NIACC wrestling team ranked ninth

MASON CITY - The NIACC wrestling team is ranked ninth in the latest NJCAA rankings by Intermat as four Iowa schools are ranked in the top 10.

NIACC, which was No. 3 in the last set of rankings released in December, has four ranked wrestlers, including second-ranked Paul Mascarenas at 125 pounds.

 Ellsworth is ranked No. 2, Iowa Central is No. 4, Iowa Western is No. 5 and Iowa Lakes is No. 7.

Other ranked wrestlers for the Trojans are No. 7 Quincy Kalkbrenner at 157 pounds, No. 8 Kyler Mathews at 197 pounds and No. 3 Lawrence Phillips at 285 pounds.

Mascarenas, who was sixth at last year's national meet at 125 pounds, is 7-3 this season with one technical fall and one major decision. He was third at the Kaye Young Open and sixth at the Buena Vista Open.

Iowa Central's Alex De La Cruz is ranked No. 1 at 125 pounds.

Mascarenas, who was No. 1 in the first two rankings, has a career record of 31-16 with six falls, 2 technicall falls and five major decisions.

Kalkbrenner, who qualified for the national meet a season ago, is 4-2 with two technical falls and one major decision. Kalkbrenner, who has a career mark of 23-13 with five falls, four technical falls and three major decisions, was second at the Kaye Young Open.

Mathews, who is a returning national qualifier, has a career record of 23-13 with five falls, four technical falls and three major decisions. Mathews has not wrestled this season.

Phillips, who is a returning national qualifier, is 4-3 with four falls. Phillips, who has a career record of 24-10 with 16 falls and one major decision, placed sixth at the Kaye Young Open and was sixth at the UNI Open.

NIACC returns to action Saturday at the Central College Open in Pella. The Trojans open their dual season Jan. 14 at Iowa Western.

NJCAA team rankings

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Ellsworth, Muskegon, Iowa Central, Iowa Western, Clackamas, Iowa Lakes, North Idaho, NIACC, Niagara County, Springfield Tech, Western Wyoming, Colby, Northwest, Nassau, Rowan Glouchester, Lincoln, Mercyhurst North East, Jamestown, Ridgewater.