Other teams that could make a run for the title include third-ranked Northwest College with seven qualifiers, 2011 champions Clackamas, ranked fourth, seventh-ranked Colby, and 10th-ranked Ridgewater, all with eight qualifiers. There are numerous other teams with nine qualifiers who will have a say in the national title, including four Iowa teams. Iowa Central, Iowa Lakes, Iowa Western, and North Iowa Area Community Colleges have nine qualifiers and their home state to help them battle to the top at the NJCAAs.
Any of these teams with seven, eight, nine, or ten qualifiers could be considered contenders for the title if they have a good run at nationals, but the pure balance and strength of North Idaho and Labette make them the strong contenders to fly away with the tile in Des Moines.
Links
Region/District Results
NJCAA National Tournament Official Website
NJCAA National Tournament Schedule
NJCAA National Tournament Brackets
NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Team and Individual Rankings
West District
North Idaho had six individual champions and won the team title by a 136 1/2-113 1/2 margin over the two-time defending regional champion Cougars, who qualified eight wrestlers for the Feb. 21-23 NJCAA National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Clackamas won the national title in 2011. Oregon City, Ore. On the way to returning the Region 18 wrestling team title to Coeur d'Alene, North Idaho College qualified all 10 of its wrestlers for the NJCAA national tournament. Brock Banta (125), Michael Carreon (133), Jeremy Golding(149), Ryan Zumwalt (165), and V.J. Guilio (197) all won their weight class. The Cardinals also had three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes to help them win the team title by 23 points. Clackamas finished in second place.
Clackamas Community College's Trent Noon and Jacob Mitchell won individual titles to pace the host Cougars of Oregon City to a second-place finish at Saturday's NJCAA Region XVIII wrestling championships. Noon scored a takedown in overtime for a 3-1 victory over North Idaho's Kyle Sweedman to win the 174-pound class, while Mitchell captured the heavyweight title with a 10-2 decision over Western Wyoming's Mike Williams.
West Central District
Labette Community College won their fourth straight regional championship with 125.5 points to easily outdistance runner-up Colby Community College with 73 points. Labette was ranked second in the latest team rankings, while Colby was ranked seventh. Both of these teams met in the NWCA National Dual meet championship finals with Labette winning handily. Other top twenty teams in this region were Neosho 15 and Pratt 20. Three wrestlers won their second consecutive regional titles; Le'Roy Barnes (133) Neosho, Devin Aguirre (165) Labette, and Trey Page (285) Labette. There were nine returning All-Americans from 2012 advancing to the national tournament including 2012 national champion Devin Aguirre, runner-up Trey Page, Eric Hughes (fifth) and Jeromy Davenport (fifth) from Labette; Josh Martinez (eighth), Bryce Lewis (fourth), and Dylan Braun (sixth) from Colby; Landon Keiswette (fifth) from Pratt; and Le'Roy Barnes (third) from Neosho. Region 6 Coach of the Year was Paul Gomez from Northwest Tech, Goodland, Kansas. His team scored 37 points to finish fifth in the region. With nine returning All-Americans the West Central Region six total matches the number of returning All-Americans from the West Region 18. Both of these regions include many of the top teams that will contend for the national title.
North Central District
The Ellsworth Community College wrestling team earned the title of North Central District Champions following Sunday's regional tournament in Willmar, Minnesota. ECC wrestlers tallied 110 points to win the title over Iowa Western (105.5), Rochester (99.5), Iowa Lakes (86), Iowa Central (84.5), MIACC (84), Ridgewater (83), MN West (32), and Itasca Community College (26.5). As a result, 10 ECC wrestlers will compete at the national tournament Feb. 22-23 in Des Moines.
"We wrestled!" exclaimed head coach Cole Spree. "We did what we've been working on all year long. I told them if we take care of ourselves and take care of what each one of us can control, things will happen the way they are supposed to happen. I am proud of the wrestlers; any time you can get every weight class through, you know you wrestled well. They deserve to go to the national tournament because yesterday they did what they had to secure their spot. With this performance we were able to win the District title, which I do not believe has happened in a long time for Ellsworth. The guys knew this and wanted to bring the title back. Each one of them is proud of Ellsworth Community College � this is something they will remember for a long time."
