2010 NJCAA Nationals Preview

BY MATT PFIFFNER

The Iowa Central wrestling program is not only looking to make history this weekend at the 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, the Tritons could do it just a short distance from their home in Fort Dodge.

For the first time in its 41-year history, the NJCAA Nationals come to Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. "The Barn" hosted the high school State Tournament for many years before moving across the street to Wells Fargo Arena. Now, the old building will welcome in the top junior college wrestlers in the nation, including 38 from the four in-state schools.

Iowa Central has won the past four NJCAA team titles to tie the record set by Lamar and North Idaho. A title this weekend would give coach Luke Moffitt and the Tritons a record-breaking fifth straight crown.

The Tritons are ranked No. 1 heading into the championships, but there are several teams capable of knocking them off. Second-year program Iowa Lakes, led by first-year head coach Ty Eustice, is ranked seventh entering the tournament. All four Iowa squads - Iowa Cantral (1st), Iowa Lakes (7th), NIACC (8th) and Ellsworth (9th) - finished in the top 10 at last year's tournament.

The action begins Friday at 9:30 a.m. with the first session. The second session begins at 6:30 p.m. that evening. The wrestling starts up again Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and the championship finals are Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Here is a quick look at each weight class for the upcoming 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championships. Note: Brackets and match-ups are subject to change before the tournament begins. The 125 and 141 brackets had already been changed on Wednesday.

125
Who's No. 1? - Joe Colon, Iowa Central
Returning All-Americans - No. 2 Ricardo Gomez, Nassau (2nd); No. 11 Justin Purves, Highline (7th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 1 Joe Colon, Iowa Central; No. 8 Robert Herrera, Ellsworth; Jeremiah Barkac, NIACC; Mike Berardesco, Iowa Lakes.

Two wrestlers from Iowa schools are ranked at this weight class that has just two returning All-Americans.

Joe Colon of Iowa Central comes in as the favorite, just a year removed from finishing off his high school career at Clear Lake. Colon receives a first-round bye and then could face returning All-American and 11th-ranked Justin Purves of Highline. Colon could be on track for a quarterfinal showdown with third-ranked Derek Steeley of Neosho. Also on the bottom side of the bracket, Mike Berardesco of Iowa Lakes takes on Luis Ponce of Darton in the first round.

On the top half of the draw, eighth-ranked Robert Herrera of Ellsworth meets Thomas Gowing of Southwest Oregon in the opening round. The winner could meet sixth-ranked Kyle McCrite of North Idaho in the next bout, with returning runner-up Ricardo Gomez of Nassau the favorite in that quarter. Jeremiah Barkac of NIACC meets 10th-ranked Eduardo Dominguez of Harper in the first round, with the winner facing No. 5 Jesse Hillhouse of NW Wyoming in the second round.

133
Who's No. 1? - Tim Thurston, Iowa Lakes
Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Tim Thurston, Iowa Lakes (2nd); No. 2 Eric Ellington, Rend Lake (3rd); No. 5 Aaron Smith, Highline (4th); No. 3 Omi Acosta, Waubonsee (5th); No. 6 Saul Guerrero, NW Wyoming (7th); No. 7 Donnie Curtis, Labette (8th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 1 Tim Thurston, Iowa Lakes; No. 4 Michael Garofalo, Iowa Central; James Clark, Ellsworth; Ali Mohammed, NIACC.

Six returning All-Americans make this one of the tougher weight classes of the tournament. A pair of ranked wrestlers from in-state schools will be among those fighting for the top eight spots.

Tim Thurston of Iowa Lakes finished second at 133 a year ago and lokks to move up one spot this week. After a first-round bye, Thurston will begin his run at a title against either Jacob Bassett of W. Wyoming or D'Marcus Spencer of Lincoln. Looking way down the line, a semifinal match with second-ranked and returning third-place finisher Eric Ellington of Rend Lake is possible. Also on the bottom half of the bracket, James Clark of Ellsworth meets Ernesto Ornelas of Springfield Tech and Ali Mohammed of NIACC faces No. 8 Ryan Arand of SW Oregon.

In the top half of the draw, fourth-ranked Michael Garofalo of Iowa Central meets Francisco Pereira of Nassua. If Garofalo wins, he would likely face third-ranked and returning fifth-place finisher Omi Acosta of Waubonsee in the second round. A very tough draw for both wrestlers.

141
Who's No. 1? - Anthony Weerheim, Clackamas
Returning All-Americans - No. 8 Vinny Pisani, Iowa Central (5th); No. 2 McCade Ford, NW Wyoming (8th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 7 Brock Coutu, NIACC; No. 8 Vinny Pisani, Iowa Central; Tim Francisco, Iowa Lakes; Mike Moreno, Ellsworth.

There are just two returning All-Americans, including Vinny Pisani of Iowa Central. He may have to get past several highly-ranked wrestlers to get to his goal of a National Championship.

