NIACC's Anderly, Pena move to semifinals

Mario Pena gives the thumbs up sign after winning his quarterfinal round match at 285 pounds Friday night.

February 24, 2017

COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC's Austin Anderly and Mario Pena both advanced to the final four in their weight classes at the NJCAA national tournament Friday night at the Mid-America Center.

Anderly stopped Lincoln's Christian Kanzler 5-3 in his 141-pound quarterfinal bout.

Pena, who is ranked fifth, stopped Northeast Oklahoma's eighth-ranked Shawn Beeson 3-1 in overtime to advance to the semifinals for the second straight season.

Anderly (13-5) faces Highline's third-ranked Andrew Ramirez in Saturday morning's semifinals. Anderly knocked off second-ranked Curtis Burnett of Northeast Oklahoma in his second-round match on Friday.

Pena (17-9) takes on Northwest Kansas' fourth-ranked Odgerel Batkhishig in the 285-pound semifinals.

NIACC is seeking to move at least one wrestler to the championship for the fourth straight season. Nosomy Pozo and Yoanse Mejias both won back-to-back national titles in the 2014 abd 2015 seasons and Shiquan Hall claimed a national title last season.

NIACC sits in sixth place in the team standings heading into the second and final day of the tourbnament with 52.5 points.

Northeast Oklahoma leads the team standings with 93 points and Iowa Central is in second with 91 points.

NIACC's Brennen Doebel (125), Tucker Black (165) and Jaylen Lee (184) dropped their quarterfinal matches Friday night.

Doebel and Black stayed alive with consolation-round wins on Friday night and guaranteed themselves all-American status.

Also staying alive in the consolation round and guaranteeing himself all-American status was NIACC 133-pounder Jamarius Jackson.

It will be the third straight season that the Trojans have had five all-Americans. The Trojans crowned five all-Americans in the 2015 season and placed third and also had five all-Americans last season and tied for fourth.

NIACC's Friday night results

Quarterfinal round

125 - David Campbell (Clackamas) dec. Brennan Doebel (N), 9-2.

141 - Austin Anderly (N) dec. Christian Kanzler (Lincoln), 5-2.

165 - Trey Meyer (North Idaho) dec. Tucker Black (N), 5-3 (OT).

184 - Daishi Goto (Camden County) dec. Jaylen Lee (N), 9-7.

285 - Mario Pena (N) dec. Shawn Beeson (NE Oklahoma), 5-3 (OT).

Consolation round results

125 - Doebel (N) pinned Esteban Teigen (RCTC), 3:28.

133 - Jamarius Jackson (N) dec. Demone McClinton (Pratt), 6-3; Jackson (N) dec. Fred Eckles (Niagara County), 3-2.

157 - Colby Winnett (N) pinned Luke Bohn (Bergen Community) 2:20; Alex Gonzalez (Lincoln) dec. Winnett (N), 4-3.

165 - Black (N) dec. Cliff Owens (Camden County), 11-7.