KENOSHA — Carthage College men's wrestling junior Zaren Anderson has made history, becoming the first Firebird to qualify for the NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling Championship since the program's reinstatement. Anderson, a native of Garland, Texas, secured his spot at nationals after a dominant performance at the NCAA Regionals.

Anderson, who holds a 25-12 record this season, captured first place at the regional tournament, showcasing resilience and skill throughout the bracket. He opened the competition with a thrilling 3-2 tiebreaker victory over Kris Castro (St. John's) before defeating Landon Church (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) in a 2-1 decision. In the semifinals, Anderson secured a 7-6 win against Karsen Otis (Augsburg) before being crowned champion with a forfeit victory over Michael Macias (Augustana).

His qualification marks a significant milestone for Carthage College wrestling under head coach Alberto Quiros, as Anderson becomes the program's first national qualifier since wrestling returned to campus as a varsity sport. Carthage previously sponsored the sport from 1961-94 under longtime head coach Ron Zalokar. The program's lone NCAA All-American, Bob Bentz, finished seventh at the 1988 NCAA Division III Championships.

The NCAA Championship will start Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m. 

Season Stats – Zaren Anderson
Match Points: 213
Takedowns (3 pts): 37
Takedowns (2 pts): 0
Escapes: 23
Reversals: 8
Cautions: 1
Nearfall (3 pts): 1
Stalling Warnings: 22
Nearfall (4 pts): 10
Nearfall (2 pts): 4