On the top half of the bracket, seventh-ranked Brock Coutu of NIACC earns a bye into the second round, where he will meet No. 10 Demonte Riley of Lincoln or Evan Dahl of Mercyhurst. A possible quarterfinal match against No. 2 McCade Ford of NW Wyoming looms. Tim Francisco of Iowa Lakes faces ninth-ranked Kodie Silvestri of Nassau in the opening round.

Eighth-ranked Vinny Pisani of Iowa Central takes on Don Smith of Middlesex in the first round. The winner will meet No. 5 Tyler Holloway of Meramec in the second round, with No. 6 Ryan Kemmerer of Gloucester a possible quarterfinal opponent. Mike Moreno of Ellsworth will take on Tyler Wong of Springfield Tech in the opening round, with a likely match against No. 3 Ramon Willie of Pratt in the next bout. Top-ranked Anthony Weerheim of Clackamas is also in this tough quarter.

149
Who's No. 1? - Ganbayar Sanjas, Colby
Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Ganbayar Sanjas, Colby (1st); No. 6 Raufeon Stots, Labette (4th); Shay Shive, Niagara (5th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 3 Victor DeJesus, Iowa Lakes; No. 5 Tanner Kampen, Iowa Central; No. 8 Jon Rivera, NIACC; Kyle Bozman, Ellsworth.

Three of the four Iowa wrestlers come into this weight class ranked in the top eight, so several medals for in-state schools are possible here.

In the top half of the bracket, No. 5 Tanner Kampen of Iowa Central looks to rebound after not placing last season. After a first-round bye, he may have to meet returning All-American and seventh-ranked Shay Shive of Niagara. The winner there could meet No. 4 Seth Horner of Meramec in the quarters, with returning champ Ganbayar Sanjas of Colby possibly waiting in the semis. No. 8 Jon Rivera of NIACC meets James Bennett of Darton in the first round and could meet Sanjas in the quarters.

In the bottom half, third-ranked Victor DeJesus of Iowa Lakes takes on Yamiz Bachkhaz of Bergen in the first round. A quarterfinal showdown with second-ranked Jason Gray of Highline appears likely for DeJesus. If they do meet, the winner will be favored to reach the finals. Kyle Bozman of Ellsworth meets second-ranked Gray in the opening round.

157
Who's No. 1? - Chase Nelson, Labette
Returning All-Americans - No. 3 Marshall Giovannini, Highline (2nd in 2008); No. 8 Bryce Lumzy, Lincoln (7th); No. 10 Aaron Sandel, Stevens Tech (8th at 165); Rodney Dollar, W. Wyoming (7th at 149).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 9 Ruben Perez, Ellsworth; Austin Lindsey, Iowa Lakes; Emilio Gonzales, NIACC; Chuck Pieritz, Iowa Central.

Four former All-Americans are at this weight, including two from last year who have changed weights and another from two years ago.

No. 9 Ruben Perez of Elsworth begins his tournament on the top half of the draw against Moises Menendez of Triton. The winner could meet No. 10 Aaron Sandel of Stevens Tech, who finished eighth at 165 last season. Austin Lindsey of Iowa Lakes meets fifth-rated Troy Ireland of Niagara in the opening round. Another local wrestler, Emilio Gonzales of NIACC, meets a ranked wrestler in the opening round, as he takes on No. 12 Shawn Thomas of Neosho.

Chuck Pieritz of Iowa Central is the lone wrestler from an Iowa school in the bottom half of the draw, which includes the top two ranked grapplers. Pieritz faces Dan Merth of Itasca in the first round, with the winner likely meeting No. 6 Kirk Kiriakic of Gloucester in the second round. Top-ranked Chase Nelson of Labette could be waiting in the quarters.

165
Who's No. 1? - Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Colby
Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Colby (2nd at 157); No. 2 Bradley Banks, Iowa Central (2nd at 174); No. 5 Mike Dace, Harper (3rd in 2008); No. 12 Travis Budke, Pratt (7th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 2 Bradley Banks, Iowa Central; Jean Augustine, Ellsworth; Isaiah Tatum, NIACC.

This weight class could come down to a pair of returning runner-up finishers, who are both in a different weight class than a year ago.

Second-ranked Bradley Banks of Iowa Central placed second at 174 last year and is down to a more comfortable weight this season. After a first-round bye, he meets Daniel Johnson of Jamestown in the second round. Banks should have the winner of a second-round bout between the sixth and seventh-ranked wrestlers in the quarters. Jean Augustine of Ellsworth is also on this half of the draw and meets James Haywood of Lincoln in the first round. The winner gets eighth-ranked Lance Wade of Nassau in the second round.

Isaiah Tatum of NIACC meets returning All-American and 12th-ranked Travis Budke of Pratt in the first round. Top-ranked Bekzod Abdurakhmonov of Colby, the runner-up at 157 last season, is the heavy favorite on this side of the bracket.

174
Who's No. 1? - Chad Wright, Labette
Returning All-Americans - None.
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 6 Kody Kersten, Iowa Central; No. 12 Chris Pokorny, Iowa lakes; Ryan Harrenstein, Ellsworth.

