MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (February 21, 2026) – On Friday-Saturday, the Truett McConnell University wrestling team traveled to compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Wrestling Championship, where the Bears finished in fifth place overall out of 10 teams after recording 62 team points. TMU was featured besting (RV) Brewton-Parker College who finished in sixth and (RV) St. Thomas University finished in seventh. No. 2 Life University was crowned AAC Champions for the fourth consecutive season.
 
The Bears were led by a runner-up finish at 125 pounds from Tyler Ramos, who advanced to the championship bout to secure an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championships. Ramos put together a strong run through the bracket with multiple victories to reach the finals and score a team-high point total for TMU.
 
At 157 pounds, Chase Bond turned in a fourth-place performance, battling through the championship bracket and adding key points that helped the Bears maintain their position in the team standings.
 
TMU saw two more podium finishes from Nate Napolitano (165) and Phillip Terrell (285), as both wrestlers placed fifth in their respective weight classes. Each battled through the consolation bracket to win their placement matches, securing automatic berths to the NAIA National Championships and adding crucial team points for the Bears.
 
Tyler Garrett (149) also recorded a fifth-place finish for the Bears, contributing important team points during the final sessions of the tournament as TMU pulled away from the teams behind them in the standings.
 
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Ramos, Napolitano, and Terrell will represent TMU at the 69^th Annual NAIA Wrestling National Championships, scheduled for March 5-7 in Wichita, Kansas.