There may be only two Iowa colleges with wrestling that compete in the 
National Junior College Athletic Association, but they will represent the 
state very well in the upcoming NJCAA National Championships held 
Feb. 25-26 in Rochester, Minn.

Fifth-ranked Ellsworth and No. 9 Iowa Central, both members of the 
NJCAA Div. I, recently competed in a Regional Tournament in order to 
qualify individuals for the National Championships. Both schools sent 
all 10 wrestlers through, for a total of 20 grapplers from Iowa schools 
taking part in the big event at the end of this month.

No. 3 Div. III Gloucester, No. 1 Div. I North Idaho, No. 2 Div. III Harper, 
Southeast Oregon and No. 7 Div. III Thaddeus Stevens Tech also 
qualified all 10 of their wrestlers for the championships.

At the NJCAA National Championships, wrestlers from both divisions 
battle for the same individual title, but there are two team champs 
crowned, one for each division. What follows is a breakdown of each 
weight class for the NJCAA National Championships and how each 
wrestler from Ellsworth and Iowa Central factors in the hunt for All-American 
honors.

NJCAA Wrestling Championships
Feb. 25-26 at Rochester, MN

125
Iowa Qualifiers - Shamar Haynes, Ellsworth; Eric Hoffman, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Hoffman, a freshman from Davenport, finds himself on the same side of the 
draw as the No. 1, 2, 4 and 5 wrestlers. Hoffman, who has been ranked this 
season, faces Kyle McCarron of Highline in the first round. If he gets past 
that match, he would face No. 5 Denis Kakrah of Harper, who receives a 
first-round bye. Second-ranked Vince Lispey of Gloucester, a seventh-place 
National finisher last year, is a possible quarterfinal foe if Hoffman advances 
that far.

Haynes, a freshman from Cedar Rapids, defeated Hoffman in the title match 
at Regionals and his reward is a first-round bye at Nationals. He will wrestle 
Rashad Riley of Lincoln in the second round, with the winner more than likely 
meeting up with third-ranked Ronnie Smith of Neosho in the quarters.

133
Iowa Qualifiers - Steven Arceneaux, Ellsworth; Adam Kurimski, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Two more freshman from Iowa will represent the schools at this weight. 
Arceneaux is from Waterloo, while Kurimski won a State title for Fairfield 
last year.

Both wrestlers are on the bottom half of the bracket. Arceneaux receives 
a bye into the second round, where he will likely meet third-ranked Pat 
Flynn of Nassau. Kurimski has a tough match right out of the gates, as 
he faces No. 6 Cade Christiansen of Western Wyoming in the first round. 
If Kurimski can pull the upset there, he would meet unranked Ernie Curtis 
of Mercyhurst in the second round. The No. 2, 5 and 7 ranked wrestlers 
are also on that bottom half of the draw. The fifth-ranked wrestler, Mark 
Frey of Neosho, is the lone returning place winner in the bracket. He 
finished seventh at least year's National Championships.

141
Iowa Qualifiers - Richie Dixon, Ellsworth; #5 Mike Zinnel, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Zinnel appears to have a good draw for the first two rounds, but then it could 
get very tough. Zinnel, a freshman from Humboldt, meets Cory bender of 
SW Oregon in the opening round. A win there would put Zinnel in the second 
round against Tom Knapp of SUNY Morrisville or Jon Sanchez of Muskegon, 
both are unranked. If Zinnel makes it through the first two rounds, he will 
probably face top-ranked Zach Flake of Lassen in the quarterfinals.

Dixon also faces an unranked opponent in the first round, in Russell Sykes of 
Nassau. If the Panther makes it through that match, he would likely face No. 6 
Josh Lange of Niagara in the second round. No. 2 Justin Pearch of North Idaho 
and No. 4 Mat Gilliand of Colby are also in that quarter of the draw. No. 3 Marcus 
Cobbs of Harper is a possible semifinal foe for whoever gets through that tough 
quarter of the bracket.

149
Iowa Qualifiers - #1 Damien Swietlik, Ellsworth; #6 Matt Collum, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Swietlik, a fourth-place National place finisher last season, enters the tournament 
as the top-ranked man at 149. After a first-round bye, the Panther will face either 
fifth-ranked Luke Elmore of Labette of Sam Masino of Harper. If Swietlik makes it 
past that match, he could battle third-ranked Jake Warner of Thaddeus Stevens in 
the quarterfinals. No. 8 Matt Schippers of Colby is the only other ranked wrestler 
on that half of the draw and is a possible semifinal foe for the Panther.

Collum faces Jimmy Crisman of Clackamas in the opening round . If he wins that 
match as expected, he would meet No. 7 Emmanuel Brooks of Lincoln in the 
second round. The No. 2 and No. 4 ranked wrestlers are also on the top half with 
Collum, but he would not have to face one of them until the semifinals, if he 
reaches that point.

157
Iowa Qualifiers - #4 Mike Wells, Ellsworth; Sean Curran, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Wells finds himself on the bottom half of the draw, along with No. 2 Adam Ingram 
of Labette and No. 5 John Cummings of Nassau. However, Wells is the lone 
ranked wrestler in his quarter and would not have to worry about meeting either 
of those two wrestlers unless he keeps winning and reaches the semifinals. 
Wells gets a bye in the first round and will wrestle Daron Cruinkshank of 
Muskegon or Greg Smith of Neosho in the second round.