With no returning All-Americans, this appears to be the most wide open weight in the tournament. Former Logan-Magnolia standout Kody Kersten of Iowa Central dominated his Regional and comes in looking to finish his season on the award stand and help the Tritons win another team title.

On the top half of the draw, 12th-ranked Chris Pokorny of Iowa Lakes receives a tough first-round draw against third-ranked Nick Peterson of NW Wyoming. The winner gets No. 9 Dakota Moore of Gloucester in the next round.

On the bottom half, sixth-ranked Kersten gets a first-round bye and will face the winner of a match between Ryan Harrenstein of Ellsworth and No. 5 Matt Fetterley of Muskegon.

184
Who's No. 1? - Deron Winn, Meramec
Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Deron Winn, Meramec (1st 2008); No. 3 George Hargrove, Springfield Tech (2nd); No. 2 Celic Bell, North Idaho (3rd at 174); No. 6 Derek Thompson, Labette (3rd at 197).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 4 Nick Pica, Iowa Central; Vinnie Campanille, Ellsworth; Kaylen Hamlett, Iowa Lakes; Taylor Morrow, NIACC.

Deron Winn of Meramec returns to the tournament after winning the title two years ago. He is a big favorite to claim a second title.

On the top side of the draw, Vinnie Campanille of Ellsworth gets a first-round bye and will face No. 9 Ralph Major of Pratt or Richard Dawson of Niagara in the second round. Returning All-American and second-ranked Celic Bell of North Idaho is favored in this quarter of the bracket.

The other three wrestlers from Iowa schools are on the bottom half of the draw, including fourth-ranked and Regional champ Nick Pica of Iowa Central. He meets Nathan Bazan of Muskegon in the opening round. Taylor Morrow of NIACC receives the tough opening draw of former champ Winn, who could face Pica in the quarters. Kaylen Hamlett of Iowa Lakes takes on Nick Miller of Mercyhurst in the opening round, with the winner meeting No. 10 Anthony Lupi of Nassau in the second round.

197
Who's No. 1? - Kamron Jackson, North Idaho
Returning All-Americans - No. 6 Devin Clark, Rochester (1st at 184); No. 1 Kamron Jackson, North Idaho (3rd at 184); No. 2 Joshua Marsh, Iowa Lakes (5th at 285); No. 12 Caleb Kociemba, Clackamas (5th).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 2 Joshua Marsh, Iowa Lakes; No. 4 Carl Foreside, Iowa Central; Will Worthy, NIACC; Quintez Todd, Ellsworth.

A pair of top-four ranked wrestlers from in-state schools will have their eyes on the big prize at the end of the weekend. A pair of 2009 All-Americans at 184, including the champ, make this a very solid weight.

On the top half, second-ranked Joshua Marsh of Iowa Lakes, the fifth-place finisher at heavyweight last season, opens his tournament with a bye and then will meet Nick Kriss of Colby or Chris Krassas of Bergen in the second round. Will Worthy of NIACC meets 11th-ranked David Khavin of Nassau in the opening round, with ninth-ranked T.J. Nelson of Alfred State waiting for the winner in the second round. Quintez Todd of Ellsworth is also on this half of the draw and meets No. 10 Justin Leonard of Muskegon in the first round. No. 5 Mak Jones of NW Wyoming could be waiting in the second round.

Fourth-ranked Carl Foreside of Iowa Central sits on the bottom half of the draw and could be on a collision course with third-ranked Walker Clarke of Labette in the quarters. Foreside meets Don Schildhauer of Niagara in the opening round.

285
Who's No. 1? - Roger McCovey, North Idaho
Returning All-Americans - No. 2 Landon Harris, NW Wyoming (2nd); No. 7 Parker Brand, Rochester (2nd at 197).
Iowa school qualifiers - No. 4 Zach Rosol, NIACC; Phil Mandzik, Iowa Central; Stanley Lattimore, Ellsworth; Tyler Thoeny, Iowa Lakes.

Fourth-ranked Zach Rosol of NIACC is one of the favorites at a weight class that includes a pair of 2009 runner-up finishers. Rosol may have to beat the first, second and third-ranked wrestlers to win a title.

On the top half of the bracket, Phil Mandzik of Iowa Central received a wild card into the tournament and meets fifth-ranked Jeremy Gross of Stevens Tech in the opening round. The winner will meet No. 7 Parker Brand of Rochester, who finished second at 197 last season. Stanley Lattimore of Ellsworth meets Jake Kober of Neosho in the first round, with No. 12 Dustin Bles of Triton waiting for the winner.

No. 4 Rosol sits on the bottom half of the draw and faces Corey Chamberlain of Muskegon in the first round. No. 10 Corey James of Nassau would be Rosol's second-round opponent, while No. 3 Corey Anderson of Lincoln could be waiting in the quarters. Second-ranked and returning runner-up Landon Harris of NW Wyoming is also on this half of the draw. Tyler Thoeny of Iowa Lakes meets eighth-ranked Kyle Stults of Yakima in the first round,