories over opponents from Saint Mary, Dakota Wesleyan, Southern Oregon, and Campbellsville. He secured fifth place after a medical forfeit in the placement match.
Also at 174 lbs., Konlin Weaver made an impressive run through the consolation bracket to finish sixth, scoring 10.5 team points. After an opening-round 16–1 technical fall, Weaver rebounded from an early loss to the top-seeded ranked wrestler by winning four consecutive matches in the consolation rounds to reach the placement matches.
At 184 lbs., Kendall Norfleet placed third, adding 20.5 team points for Life. Norfleet, returning 3rd-place All-American, opened the tournament with a 23–6 technical fall before earning a fall in 1:51 to advance to the quarterfinals. After a narrow loss, Norfleet stormed through the consolation bracket with two major decisions and a technical fall, eventually battling longtime teammate Tre Morrisette by 4–2 decision to place third for the second straight year.
Also at 184 lbs., Tre Morrisette finished fourth, scoring 17.5 team points. Morrisette began the tournament with a 19–4 technical fall before pinning his second-round opponent in 1:00. He advanced to the semifinals with a 12–8 decision in the quarterfinals and ultimately finished fourth after battling through the placement rounds and falling to teammate Kendall Norfleet in the the 3rd place match.
At 197 lbs., Gio Jackson earned a fourth-place finish after a strong topside run with three wins in the championship bracket, including a 17–4 major decision in the second round and a hard-fought 4–2 decision in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals before finishing fourth overall.
Life also received contributions from Efren Arizmendez (197 lbs.), who picked up a first-round fall and added valuable team points during the tournament.
With 11 All-American finishes and a national champion in Douglas Terry, the Running Eagles once secured a spot on the podium as one of the top teams in the NAIA.
