Craig Becker entered his senior season looking to become the 14th national champion in UW-Parkside history.

Mission accomplished.

Becker won two matches Saturday to take the 149-pound weight class at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb.

Coming off a fourth-place finish at nationals in 2009, the top-ranked Becker (38-2) earned a spot in the final by gutting out a 13-11 decision in a tiebreaker over Derek Bomstad of Minnesota-Moorhead. Once in the final, Becker turned away Nebraska-Omaha’s Esai Dominguez 4-2.

It was the Rangers’ first national title since Brad Becker, Craig’s older brother, brought home a crown in 2006.

Parkside redshirt sophomore Luke Rynish, ranked fourth at 174, took second after losing 5-4 in the championship match to Nebraska-Kearney’s Kamarudeen Usman. Rynish (38-11) began his day with a 14-6 major decision over St. Cloud (Minn.) State’s Shamus O’Grady to reach the final.

Final team scores were unavailable at the News’ presstime.

The Rangers had two other wrestlers earn All-American honors, which goes to the top eight finishers.

Matt Gille (43-11) took seventh at 165 by going 2-1 on Saturday. Gille beat Blake Malloy of Fort Hays State 11-9 and then was pinned by Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney in 6:56 before pinning Augustana’s Gavin Nelson in 1:40 in the seventh-place match.

Dillon Bera went 1-2 at 157 in the consolation bracket to finish eighth. After beating Findlay’s Michael Lybarger 5-1, Bera (31-13) lost to Mercyhurst’s Andy Lamancusa 5-3 and beat Michael Williams of UNC-Pembroke via forfeit.

The four NCAA Division II All-Americans tied the 2002 squad for the most in Parkside history.

By Mike Larsen