NIACC qualifies nine wrestlers for nationals
COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC qualified nine wrestlers for nationals and placed fifth at the NJCAA North Central district tournament with 110 points Sunday on the Iowa Western campus.
Since brining back wrestling in 2008, NIACC has not qualified less than eight wrestlers for the national tournament. The Trojans qualified all 10 wrestlers in 2015, 2012 and 2009.
Top-ranked Shiquan Hall placed second at 133 pounds to lead No. 10 NIACC. The Trojans also received third-place finishes from Paul Mascarenas (125), Jake Niichel (149), Kyler Mathews (197) and Mario Pena (285).
Also for NIACC, Quincy Kalkbrenner was fourth at 157, Tristan Luther was fourth at 174, Taylor Lehman placed fifth at 141 and Ben Wallace was fifth at 184.
Hall was pinned in the finals by Iowa Central's Zak Hensley in 6 minutes, 37 seconds on Sunday.
Hall (11-4) advanced to the 133-pound finals with a 12-2 major decision victory over Iowa Lakes' sixth-ranked George Farmah. Hall pinned Itasca's Doug Fillbrandt in 1 minute, 8 seconds in his openig round match.
Hall, who placed fourth at last year's national tournament, also placed second at the district meet in 2015 - dropping a 4-2, double-overtime decision to Iowa Western's Clay Stine in the district title match.
Mascarenas (14-6) placed third at 125 pounds with a 5-2 victory over Iowa Lakes' Brian Maas. Mascarenas, a sophomore, dropped a 4-2 decision to Ellsworth's Blake Walker in the semifinals.
Mascarenas was fourth at last season's district tournament and placed sixth at the 2015 national tournament at 125 pounds.
Niichel (15-12) placed third at 149 pounds after receiving a medical forfeit from Iowa Lakes' Stephen Mincy. Niichel, a freshman, was pinned by Iowa Central's top-ranked Ryne Cokeley in the semifinals in 1:06.
At 197 pounds, Mathews (7-5) placed third with an overtime victory over Iowa Western's eighth-ranked Luke Nohns. In the opening round of the tournament, Nohn pinned Mathews in 3:14.
Mathews placed fourth at last season's district tournament as a freshman at 197 pounds.
At 285 pounds, Pena, a freshman, also avenged a first-round loss to Ridgewater's John Wittman to place third. Pena (17-8) dropped a 1-0 decision in his first-round match to Wittman but took a 10-2 major decision from him in the third-place match.
Kalkbrenner (14-6) placed fourth at 157 pounds. Iowa Lakes' Preston Stephenson edged Kalkbrenner 5-4 in the third-place match. Kalkbrenner placed fourth at 165 pounds at last season's district tournament.
At 174 pounds, Luther (11-7) placed fourth after getting pinned by Ellsworth's Jordan Gundrum in 1:10 in the third-place match.
Lehman (12-14) placed fifth at 141 pounds with an 18-7 major decision victory over Iowa Lakes' Tyson Leon.
At 184 pounds, Wallace (1-5) placed fifth with a 13-4 major decision victory over Ridgewater's Nick Stafford.
The national tournament is set for Feb. 26-27 in Council Bluffs.
Team standings - Iowa Central 159, Ellsworth 153, Iowa Western 128.5, Iowa Lakes 122, NIACC 110, Ridgewater 66.5, Itasca 28.5, Northland CTC 28, Minnesota West 22.5.
NIACC results
Finals
133 - Zak Hensley (Iowa Central) pinned Shiquan Hall (N), 6:37.
Third-place matches
125 - Paul Mascarenas (N) dec. Brian Maas (Iowa Lakes), 5-2.
149 - Jake Niichel (N) won by medical forfeit over Stephen Mincy (IL).
157 - Preston Stephenson (IL) dec. Quincy Kalkbrenner (N), 5-4.
174 - Jordan Gundrum (Ellsworth) pinned Tristan Luther (N), 1:10.
197 - Kyler Mathews (N) dec. Luke Nohns (Iowa Western), OT.
285 - Mario Pena (N) major dec. John Wittman (Ridgewater), 10-2.
Fifth-place match
141 - Taylor Lehman (N) major dec. Tyson Leon (IL), 18-7.
184 - Ben Wallace (N) major dec. Nick Stafford (Ridgewater), 13-4.
Seventh-place match
165 - Jro Byrd (IW) pinned Seth Niichel (N), 5:34.
Semifinals
125 - Blake Walker (E) dec. Mascarenas (N), 4-2.
133 - Hall (N) major dec. George Farmah (IL), 12-2.
149 - Ryne Cokeley (IC) pinned Jake Niichel (N), 1:06.
174 - Preston Lauterbach (IW) pinned Luther (N), 1:20.
Quarterfinals
157 - Kalkbrenner (N) dec. Chris Schmidt (Ridgewater), 1-0.
Consolation semifinals
125 - Mascarenas (N) major dec. Lucas Hagel (Ridgewater), 21-9.
141 - Lamont Cannon (Minnesota West) dec. Lehman (N), 2-1 (OT).
149 - Jake Niichel (N) dec. Jessie Regalado (MW), 5-2.
157 - Kalkbrenner (N) won by medical forfeit over Chase Lemons (IW).
174 - Luther (N) pinned Travis Deegan (Ridgewater), 6:38.
184 - Jhalen Flanders (IW) pinned Wallace (N), 1:27.
197 - Mathews (N) dec. Atavion Oliver (E), 7-3.
285 - Pena (N) dec. Stephen Boone (IW), 3-2 (OT).
First-round consolation
165 - Zach Revier (Ridgewater) dec. Seth Niichel (N), 9-2.
285 - Pena (N) dec. Quelton Toliver (IC), 6-0.
First-round results
125 - Mascarenas (N) dec. Printice Walls (IW), 11-4.
133 - Hall (N) pinned Doug Fillbrandt (Itasca), 1:08.
141 - Colton Adams (IW) dec. Lehman (N), 3-2.
149 - Jake Niichel (N) pinned Lerch Oremez (E), 7:20.
157 - Kalkbrenner (N) received a first-round bye.
165 - Sadarriss Patterson (E) pinned Seth Niichel (N), :51.
174 - Luther (N) received a first-round bye.
184 - DeAndre Jones (E) dec. Wallace (N), 4-2 (OT).
197 - Nohns (IW) pinned Mathews (N), 3:14.
285 - Wittman (Ridgewater) dec. Pena (N), 1-0.