Biography
2016-17: MAC Scholar Athlete … first wrestler in program history to earn three All-American honors in career … First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District … first four-time NWCA Scholar All-American in program history … Second Team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … went 38-6 overall at 165 pounds … went 21-0 in dual meets … notched a team-best 16 pins (fourth in program history), three technical falls, five major decisions and 10 decisions … entered season ranked second in nation by d3wrestle.com and NWCA … took second at Messiah Invitational … won 165-pound title at RIT Invitational … earned a spot on the Budd Whitehill Duals All-Tournament Team … finished second at MAC Championships … took second at NCAA Mideast Regional to qualify for NCAA Championships for third straight year … went 3-1 at the tournament with three pins, falling to Messiah’s Larry Cannon in championship match … entered NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed … won opening round match before falling in quarterfinals … pinned Wabash’s Connor Brummelt in 2:26 to guarantee his third All-American honors … posted third-period comeback for final win of career over Wartburg’s Andrew Steiert … finished 3-3 at the tournament … posted a 139-28 record in his career, finishing second in school history in career wins and second with 47 falls … won a school-record 13 matches at NCAA Championships … a member of the MAC Academic Honor Roll.
2015-16: Lycoming College Male Athlete of the Year … earned second career All-American honors at 165 pounds … First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District ... placed third at the NCAA Division III Championships, going 4-1 at the meet … defeated tournament’s top-seed Farai Sewera of Coe, 9-5, in consolation quarterfinals … finished tournament with a 6-1 win in third-place match against Stevens’ Colin Navickas, who beat Barger in quarterfinals … also notched a pin against Concordia-Moorhead’s Cole Sladek and a decision against Augsburg’s Eric Hensel … finished season 36-2, which is tied for sixth-most wins in program history … posted 13 falls, tied for fifth most in program history, four technical falls and seven major decisions … went a perfect 21-0 in dual meets … won tournament titles at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships and the Ohio Northern University Invitational … posted a 3-1 win over sixth-ranked David Shapiro of Baldwin-Wallace in a dual meet … earned a spot on the Budd Whitehill National Duals All-Tournament Team … finished second at the NCAA Mideast Regionals to earn his second NCAA qualifier … saw 31-match win streak end in finals at regional, where he dropped a 10-5 decision to Messiah’s Jeff Hojnacki … ranked second by both NWCA and d3wrestle.com throughout entire regular season … earned one MAC Wrestler of the Week and one ECWC Wrestler of the Week award … sixth wrestler in school history to notch 100 career wins, finishing year with 101-22 record … tied for fifth in school history with 31 career pins, tied for fifth with 17 major decisions and tied for fourth with 10 technical falls … named to ECWC All-Academic Team … a NWCA Division III Scholar All-American ... a member of the MAC Academic Honor Roll.
2014-15: Earned All-American honors at 165 pounds … placed third at NCAA Division III Championships, going 4-1 at the meet … notched win over tournament’s top-seed, Wartburg’s Andrew Steiert, 6-4, in consolation semifinals … posted a 12-2 major decision in third-place match against Waynesburg’s Sam Guidi, who beat Barger in quarterfinals … had pins over Lakeland’s Mitchell Fucile and Hunter’s Jesse Bader … posted a 36-8 record, which is tied for the sixth-most wins in program history … accumulated 11 falls, three technical falls, six major decisions and 13 decisions … defeated two nationally-ranked opponents (No. 8 Terner Gott of John Carroll and No. 7 Cody Lovejoy of Ohio Northern) at the NCAA Mideast Regionals to take top spot in the 165-pound weight class … entered national rankings after the tournament, ranking sixth at 165 pounds by d3wrestle.com … earned an individual title at the John Summa Invitational … placed second at the King’s Invitational … placed third at the MAC Championships … took third at Ohio Northern University Invitational … went 12-4 in dual meets … named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll and the ECWC All-Academic Team … Academic All-MAC … a NWCA Division III Scholar All-American.
2013-14: Posted an overall record of 29-12 at 157 pounds … finished 13th in Division III in wins in the weight class … tallied seven falls, 14 decisions and four major decisions … went 13-5 in the dual meets … won Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference title with a 4-1 win over teammate Brian Watkins … placed fifth at the NCAA Mideast Regionals … finished third at the Monarch Invitational and fifth at the Ohio Northern University Invitational … won three ECWC Rookie of the Week awards … a NWCA Scholar All-American.
High School: An all-state selection as a senior at 145 pounds … a three-time district champion … placed fourth in PIAA tournament as a senior, going 3-1 at the event and was a three-time state qualifier … Northwest Region champion in 2013 … finished career 127-29, posting a career-best 38-3 record as a senior.
Personal: Son of Greg and Susan Barger … has one brother, Thomas, a 2011 graduate of Lycoming, and one sister, Emily, a 2015 graduate of Lycoming … a business marketing and finance major … favorite food is hot ranch wings.
