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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Mason Kauffman, a 2017 graduate of Stratford High School, will be heading to the NCAA Wrestling Championships next week in St. Louis, Mo.
Kauffman, a two-time WIAA Division 3 state champion while at Stratford, has compiled a 13-4 record this season for Northern Illinois University at 174 pounds. He placed fourth at the Mid-American Conference Championships on Feb. 27 at Rider University in Trenton, N.J., and was named an extra qualifier for the NCAA tournament, which will be held March 18-20.
Kauffman defeated Jake Lowell of Central Michigan 3-2 in the consolation quarterfinals and Paul Pierce of George Mason 7-4 in the consolation semifinals before losing 5-4 in overtime to Jacob Oliver of Edinboro in the third-place match at the MAC tournament.
Kauffman, a redshirt junior and transfer for Eastern Michigan, entered the season with a 27-27 record in two years wrestling for NIU.
Kauffman is the No. 22 seed among the 33 wrestlers in the 174-pound bracket of the NCAAs and will take on No. 11 Austin Murphy of Campbell (12-0) in a first-round match March 18.