Iowa Central is No. 1; Northeastern Oklahoma is defending champ at NJCAA Nationals in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Photo courtesy of Iowa Central CC

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Wrestling Championships is coming to Council Bluffs, Iowa, this year, with competition on Feb. 24-25.

There could be a distinct Iowa hometown flavor to the tournament again this year. In 2016, four of the top-five teams in the tournament were from Iowa.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is the returning team champion from 2016, and enters with a No. 3 team ranking coming in this year. The top five last year included runner-up Iowa Central, third place Ellsworth, a fourth-place tie between Iowa Western and North Iowa Area.

The NJCAA rankings coming in this year have an Iowa school at the top, Iowa Central at No. 1, followed by Clackamas, Northeastern Oklahoma, Ellsworth and Northwest Wyoming. Clackamas won the 2017 NWCA National Duals.

There were eight regional qualifying events for the NJCAA Nationals, which determined which athletes have advanced to the tournament.

The teams that won the Regionals include No. 1 Iowa Central (Central), No. 2 Clackamas (West), No. 3 Northeastern Oklahoma (West Central), No. 4 (tie) Northwest Wyoming (Rocky Mountain), No. 7 Lincoln (North Central), No. 9 Niagara County (Eastern I), No. 14 (tie) Camden County (Eastern II), No. 14 (tie) Rochester (North).

There is only one 2016 NJCAA national champion expected to compete, Dymere Rappa of Camden at 197 pounds, who returns with a No. 1 ranking. Returning runners-up include Cole Verner of Western Wyoming (125), Zak Hensley of Iowa Central (133) and Jordan Gundrum of Ellsworth (174).

Official NJCAA National Championships website
http://www.njcaawrestlingcb.com/

NJCAA website on the National Wrestling Championships
http://www.njcaa.org/sports/wrest/2016-17/national_championship/index

NJCAA National Championships schedule

Friday - February 24, 2017
9:30 a.m. - First Round Preliminaries
12:00 p.m.- Second Round Preliminaries, First Round Consolation, Second Round Consolations
6:15 p.m.- Championship Quarterfinals, Third Round Consolation, Fourth Round Consolation

Saturday -  February 25, 2017
10:30 a.m. - Championship Semi-finals, Consolation Quarterfinals
12:00 p.m. - Consolation Semi-finals
1:15 p.m - Consolation Finals, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, 7th and 8th
6:30 p.m - Parade of All-Americans & Wrestling Coaches Association Awards Presentation
7 p.m. - Championship Finals and NJCAA Award Presentation

Ranked wrestlers who are returning All-Americans
125 pounds
1. Cole Verner, Western Wyoming (2^nd in 2016)
4. Logan Terrill, NE Oklahoma (7^th in 2016) 

133 pounds
1. Zak Hensley, Iowa Central (2^nd in 2016) 

141 pounds
2. Curtis Bennett, NE Oklahoma (4^th at 133 in 2016)
3. Andrew Ramirez, Highline (8^th at 133 in 2016)
8. Lamont Cannon, Minnesota West (7^th in 2016) 

149 pounds
8. Nate Skonieczny, Jamestown (3^rd in 2016)

157 pounds
None 

165 pounds
None 

174 pounds
3. Jordan Gundrum, Ellsworth (2^nd in 2016)
6. Tyree Overton, Lincoln (8^th at 165 in 2016) 

184 pounds
3. Haszel West, Clackamas (3^rd in 2016)
6. Preston Lauterbach, Iowa Western (4^th at 174 in 2016)
8. Alex Kelly, Niagara (8^th at 174 in 2016) 

197 pounds
1. Dymere Rappa, Camden (1^st in 2016)
2. Christian Dulaney, Iowa Lakes (3^rd in 2016) 

285 pounds
5. Mario Pena, NIACC (4^th in 2016)