West Liberty, WV -- Dwayne "The Roc" Johnson powered his way to three wins to earn the Mountain East Conference Championship at 197 lbs on Saturday at West Liberty University. This was the third MEC title earned by AB wrestlers, and the second year in a row a Battler stood atop the podium at 197 lbs.

In the first round Johnson used six takedowns, an escape, and a riding time point to secure a 14-7 decision victory over Michael Schneider of Davis & Elkins.

In the semifinals Roc opened the first period with a thunderous takedown, planting his opponent  directly on his back racing out to a 6-0 lead. An escape by his West Lib opponent provided Johnson with another chance to attack, and he scored another single leg takedown to end the period up 8-1. A second period escape followed by a takedown and a stalling point put him ahead by a score of 12-1. In the third Johnson put the match into cruise control and scored a takedown, a second stalling point, and a riding time point to punch his ticket to the final by a score of 16-2.

In the championship match Johnson used a first period takedown, some tough riding, and excellent defense to defeat Marvelous Ruttledge by a 3-2 score. This is Johnson's first MEC title as well as AB's first MEC champion in all sports during the 2022-23 school year.

Other athletes earning wins on the day include Noah Hodges, Demetrius Daniels, and Greg Griffith.

Coach Gardner's thoughts: "I'm so happy for Dwayne. He earned this championship with hard work and unshakable positivity. He lives the lifestyle of a champion, and it paid off with a championship. He's getting better every week. We knew he had a tough opponent in the final, but we had him scouted and we had a plan, and Dwayne followed that plan exactly. The Roc is exactly the kind of student-athlete we want to be a Battler. I'm so proud of him."