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In the semifinals, Guerra defeated Ryan King of Augustana (SD), the number-one ranked grappler, by a score of 6-2.
There was never a doubt for Guerra that he would prevail in the finals. “He beat me last year,” said Guerra of Unger, “but I felt even then that he would never beat me again.”
For Guerra, his victory was sweet revenge for the disappointment of not capturing the belt during his first year of eligibility.
Last year, at the championships at Kearney, Nebraska, Guerra finished fifth. When he entered Findlay, after a stellar high school career at Waite, Guerra had set a goal for himself of winning four NCAA Division II championships. He now has his sights set firmly on three such trophies. Next year, when the championships return to Kearney, Guerra will be presented with a challenge of another sort. He will move up to the 157-pound weight class and will have to take on that level’s returning champion.
Guerra is no stranger to the champions’ podium. At Waite, where he was also a star baseball player, he won four high school city wrestling championships, two junior high school city championships, and two district championships. He finished fourth in the state in his senior year at the 140-pound class. His high school record was 137-22.
Guerra has been wrestling competitively since the age of eight when he joined the prestigious East Toledo Wrestling Club.
Guerra is a physician’s assistant major and maintains a grade point average of 2.93.
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