PRINCETON — Earl Towne wasn't ready to let it go. He wasn't ready to turn in his singlet and see his Princeton Tiger wrestling career vanish in front of his eyes.

So he stepped out on the mat for the final time at Prouty Gymnasium Saturday, and for what could have been the final time wrestling ever, and did something about it. Towne defeated Oregon's Doug Shaw 8-2 in the third-place match at 145 pounds in the Princeton 1A regional.

"You don't know if it's going to be the last match of your season and your career. That's what pushed me to do so good because I didn't want that to be my last match I ever have," Towne said. "Being at home is even better and getting out of regionals senior year and just keeping it going."