Noble takes fourth at nationals

Western Colorado University’s Dean Noble earned an All-American honor at the 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Wrestling Championships on March 15. The fifth-year grappler also placed fourth in the 149-lbs bracket to earn national honors his second year in a row.

Noble squared off against Cael Larson from Augustana University in the semifinals on Saturday. Larson registered the only takedown of the match in the second period to earn a 4-3 decision. Noble shifted to the consolation bracket.

Guaranteed no worse than sixth place, the Mountaineer needed a win to elevate into the third-place match. Noble took a 3-0 lead in the opening period against University of Indianapolis' Jackson Hoover, and held a 4-3 advantage going into the final period. Hoover scored a takedown with 49 seconds left to take the lead. But Noble earned a reversal as time expired to tie the score at 6-6 and force overtime.

It was Noble that scored the deciding takedown, winning 9-6 in sudden victory to move into the third-place bout. The match pitted Noble against Brennan Watkins of King University Saturday afternoon.

Noble scored first with a takedown, but Watkins pulled the escape to trail only 3-1 entering the second period. Watson deferred to begin, and Noble elected to start in the down position. Watson took advantage by scoring a 4-point nearfall.

Noble earned an escape with 30 seconds in the period and then added a takedown in the final second to inch back in front, 7-5, going into the final period. Watkins pulled within a point with an escape, and then scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in the match. Noble managed a quick escape, but time ran out, and the match ended as a 9-8 victory for Watkins.

Noble's All-American, fourth-place finish improves upon his All-American seventh-place finish at last year's national tournament.

(​Gregg Petcoff is the assistant athletics director for communications at Western Colorado University and can be reached at gpetcoff@western.edu.)