John Boyle Captures 184-Pound National Title at NCAA Division III Championships

Boyle defeats Jake Ashcraft with 5-3 sudden victory triumph

ROANOKE, Va. (March 9, 2019) – Western New England University junior John Boyle (Rowley, Mass.) made history on Saturday night when he captured the 184-pound national title on the second day of the NCAA Division III Championships at the Berglund Center.

Boyle, who went 2-0 during Friday's action to secure his spot in Saturday morning's semifinal, began the day with a 6-3 victory over top-seeded Dylan Roth of Heidelberg.

Boyle used a pair of first period takedowns to build a 4-1 lead, before withstanding a Roth takedown in the third period to hold on for the win.

In Saturday night's national championship bout, Boyle battled Jake Ashcraft of Ithaca College, who he defeated in the quarterfinals last season in Cleveland.

Boyle led 2-1 after the opening period, but Ashcraft utilized a second period reversal to pull ahead, 3-2.

Still trailing 3-2 late in the third period, Boyle forced a second stall call on Ashcraft and was awarded one penalty point, tying the bout and forcing overtime. 

In the overtime period, Boyle was awarded a two-point takedown after a three second neutral danger zone occurred. After an Ithaca challenge, the referees confirmed the ruling on the mat and Boyle was declared national champion. 

With his historic victory, Boyle becomes Western New England's first national champion in any sport. His junior campaign comes to a close with a record of 33-6.

As a team, Western New England placed 15th in the 74-team field with a score of 19.0.