NCAA Championships
Romney Places Third at NCAA Championships
3/22/2025 9:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Redshirt sophomore Zeth Romney became the highest finisher in program history in the 133-pound weight class thanks to a pair of victories in the medal round at the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.
After coming up just short to top seed Lucas Byrd — who went on to win the national title — in the semifinals Friday night by a hard-fought 2-0 decision, Romney came out on a mission Saturday morning in wrestlebacks.
The Simi Valley, Calif. native opened the final day of the NCAA Championships by earning a decisive 7-2 decision over No. 6 seed Connor McGonagle from Virginia Tech thanks to two first-period takedowns and over two minutes of riding time. The victory allowed Romney to secure a spot in the third-place match at 133 pounds.
In the third-place match, Romney squared off against No. 14 seed Zan Fugitt from Wisconsin and scored another two takedowns to roll to a 7-3 decision. The victory allowed Romney to become Cal Poly’s highest NCAA finisher at 133 pounds, bettering Darrell Vasquez (fourth in 2004, fifth in 2007) and Boris Novachkov (seventh, 2010).
By advancing to the semifinals on Friday, Romney became Cal Poly’s fourth All-American all-time at 133 pounds and first since Novachkov 15 years ago.
Romney is Cal Poly’s first All-American overall since Bernie Truax took fourth at 197 in 2023 and the Mustangs’ highest finisher at NCAAs since Evan Wick took third at 165 in 2022.
Romney finishes his impressive redshirt sophomore campaign with a 19-5 record thanks to a 5-1 showing at NCAAs. The 133-pound Cliff Keen Invitational champion ends the season with 13 victories over ranked opponents.
As a team, Cal Poly finished in a tie for 29th with 17.5 points, 13.5 coming courtesy of Romney.
NCAA Championships Day 3
Cal Poly Results
133
No. 4 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) d. No. 6 Connor McGonagle (Virginia Tech), 7-2
Third-place match: No. 4 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) d. No. 14 Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin), 7-3
