MACON, Ga. – The Apprentice School used a 6-1 charge through the consolation rounds Friday morning to vault into second place after three sessions of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships. The Builders, not far removed from their 2009 national title, scored plenty of bonus points with four of those wins coming by fall to tally 42 points and move past California Baptist, the former runner-up that now sits in third place with 41.

Grand Valley State still leads the tournament with 45.5 points and has seven wrestlers who advanced to the quarterfinals that begin at 4 p.m. Friday at Mercer’s University Center. The Lakers have 12 wrestlers still alive, including three who made it through consolation bouts this morning. 

Apprentice, which entered the morning session in fourth place, still has nine wrestlers alive in the brackets, three of which will wrestle in the quarterfinals. One of the quarterfinals matches Apprentice’s 133-pound All-American Marcus Chevres against Grand Valley State’s Matt Morrill. Chevres won his first two matches by 24-6 and 8-0 counts, while Morrill advanced with consecutive pins in the first two rounds.

The quarterfinals may well determine California Baptist’s fate. The Lancers have nine wrestlers in the quarters, including a consecutive run between the 141 and 184 brackets. Each of their six wrestlers among the top four seeds have advanced to the quarters.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville is in fourth place with 37 points, followed by defending champion Central Florida in fifth with 29.5. Host Mercer and Marion Military Institute (Ala.) are just behind tied for sixth with 29 points.

Team Scores after Session 3 of 7

Division I Teams
1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) – 45.5
2. The Apprentice School (Va.) – 42
3. California Baptist – 41
4. So. Illinois-Edwardsville – 37
5. Central Florida – 29.5
6t. Mercer – 29
6t. Marion Military Institute (Ala.) – 29
8. West Chester (Pa.) – 28.5
9. Md.-Baltimore County – 27
10. U.S. Naval Academy Prep – 24.5
11. U.S. Military Academy Prep – 19
12. New Hampshire – 16.5
13. Penn State – DuBois – 16
14. Mass. Inst. of Technology – 15
15. U.S. Air Force Academy Prep – 14.5
16. Middle Tennessee State – 12
17. Mott CC (Mich.) – 11
18t. Colorado State – 10
18t. Amherst – 10
20. Georgia – 9.5
21. Douglas College (B.C.) – 9
22. Penn Tech – 8.5
23t. Texas-Arlington – 7.5
23t. Williamson School of Trade – 7.5
25. Dayton – 7
26t. Valley Force Military Acad. – 5.5
26t. East Tennessee State – 5.5
28t. Rensselaer Poly. Inst. – 5
28t. Wayne State (Neb.) – 5
28t. San Jose State – 5
31t. Florida A&M – 3
31t. Southern Virginia – 3
31t. Blair Academy (N.J.) – 3
34. Northland CC (Wis.) – 2.5
35. Connecticut – 1

Division II Clubs
1. Northwest Missouri State – 21
2. Oakland (Mich.) – 20.5
3. Massachusetts – 15
4. South Carolina – 13
5. North Florida – 12.5
6. Hudson Valley CC (N.Y.) – 11.5
7. Cincinnati – 11
8t. Bowling Green – 10
8t. Virginia Military – 10
8t. Illinois State – 10
11. Northeastern – 9
12. Florida – 7.5
13. Florida State – 7
14t. Texas A&M – 6
14t. Kennesaw State – 6
16t. Texas – 5.5
16t. Texas State – 5.5
18t. SUNY-Albany – 5
18t. Colorado – 5
18t. SUNY-Cobleskill – 5
18t. Texas Tech – 5
22t. Radford – 4
22t. Georgia Southern – 4
24. William and Mary – 3.5
25t. Texas-San Antonio – 2.5
25t. Georgia Tech – 2.5
27t. Florida Gulf Coast – 2
27. Delaware – 2
29t. Slippery Rock – 1
29t. Kansas State – 1
31t. Tennessee – 0.5
31t. Penn State – 0.5
31t. Lansing CC (Mich.) – 0.5
34t. Auburn – 0
34t. Michigan – 0
34t. South Florida – 0
34t. Virginia Tech – 0
34t. Winona State – 0