WICHITA, Kan. – Friday marked day one of the NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships, as three members of the (RV) Corban University men's wrestling team took the mat at the Hartman Arena as representatives of the Navy and Gold on the NAIA's biggest stage. No one shined brighter than David Rubio, who earned a pair of thrilling victories to seal his spot in the NAIA 165-pound semifinals tomorrow, guaranteeing himself at least a sixth-place finish.

With no way of finishing outside the top-eight in his weight class, Rubio has reserved his spot as the second NAIA All-American in Corban men's wrestling history.

"It was awesome to see David's hard work pay off," head coach Keegan Davis said. "He's such a coachable athlete and it showed today. Tyson [Stover] and Michael [Murphy] battled hard today and showed a ton of growth over the course of this season. Most of all, I was proud of how all the guys did a good job of being image-bearers of Christ on the mat both in success and in defeat."

In the 149-pound weight class, Michael Murphy received a bye in his first match of the day, setting up a battle with No. 11-ranked John Diener of Morningside in the second round of the championship bracket. Murphy turned in a gritty effort as he sought an upset, but Diener was able to outlast him in a narrow 6-5 decision, forcing the Warrior 149-pounder to the consolation bracket, where he was later defeated by injury default by Missouri Baptist's No. 19 Steven Weathers II (Inj., 3:25).

At 184 pounds, it was an immediate trial by fire for Warrior rookie Tyson Stover, who was paired up with Ben Lee, the No. 1-ranked 184-pound wrestler in the NAIA on the No. 1-ranked team in the top-20 poll (Grand View). Stover fought hard through the first period, but Lee was able to secure the pin at the 3:39 mark to squelch any thoughts of an upset. Stover bounced back with a win over Providence's Alan Badley (decision, 8-4) after that, but his tournament run concluded with a loss to Vanguard's Baron Gaunt (major decision, 11-3). 

At 165 pounds, No. 12-ranked Rubio got off to a strong start, pinning Providence's Jordan Komac—the No. 14-ranked wrestler in the NAIA—in the first period (2:08) to begin his day. After downing the No. 7, No. 6, and No. 5-ranked 165-pound wrestlers at the conference tournament in February, Rubio then went head-to-head against No. 4-ranked Elliott Rodgers (Marian) in the NAIA Quarterfinals. Once again, Rubio was up for the task, pinning Rodgers (6:46) in the third round to seal his spot in the Navy and Gold record books. Rubio will face off against top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Cole Smith (Cumberland) tomorrow in the NAIA Semifinals, battling for a place in the national 165-pound title match.

The battle will take place at 10 a.m. CT.

CLICK HERE to watch the match via live video.

CLICK HERE to follow along with real-time results from the tournament.