ROCKY MOUNT (VA) – Three Delaware Valley University wrestlers have advanced to the semifinals while four others are still alive in the consolation bracket as the first day of action concluded at the NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Championship.
 
As a team, the Aggies are in fifth place out of 18 squads with 52 points. Nationally-ranked schools York College and Messiah College lead the way with 73.5 and 73 points respectively. Host Ferrum College is third with 60.5 points while Lycoming College is fourth with 59.5 points.
 
Seniors and 2017 national qualifiers Tim Ambacher (141) and Brenden Velez (133) won both of their matches on Friday to reach the semifinals as did sophomore 125-pounder Kordell Rush. Anthony Snyder (157), Eliias Vega (174), Nicholas Bord (184) and Carlos Martinez (197) are alive in the wrestlebacks and can finish as high as third. The top three placewinners in each weight class earn automatic berths to the NCAA Division III Championships in Cleveland, Ohio in two weeks.
 
Ambacher, ranked 10^th nationally and the top seed in his weight class at the regional, cruised to his berth in the semifinals. The 2017 regional champion opened the '18 slate with a 15-0, technical fall victory over Vincent Mion (Thiel) and followed with a 6-1 decision over Joshua Linkous (Averett) in the quarterfinals. The two triumphs upped Ambacher record to 21-6 on the year and he will meet Zachary Rainess (Greensboro) in Saturday's semifinals.
 
Velez, a two-time national qualifier who was the 125-pound regional runner-up last year, allowed just three points in his two bouts on Friday. He began the tournament with a 12-3 major decision over Eric Hunt (Lycoming) and needed less than four minutes to register a 17-0, technical fall triumph over Brandon Woody (Averett). Velez will put his 22-14 record on the line in the semifinals against the seventh-ranked wrestler in Division III, Hunter Harris (Messiah).
 
Rush, the second seed in his weight class, blanked Gabriel Wilson (Greensboro), 9-0, to reach the quarterfinals. There, he pinned Christia Vallis (Johns Hopkins) in exactly two minutes to move to within one win of a NCAA berth. Rush, who is 18-10 on the year, will battle Samuel Braswell (Averett) in Saturday's semifinals.
 
Snyder, Vega, Bord and Martinez will each need to win three straight matches on Saturday to place third and earn an NCAA bid.
 
Snyder (14-16) fell into the consolation bracket with an 8-6 loss to Eric Hutchinson (York) in the opening round. The junior then bounced back with a pair of pins, the first in 52 seconds over Cole Nagle (McDaniel) and the second in 5:41 over Caleb Corbel (Hampden-Sydney)
 
Vega (14-9), who placed fifth as a freshman at last year's regional, reached the quarterfinals thanks a pin in 2:43 over Zachary Ishman (Penn State Behrend). He then dropped an 8-3 decision to Joseph Sindoni (York) before staying in the tournament with a 10-2 major decision over William Gilliam (Johns Hopkins)
 
Bord, a sophomore, moved his season record to 9-5 after winning two of three matches on Friday. He edged Matthew Judge (Wilkes), 5-3, before being pinned by Francis Krauss (York) in the quarterfinal. However, Bord regrouped for a 7-3 win over Dominic Farabaugh (Thiel) in the consolation bracket.  
 
Martinez (9-6), a freshman, won his first regional match thanks to a 12-5 decision over Carlos Ortega (Greensboro). He was pinned by Antavian Leary (Ferrum) in the quarterfinals, but answered with a pin of his own as he took down Karl Tayeb (Johns Hopkins) in 5:23 to remain alive in his bracket.
 
Freshmen Dustin Childs (149) and Chris Richardson (165), as well as senior heavyweight Marc Isaac also competed for DelVal, but were eliminated from the regional on Friday. Childs won one of three matches while Richardson went 0-2 at his first regional.

Isaac reached the quarterfinals with a 14-3 major decision over Mykel Williams (Greensboro), but suffered two heartbreaking losses in overtime to end his run.
 
Action at the Southeast Regional will resume at 9 a.m. on Saturday.