BURNABY, B.C. – Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Sunnyvale, California) is headed to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. 

The junior turned in a gutsy effort Saturday at the NCAA Div. II Super Region VI Championship in Chadron, Nebraska, to place third in his 285-pound weight class and earn a berth to the national meet. The NCAA Div. II Championships will take place March 10-11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In the deciding bout, Feliciano-Takafua beat Anthony Caldwell of Fort Hays State (Kansas) 9-5. He won the first two periods 2-1, before recording a pair of takedowns and a riding time point to take the final period 5-3.

After a bye in the first round, Feliciano-Takafua defeated Deandre Rucker of Colorado Mines via technical fall, 17-1 in the quarter-finals. His only loss of the day was a 6-4 setback in the semifinal against eventual champion Lee Herrington of Nebraska-Kearney. 

That forced Feliciano-Takafua to go through the consolation side of the bracket. In the consolation semi, he battled Colorado State-Pueblo's Ben Gould to a 2-2 scoreline after two overtimes, and advanced to the third-place contest. It was the rubber match for the two wrestlers this season. Feliciano-Takafua won their November matchup in Kearney, Nebraska, before Gould got the triumph about a month later in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Feliciano-Takafua just missed out on an NCAA spot last year after placing fourth at the super regional. In 2020, he was sixth.

In total, SFU finished with 21.5 points in the team competition – with 13 coming from Feliciano-Takafua – to place 11th.

Peter McCrackin (Beaumont, Alta.) turned in the Red Leafs' other top six result on Saturday. He was sixth in the 174-pound division, earning his team 5.5 points. 

The sophomore lost his opening match, and got a bye in the first consolation round. McCrackin then beat Gage Mettler of San Francisco State 7-2, with the offensive output coming on three takedowns and a riding time point. He defeated Cameron Nesbitt of CSU-Pueblo 5-1. McCrackin earned a penalty point and a takedown (two points) in the second period. He then shut out Nesbitt in the third while scoring points via an escape and a penalty. 

He lost by fall to Western Colorado's Cole Hernandez in the consolation semifinal, and Levi Farris from the Colorado School of Mines in the showdown for fifth.

His brother Magnus McCrackin, also a sophomore from Beaumont, Alta., earned 2.5 points for getting to the third consolation round. In his last competition as a Red Leafs wrestler, senior Randy McDonald (Newman Lake, Washington) got a half-point after going 2-2 to reach the third consolation round.

NCAA Division II Super Regional VI Results for Simon Fraser

125 pounds
Marques Calapiz (2-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Dawson Collins (Colorado Mesa) 17-8 won by tech fall over Marques Calapiz (Simon Fraser) 2-16 (TF-1.5 5:29 (18-2))
Cons. Round 1 - Marques Calapiz (Simon Fraser) 2-16 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Rhys Sellers (New Mexico Highlands) 21-16 won by major decision over Marques Calapiz (Simon Fraser) 2-16 (MD 13-1)

141
Randy McDonald (18-14) place is unknown and scored 0.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Randy McDonald (Simon Fraser) 18-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Ethan Leake (Chadron State) 18-7 won by decision over Randy McDonald (Simon Fraser) 18-14 (Dec 7-5)
Cons. Round 2 - Randy McDonald (Simon Fraser) 18-14 won by decision over Joseph Misitano (New Mexico Highlands) 11-12 (Dec 4-3)
Cons. Round 3 - Alex Castaneda (Colorado Mesa) 14-11 won by fall over Randy McDonald (Simon Fraser) 18-14 (Fall 5:07)
 

149
Sam Patton (6-17) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Josiah Rider (Adams State) 23-3 won by fall over Sam Patton (Simon Fraser) 6-17 (Fall 4:40)
Cons. Round 1 - Sam Patton (Simon Fraser) 6-17 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Brandon Paredes (Chadron State) 15-11 won by major decision over Sam Patton (Simon Fraser) 6-17 (MD 11-0)

157
Magnus McCrackin (15-9) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Magnus McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-9 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) 20-0 won by major decision over Magnus McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-9 (MD 15-5)
Cons. Round 2 - Magnus McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-9 won by fall over Kyle Botelho (San Francisco State) 11-11 (Fall 6:49)
Cons. Round 3 - Ryan Wilson (Western Colorado) 5-3 won by decision over Magnus McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-9 (Dec 5-0)

165
Brent Hodgson (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Brent Hodgson (Simon Fraser) 0-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Hunter Mullin (Western Colorado) 10-4 won by major decision over Brent Hodgson (Simon Fraser) 0-2 (MD 11-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Brent Hodgson (Simon Fraser) 0-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Jackson Damenti (Colorado Mines) 16-7 won by decision over Brent Hodgson (Simon Fraser) 0-2 (Dec 12-8)

174
Peter McCrackin (15-15) placed 6th and scored 5.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tanner Baumgartner (Colorado Mesa) 8-9 won by major decision over Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 (MD 14-5)
Cons. Round 1 - Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 won by decision over Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 10-10 (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 won by decision over Cameron Nesbitt (Colorado State-Pueblo) 1-2 (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Semi - Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado) 10-5 won by fall over Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 (Fall 3:22)
5th Place Match - Levi Farris (Colorado Mines) 8-7 won by fall over Peter McCrackin (Simon Fraser) 15-15 (Fall 0:56)

184
Rick Feroce (6-18) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Rick Feroce (Simon Fraser) 6-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Billy Higgins (Nebraska-Kearney) 24-2 won by tech fall over Rick Feroce (Simon Fraser) 6-18 (TF-1.5 7:00 (22-7))
Cons. Round 2 - Lance Killgore (New Mexico Highlands) 14-15 won by decision over Rick Feroce (Simon Fraser) 6-18 (Dec 5-2)

197
Owen Gudmunson (9-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Owen Gudmunson (Simon Fraser) 9-16 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Anderson Salisbury (Colorado Mines) 21-5 won by fall over Owen Gudmunson (Simon Fraser) 9-16 (Fall 1:52)
Cons. Round 2 - Laith Gilmore (San Francisco State) 9-18 won in sudden victory - 1 over Owen Gudmunson (Simon Fraser) 9-16 (SV-1 3-1)

285
Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (26-6) placed 3rd and scored 13.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Simon Fraser) 26-6 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Simon Fraser) 26-6 won by tech fall over Deandre Rucker (Colorado Mines) 11-12 (TF-1.5 6:09 (17-1))
Semifinal - Lee Herrington (Nebraska-Kearney) 24-4 won by decision over Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Simon Fraser) 26-6 (Dec 6-4)
Cons. Semi - Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Simon Fraser) 26-6 won in double overtime over Ben Gould (Colorado State-Pueblo) 2-2 (2-OT 2-2)
3rd Place Match - Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (Simon Fraser) 26-6 won by decision over Anthony Caldwell (Fort Hays State) 20-17 (Dec 9-5)

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