The closing ceremonies were full of celebration but also were saddening because this week is over, and everyone must return home. It had to end sometime. Many of the student-athletes expressed how grateful they were of everything and what a great time they had.

The event was moved indoors, just across the street from the previously set location Discovery Green to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center. There was food, photo kiosks and games.

Time to go home, but it's been fun.

(stay tuned for a wrap-up to follow). Good night from Houston, Texas.

Of course, so is everybody else, and it's their party.

Swimming is now about to start the men's 400 free relay, so they will wrap up pretty soon. Wrestling is in its last match also, so in the next hour or less, everyone should be at the closing ceremonies.

I'm about to head over there and catch up with some athletes and fans. I, first, have to pick up some batteries for the camera. That means check back later for party snapshots.

Track & Field ended on a good note, bringing all of its fans to their feet.

or if they were sitting, they were just as nervous...

The Lincoln women's track & field team was crowned the Division II Champions after a great performance with a score of 100.50. Grand Valley State followed with 48 points, then Central Missouri with 41 points.  

On the men's side, St. Augustine's grabbed the top spot with a 105-point performance, with Adams State (80) and Abilene Christian (62) behind them.

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS!  

A few more track photos...

Incarnate Word's Blake McKay just won the third place trophy in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:01.27. To make it sweeter, he jumped out the pool, and in front of every single person (which is a lot of people) asked his girlfriend of eight months, Bethany Ellison, to marry him.  (Everybody was in on it, except for her of course. She thought she was just near the pool to cheer him on. Next thing you know, the crowd was cheering both of them on. CONGRATS AND BEST WISHES!)

The crowd loved it...so did Bethany, of course.

The crew at the wrestling venue is setting up for the big finale tonight (starts at 6 p.m. CST).

I was speaking with a polite and helpful gentleman from Nebraska-Omaha while reading the results that are posted up on the wall and learned a few things.  

He gave me some insight as to how wrestling is so huge. In Nebraska, it's particularly big (Here in Texas, we're not as accustomed to it being that big of a deal). Two products from his small town of Abilene, Kansas are competing tonight. He said that next year, when the wrestling is at their venue, there should be about 7,000 fans, if not more...insane.

Despite the fact that Nebraska-Omaha has the championship in the bag, leading the second place team Newberry by over 70 points, there are still much to be decided...a few matches that will be important to follow:

157- Travis Eggers (Upper Iowa) vs. Todd Meneely (Nebraska-Omaha)

Meneely is going for his third consecutive championship. Nebraska-Omaha's fans hope an ankle injury doesn't prevent his chances of winning.

125- Tommy Edgmon (Fort Hays State) vs. Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State)          141-Doug Surra (West Liberty State) vs. Raymond Dunning (AdamsState)                    184- Kyle Sand (Adams State) vs. Brett Pankoke (Nebraska-Omaha)

Adams State has three guys competing tonight, so has a legitimate chance of bumping up to the higher spots, even though they might be tied in sixth place.

197- Keeno Griffin (Newberry) vs. Jacob Marrs (Nebraska-Omaha)
HWT- Cy Wainwright (Newberry) vs. Dustin Finn (Central Oklahoma)

Newberry is only in its third year of existence and at the top of the standings among the big boys of D-2 wrestling. They have two athletes competing tonight, so it will be interesting to see how they fair in the remainder of this tournament.  

GOOD LUCK TO ALL. Get ready for some intense battles tonight. Here is a list of the rest of the matches. I'm off to track & field before returning to the wrestling/swimming & diving championships.

125- Tommy Edgmon (Fort Hays State) vs. Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State)
133- Shane Valko (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) vs. Joe Kemmerer (Kutztown)
141- Doug Surra (West Liberty State) vs. Raymond Dunning (Adams State)
149- Tommy Abbott (Minnesota State-Mankato) vs. Chris Freije (Western State)
157- Travis Eggers (Upper Iowa) vs. Todd Meneely (Nebraska-Omaha)
165- Josh Shields (Mercyhurst) vs. Aaron Denson (Nebraska-Omaha)
174- Brett Hunter (Chadron State) vs. Kamarudeen Usman (Nebraska-Kearney)
184- Kyle Sand (Adams State) vs. Brett Pankoke (Nebraska-Omaha)
197- Keeno Griffin (Newberry) vs. Jacob Marrs (Nebraska-Omaha)
HWT- Cy Wainwright (Newberry) vs. Dustin Finn (Central Oklahoma)

LOOK AT THE LINE ALREADY:

(the start of it)

(and it goes on)

(and on...)

Although the day is not over, many teams are done competing and taking this time to support others, grab something to eat, catch up on all the basketball tournaments and taking advantage of some photo opps in the lobby.

Some people I have talked to have said they plan on sticking around and being great fans for the remainder of the events. Others are going to eat or take a quick look at the Houston Rodeo, but all are waiting around until closing ceremonies kick off tonight.

The ceremony at Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston, which is one of Houston's newest park and eco-friendly, begins at 7:30 p.m. CST.

When you are proud of something, you wear it, usually. Of course, being at an event, you're bound to see different teams' t-shirts. (Ashland University is particularly well-represented. Everywhere I turn, there is a different piece of wardrobe.)  These guys below have one of the coolest t-shirts I've seen so far.

Ok, so you can't tell right here, but the back reads, "unbeavble" and the story goes like this:

One of the swimming & diving team member's roommate is still learning English (he's Thai) and when describing Michael Phelps' incredible summer, instead of saying "unbelievable," he instead mispronounced it and said "unbeavble". Now, it is the team's motto and their inspiration. That's pretty awesome.

While walking around I've seen a lot of these shirts representing Ashland's Josh Ohl. Ohl should face Keeno Griffin in a semifinal match today in Session III.

Here are some other pictures in which you could obviously tell what school they hail from...

Since there are so many people here, I wasn't able to post up in the 'Rotunda' to get internet. Instead, this wonderful woman who guards the NCAA room, Judy, whom I have gotten to know since Wednesday, supplied an ethernet cord. Now, no problemo.

So here are my pictures so far. Swimming & diving are still in prelims, but getting rowdy. But wrestling is what everyone is talking about. After yesterday's competition, Nebraska-Omaha was in the lead. Newberry moved up to second and Nebraska-Kearney secured the third spot, but there is a lot to be decided today.

Just like yesterday, there are a ton of things going on around the festival and everyone can look forward to tonight's after-party. If only I could be in two places at the same time.

Since I can't, here's the gameplan. Right now, hurdles are what's going on at track & field , so I am going take a trek to the other side of campus for swimming & diving and wrestling becasue they are about to start in 20 minutes, then I'll come back for track.

But, I'm sure that, in all events, today will turn out the best crowds. So I'm excited because it's going to be awesome competition.  

You realize how important workers, especially volunteers, are to the atmosphere of the event. Without them, much of this event wouldn't run as smoothly as it is.

The yellow shirts at this event signify that you are a volunteer. There's a sea of yellow.

Granted, some volunteers get incentives like some UH students.

I talked to some from the kinesiology department and they told me they will receive extra credit in a class if they put in some hours at the events. Even still, it is the start and Spring Break, and what college kid wouldn't want to be at the beach (especially after the Houston weather has been subpar)? Some students also will be receiving Houston Astros tickets if they work two or more shifts (eight hours).

Some come in form of the CRWC staff. They clean up after the swimming & diving and wrestling events and make sure things run smoothly.