Curran is definitely on the tough side at 157, with the No. 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 
wrestlers. He meets unranked Jeremy Stopa of Niagara in the first round. 
If he wins there, Curran likely meets No. 7 Jacob Bilinski of Gloucester. If 
Curran makes it through the first two rounds and reaches the quarters, top-ranked 
Tyler Williams of Lincoln will probably be there waiting.

165
Iowa Qualifiers - Jacy Watts, Ellsworth; #5 Tucker Michaels, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Watts, a freshman from LaPorte City, received a rough draw. He faces No. 6 
James Varner of Pima in the first round. If he gets through that bout, second-ranked 
Josh Erickson of North Idaho will be waiting after a first-round bye.

Michaels is also on the top half of the bracket, but has a much better placement 
in it that Watts. Michaels receives a bye into the second round, where he will meet 
either Dan Burns of Mercyhurst or Alonzo Azumendi of Spartanburg. Michaels is the 
highest ranked wrestler in his quarter of the draw, with No. 7 Luke Kjar of Western 
Wyoming a possible quarterfinal foe.

The big favorite at this weight, top-ranked Eric Luedke of Colby, is on the bottom 
half of the draw. He won the NJCAA National title at 157 last season and looks 
to add 165 gold this month. Third-ranked Larry Short of Triton appears to be the 
biggest roadblock in Luedke's way of reaching the finals. But also lurking on the 
bottom is unranked Jeremiah Warner of Thaddeus Stevens, who finished fourth 
at 165 last year.

174
Iowa Qualifiers - Harry Joseph, Ellsworth; #6 Antoine Love, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Joseph and Love are both on the bottom half of the bracket, but in separate 
quarters. It would take a great effort by both if they were to somehow meet, 
at least on the championship side. Joseph meets Luke Furne of Meramec in the 
first round. If he is successful in that match, the Panther would face No. 4 Mike 
Vingo of Nassau in the second round. No. 3 Mike Casperson of Western 
Wyoming is also in that quarter of the draw.

Love receives a first round bye and will more than likely meet top-ranked 
Kyle Frawley of North Idaho in the second round. Frawley, a fourth-place finisher 
at the NJCAA Championships last season at 174, will be favored to make it 
through this tough half of the draw.

184
Iowa Qualifiers - #7 Kyle Olson, Ellsworth; Kevin Trullinger, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Like at 174, the two Iowa college wrestlers at 184 are on the same half, but in 
different quarters, of the draw.

Olson, a freshman from Council Bluffs, gets a bye in the first round and will 
be favored in his second round bout, against either John Horn of Gloucester 
or Michael Croffut of SW Oregon. Olson could meet No. 3 Alex Saunders of 
Labette in the quarterfinals.

Trullinger, a freshman from Mount Ayr, doesn't have it quite as easy as Olson 
in the first round, Instead of a bye, Trullinger gets to tackle top-ranked Josh 
Edmondson of North Idaho. No. 6 Nick Wilkes of Itasca, a seventh-place finisher 
last season at 174, and No. 8 Gennady Belyshev of Springfield Tech, are also in 
that very tough quarter of the draw.

No. 2 Dallas Mitchell of Minnesota West and No. 4 Israel Martinez of Harper 
will more than likely clash in the quarterfinals to decide the finalist on the top 
half of the draw.

197
Iowa Qualifiers - #8 Vernon Roberts, Ellsworth; Brandon Israels, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Roberts has a favorable draw through the first two rounds on the top half of the 
draw, but then it would get very tough. Roberts meets unranked Dwayne Coleman 
of Triton in the first round and if he wins, would meet another unranked wrestler 
Chaz Cointment of Clackamas in the second round. The likely quarterfinal 
opponent for Roberts, if he makes it that far, would be top-ranked Jared Shelton 
of Labette.

Israels, a freshman from Spencer, meets unranked John Cambra of Thaddeus 
Stevens in the first round. If the Triton makes it through that match, No. 6 
Jesse Forbes of Pima is the likely second-round opponent. The No. 2, 3, 4 and 
7 ranked wrestlers are also on that half of the draw.

285
Iowa Qualifiers - Derrick Mehmen, Ellsworth; Mike Christiansen, Iowa Central

Bracket Breakdown
Mehmen, a freshman from Denver and Christiansen, a sophomore from Indianola, 
are definitely on the tough half of the draw. Top-ranked Jon Andriac of Nassau, 
a third-place National finisher last season, is joined by the No. 3, 4, 6 and 8 
wrestlers on the bottom half.

Mehmen meets John Pereira of Springfield Tech in the first round and if he 
wins there, would meet No. 4 Spencer Bowles of NW Wyoming in the 
second round.

Christiansen gets a stiff test in the first round, as third-ranked Marino 
Eatman of Harper is his foe. If the Triton can pull the upset in the first round, 
he would meet Joe Facchinni of Itasca in a second-round battle.