ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Chris Birchler's run at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships ended just short of All-America honors, as East Stroudsburg University's junior heavyweight fell to No. 4 seed Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State, 3-1, in sudden victory in consolation action on Friday night at the Scottrade Center.

Birchler won three straight consolation matches, including two on Friday morning, and was one of the final 12 heavyweights left in the tournament entering the evening session. He entered the NCAA's ranked 34th by InterMat and knocked off No. 27 Zach Hammond (Cornell), No. 6 Mitchell Monteiro (Cal State-Bakersfield) and No. 15 Tucker Lane (Nebraska).

Birchler used a takedown with one minute left in the third period to score a 5-4 decision over Monteiro in his first action on Friday, and emerged from his bout against Lane with a 4-3 decision to earn his match-up with Rosholt.

The bout went into overtime at 1-all, with both wrestlers picking up escapes following a scoreless first period, before Rosholt trapped Birchler underneath, spun and got the takedown to move into the final eight.

Birchler's two losses in the tournament both came in overtime. He nearly upset the No. 1 seed, David Zabriskie of Iowa State, on Thursday afternoon when he took Zabriskie down for a 4-3 lead with 41 seconds left. Zabriskie eventually worked for the escape, then got a takedown in the extra session to advance.

Birchler owned the third period in each of his three wins, beginning with a takedown and the riding time advantage for a 4-1 decision over Hammond in his first consolation match Thursday night. He earned his trip to the NCAA Championships by placing third at the EIWA Championships two weekends ago at the Palestra in Philadelphia, where he recorded a 3-1 decision over Hammond in the wrestlebacks.

He gave up a first period takedown against Monteiro but came up with a reversal to level the score at 2-2. Monteiro was on bottom to start the second period and escaped, Birchler got out to start the third period, and got his takedown for the victory.

Against Lane, Birchler had a takedown and an escape and the Cornhuskers' heavyweight scored a reversal and an escape, all in the second period, to go into the third period tied at 3-3. Birchler's escape came with 1:15 left to keep the riding time under a minute, and he held on for the 4-3 victory.

Birchler's bid at All-America honors ends his season with a 27-7 mark and a 52-17 career record in his first two years at ESU. The Warriors had six Division I All-Americans in the last 43 years and will reclassify to Division II for the 2009-10 season. Jack Cuvo, a three-time All-American and two-time national champion, and Anibal Nieves were both All-Americans in 1989, the last time ESU had a wrestler on the platform at the NCAA Championships.