Coach Spree also commented on several individual performances. "We had four finalists and three champs. Anytime you can almost get half of your weights in the finals in one of the toughest regions in the nation, you have to be happy. Da'Wayne Robertson was on a mission all day. He is a winner; he knew what it was going to take for him to get the job done, and he did it. All year we have known he is one of the top kids in the nation and yesterday he showed why. Eric Franklin is a neat story overall. He's a kid who really wasn't a top recruit coming out of high school because he had only wrestled a of couple years. He came in at the beginning of the year and struggled, but just kept working and now has become one of the most dominant wrestlers in his weight class. He flat out dominated yesterday and I think the scores show that. Josh DaSilveira is one of our leaders and probably was the most dominant kid in the region. Josh means business when he steps onto the mat. He brings his lunchbox and hard hat and isn't afraid of any work you put in front of him."
With all 10 wrestlers qualifying for the national tournament, Coach Spree says he likes Ellsworth's chances. "We have an advantage on almost all of the teams that will be at the tournament because we have 10 guys � there are maybe only two or three other colleges bringing this many wrestlers. I also feel like we have 10 guys who are capable of being All-Americans if they show up and do what they are supposed to do. We are a dangerous team, and if we take care of business the next couple of weeks like we have been, good things will happen.
Spree was also named Coach of the Year at the regional tournament. Of the recognition, he says, "It is an honor and without a doubt I'm proud of it, but I am more proud of our guys and our coaching staff. The amount of time and dedication they put in is unreal. They are the ones who made it possible for me to receive the award. They are all great people who work hard and are not afraid to get down and dirty when it's called for. Without them the award would have never happened."
Central District
The Lincoln College wrestling team traveled to Triton College to compete in the Region 24 tournament on Sunday, Feb. 10. The region tournament is the team's national qualifying event. The team competed very well and finished as region champions with all 10 wrestlers qualifying for the national tournament. Head coach Steven Bradley said, "This was a great day for the team and the Lincoln College wrestling program. Each individual came prepared and wrestled well. I could not be more proud of my athletes. They fought hard and believed that they could win. It was a very fun day watching these young men compete. It has been a long season and seeing them achieve their goals was exciting. We finished the day with four champions, two runner-ups, three third-place finishers and one fifth-place finisher." Takil Agnew (Springfield, Ill.) was the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament and head coach Steven Bradley was the Region Coach of the Year.
North Eastern District
For the first time in school history Nassau Community College had ten wrestlers in the finals of the NJCAA District 11 Championships. Despite a major snowstorm on the day of the event and a hurricane known as Sandy to start the season, Nassau was able to overcome all the adversity thrown at them. With six out of state teams arriving a day earlier before the snow storm, it was possible to hold the event. During the year you don't hear much about the team but they are competing every weekend against some of the best competition on the east coast. A typical weekend a Nassau wrestlers is wrestling some of the best Division I and Division III wrestlers in the country. This weekend, the team really showed their character and their ability, by winning the National Qualifying tournament in a landslide.. With the return of a couple of wrestlers from the injury list and two wrestlers dropping down in weight, the lineup fell into place.
Eastern District I
NCCC Wrestling wins their 18th regional title! The Thunderwolves finished with 116 points and 10 national qualifiers. Head coach Keith Maute was named NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year and NCCC's Irvin Buck was voted Outstanding Wrestler. Niagara's placers/qualifiers included (149) Kevin Strong -- regional champ?(157), Irvin Buck -- regional champ?(165), Kris Schimek -- regional champ?(174), John Brabon -- regional champ?(197), Gunnar Thomas -- regional champ?(285), Max Antone -- regional champ?(125), Barney Prince -- runner-up?(133), Lance Compton -- runner-up?(141), Brian Galuski -- third place?(184), and Dustin Moss -- third place.
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