CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – York College junior wrestler Brian Thomason (Wernersville, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) completed his 2008-2009 campaign Saturday at the NCAA wrestling championships after collecting All-American honors. Thomason, who came in eighth-place at the national tournament, finishes the year with an outstanding 30-7 record.
    After yesterday’s red-hot run through the consolation bracket, a dash that saw the 174-pound Thomason dispatch the weight’s #1 and #3 seeded wrestlers, Thomason was already assured All-American accolades, which are awarded to the top eight finishers in each class.
    The Spartan simply cooled-off on Saturday however, as he dropped the day’s opening bout to UW-Lacrosse’s Michael Schmitz by a 13-3 count.
    The loss forced Thomason into the seventh-place match where he met a familiar foe in Wilkes’ Frank Heffernan. The pair had dueled backed on January 16 at Wilkes with Thomason getting the better of the match to secure a tight 5-4 victory. They met again in the semifinals of the 2009 Metropolitan Conference Championships on February 22 in York. Thomason won for a second time, recording a slim 4-3 triumph. This time around, Heffernan got the better of the bout as he defeated the York junior with a 4-2 result.
    Thomason completes the championships with a 3-3 record yet it was the valiant run through the consolation bracket that led to All-American honors. Thomason, the 13th Spartan All-American under head coach Tom Kessler, is York’s 20th All-American since 1973.

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Photo of York's 20th and most recent All-American - 174-Pound Brian Thomason