CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – TCNJ wrestlers Mike Conklin and Daniel Surich ended their fantastic seasons with eighth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships on Saturday afternoon.

Already having cemented All-America status by making it to the tournament's second day, Conklin (149) and Surich (184) each lost a pair of tight decisions to settle for eighth overall in their respective weight classes.

TCNJ accumulated 14 total points for the championships, finishing in a tie for 29^th place in the team standings.

Conklin very nearly found himself wrestling for a spot in the third-place bout, but came up on the short end of a thrilling matchup with Wabash's Alex Barr in the morning session. After a scoreless first, Barr scored two near-fall points from his top position, but Conklin quickly equalized with a reversal. Back-to-back escapes by Barr, the second to open the third period, put Conklin in a 4-2 hole, but he climbed level once again on a takedown with 34 seconds left.

Knotted at 4, Barr's escape with 9 seconds on the clock proved to be the winning point and sent Conklin into the seventh-place bout.

Conklin jumped out to a quick lead with a takedown of Norwich's Kyle Merritt, but Merritt ended the first period with three straight points and grabbed four near-fall markers to start the second. Conklin fought valiantly to get back in the bout, but couldn't make up the deficit in a 9-5 defeat.

Conklin's remarkable rookie campaign ended with a record of 20-8, a runner-up finish at the Mideast Regional championship, and an All-America award.

Surich led off against Charles Baczek of Wabash, who were locked in a 5-5 stalemate through two periods. Baczek opened the third with a quick escape and extended his lead with a takedown. Surich managed an escape but was unable to score the takedown he needed to send the bout to overtime and conceded an 8-6 decision.

The senior then came up just short in another tight tilt with Roanoke's Mahlic Sallah, who knocked Surich out of the main draw with a 5-3 victory the night before. This time, Sallah's third-period takedown was the difference in a 2-1 decision.

Surich ended his standout career with an overall record of 73-34. He was a three-time regional place-winner, including a runner-up finish this year, and a one-time All-American.

TCNJ went 11-1 in dual matches this season, earning a national ranking and winning the Mideast Regional going away. The Lions sent six wrestlers to nationals for the first time in nearly two decades and accomplished a number of program firsts, including three regional champions.