LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Apprentice School men's wrestling team earned runner-up at the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship this weekend with four Builders capturing conference titles. In total, 17 Builders qualified for the upcoming national tournament.

Liberty won the team title with 204 points, outscoring Apprentice by 21. The Builders beat Ferrum's NCAA team by 14 points to finish second, while Virginia Tech and Tennessee were a distant fourth and fifth, respectively.

Michael Phoutasen claimed the 141 pound title. After a tech fall to open the tournament, the freshman won by 9-5 decision in the semis before a 14-1 major decision in the championship to claim gold.

Owen Cherry was the top finisher at 165 pounds. He had two wins by fall to get to the championship before taking down his opponent in the finals by 9-5 decision. Logan Eastman also finished on top of the podium at 174 pounds. Winning his opening round match, 9-3, he won his semifinal by fall before grinding out a 5-1 win in the championship.

David McElravy, Jr., won at 235 pounds, claiming the title over teammate Jalen Terry-Winston, who also made the championship bout. McElravy won his opening match via fall before an 8-0 major decision got him to the championship. Terry-Winston had both of his matches won by pinfall in the second period.

Lucas Vannostrand finished runner-up at 125. He won his first round bout by 19-0 tech fall before an 18-2 tech fall got him to the finals, where he fell to Ferrum's NCAA 125 pound wrestler. Lucas Sumners also claimed silver at 184 pounds. Sumners grinded out a 12-8 decision in his opener before an 18-17 thriller in the semis to get to the championship match.

All wrestlers that finished in the top six earned bids to the NCWA National Championships in two weeks in Shreveport, Louisiana. That includes the seven wrestlers above, plus Ethan Vannostrand and Aiden Vasquez at 133, Landon Yoder at 141, David Norris at 149, DJ Wince and Jack Landauer at 157 and DJ Uribes and Landon Michael at 285. Additionally, Conor Shadle at 149 and Chase Smith at 197 earned wild card status for the national tournament.