WAYNESBURG, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--Thiel College won its first Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) wrestling team championship since the 2015-16 season Saturday afternoon at Waynesburg University's Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. 

The PAC title is Thiel's 23rd, tying past league member John Carroll University (23 straight from 1966-67 to 1988-89) for the most in conference history. 

Thiel totaled 128.50 points in the three-team championship field. It is the highest point total by a PAC champion since Waynesburg scored 146 points in its 2010-11 title run. 

Washington & Jefferson College, the PAC champion in 2019-20, finished as the runner-up with 103 points. Host Waynesburg had 67.50 points. 

The PAC did not hold its wrestling championships in 2020-21 due to the disruptions caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Thiel finished with six individual champions, three runners-up and three third-place finishers. 

Thiel sophomore 125-pounder Evan Whiteside (Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway) was named the PAC's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Whiteside won the PAC title after earning a win by fall (0:40) over Waynesburg freshman William Wilson (Palm Harbor, Fla. | Dunedin) in the semifinals and winning by fall (3:36) over W&J senior Manny Dovshek (Scenery Hill, Pa. | Bentworth) in the title bout. 

Whiteside is Thiel's first PAC Most Outstanding Wrestler since Brett Beltz in 2015-16. 

Thiel sophomore 133-pounder Hunter E. Thompson (Titusville, Pa. | Titusville) claimed PAC Newcomer of the Year honors after defeating W&J freshman Hunter Swedish (Cranberry Twp., Pa. | Seneca Valley) with a 16-3 major decision victory in the title bout. 

Thiel 19th-year head coach Craig Thurber was honored as the PAC Coach of the Year. It was his ninth coach of the year citiation. 

W&J senior Alex Donahue (Indiana, Pa. | Indiana) won his second-straight PAC title at 197 pounds Saturday. He posted an 11-5 decision over Thiel sophomore Braydon Herbster (Linesville, Pa. | Reynolds) in the title bout.

Waynesburg junior Rocky McGeary (McDonald, Pa. | West Allegheny) claimed his second-straight heavyweight title with a win by fall (0:43) over Thiel senior Dylan Proper (Titusville, Pa. | Maplewood) in the title bout. 

All three programs will represent the PAC at this year’s NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Championships from Friday-Saturday, Feb. 25-26 at Lycoming College. The Division III Championships, scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 11-12, will be held in the U.S. Cellular Center in Grand Rapids, Iowa.