NAPLES, Italy — It was the championship that wasn’t quite a championship.

Security concerns kept two of the seven teams in the Mediterranean District from the final tournament Saturday, leaving the district’s berths for the European Championships temporarily open.

“Due to the recent change in force protection levels in Italy, Aviano and Sigonella are unable to participate in the Mediterranean Wrestling Championships this weekend in Naples,” Karen Seadore, DODDS-Europe athletic director, said in a letter to coaches.

“The champion in each weight class from this championship will not receive an automatic berth in the European Championships.”

Force protection levels around Italy increased after 28 Pakistanis were discovered in a Naples apartment last week with explosives, fuses and maps highlighting American military installations in the area.

A decision on which Mediterranean wrestlers will compete at the Europeans won’t be made until next week, when Seadore and the coaches will review records and head-to-head competition during the regular season.

A few things were settled:

Freshman wrestler JoJo Fears, competing for Naples in the 140-pound weight class, was voted outstanding wrestler of the year.

Undefeated Naples took the regional team title for the second year in a row.

Naples (187) was followed by Vicenza (108), American Overseas School of Rome (54), Ankara (45) and Incirlik (10).

Derek Nehls of AOSR barely beat out Naples’ Jeff Bickel for most pins in the tournament. Each pinned five opponents, but Nehls, who had just flown in from a Model United Nations event in the Netherlands, spent less time on the mat.

A last-minute decision to switch from elimination to round-robin competition because of the team absences also put more physical stress on the wrestlers.

“Instead of wrestling three people to take first, some had to wrestle six people,” said Jordan Aggson, assistant coach at Incirlik. “It can be really tiring.”

— Leah Bower is a news correspondent working out of the Naples, Italy, office.