Mario Pena

Mario Pena
Mario Pena
  • Hometown:
    Hampton, Iowa
  • Year:
    Soph.
  • Class:
    285
Bio

2016-17 season: Placed 6th at Coe College Turkey Invitational (285 pounds) ... Placed 3rd at Central College Invitational (285) ... Placed 2nd at NJCAA Central district tournament (2-12-17) ... Placed 2nd at NJCAA national tournament.

2016-17 record: 18-10 with 3 falls, 3 major decisions.

Career record: 39-20 with 7 falls, 4 major decisions.

Luther College Open (Elite Division) (285 pounds)

Pena major dec. Nichael Yeatman (Wartburg), 11-2; Brennan Koerperich (Coe) dec. Pena, 5-3; Tyler Ortmann (Cornell) dec. Pena, 5-2.

Iowa Western dual (285 pounds) (11-16-16)

Stephen Boone (IW) dec. Pena, 3-1 (OT).

Coe College Turkey Invitational (285 pounds) (11-19-16)

Colby Vlieger (Simpson) dec. Pena, 3-1; Pena (N) major dec. Ryan Fessler (Cornell), 12-1; Pena (N) dec. Kendale McCoy (Cornell), 2-0; D'Andre Johnson (Wisconsin-Platteville) pinned Pena' Chris Lyons (Cornell) dec. Pena, 3-1 (OT).

Ellsworth dual (285 pounds) (12-1-16)

Pena dec. Gary Whitaker (E), 3-2 (OT).

Iowa Central dual (285 pounds) (12-7-16)

Thomas Petersen (IC) dec. Pena, 12-5.

Central College Invitational (285 pounds)

Pena major dec. Jacob Pinedo (Waldorf), 11-0; Pena dec. David Tooley (Davenport), 3-0; Pena pinned Jameer Anderson (University of the Ozarks), 5:31; Colby Vlieger (Simpson) dec. Pena, 5-1; Pena dec. Jaime Miranda (Central), 3-2; Pena dec. Ashton Mutuwa (Truman State), 2-1.

Otero Junior College dual (285 pounds)

Pena pinned Riley Hall, 4:34.

Barton County CC dual (285 pounds)

Pena dec. Brix Brickey, 3-2.

RCTC dual (285 pounds)

Pena dec. Chase Nottestad, 3-2.

Iowa Western dual (285 pounds)

Pena won by forfeit.

Iowa Lakes dual (285 pounds)

Pena dec. Caeylon Barton, 7-2.

NJCAA Central District tournament (285 pounds)

Pena dec. Stephen Boone (Iowa Western), 2-1; Thomas Petersen (Iowa Central) dec. Pena, 9-3.

NJCAA national tournament (285 pounds)

Pena pinned Wade French (Western Wyoming), 6:17; Pena dec. Mathew Kent (Lincoln), 4-0; Pena dec. Shawn Beeson (NE Oklahoma), 3-1 (OT); Semifinals - Pena dec. Odgerel Batkhishig (Northwest Kansas), 1-0; Championship match - Thomas Petersen (Iowa Central) pinned Pena, 2:33.

2015-16 season highlights: Won the freshman division (285) at Luther College Open ... Placed third at 285 pounds at NJCAA North Central district (2-14-16) ... Placed 4th at 285 pounds at NJCAA national tournament.

2015-16 record: 21-10 with 4 falls, 1 major decison.

2015-16 season:

Luther College Open (freshman division, 285 pounds)

Pena dec. Logan Lindergaum (Minnesota State), 4-0; Pena dec. Avery Jacobs (Upper Iowa), 2-1 (OT); Pena dec. Alex Harmes (Iowa Lakes), 5-0; Pena pinned Jordan Festge (Wisconsiin-Whitewater), 5:15.

Buena Vista Open (285 pounds)

Pena pinned Jovan Ignacio (Iowa Lakes), 3:41; Jackson Ryan (Southwest Minnesota State) dec. Pena, 9-7; Colby Vlieger (Simpson) dec. Pena, 5-3.

Central College Invitational (285 pounds)

Jay Pike (Central) dec. Pena, 7-4; Pena dec. Jaime Miranda (Central), 4-3; Pena dec. Drew Aho (Graceland), 3-1; Pena pinned Raiden MaCleod (Davenport, Mich.), 2:32; Kaleb Staack (Wartburg) dec. Pena, 3-0.

Iowa Western dual, 285 pounds (1-14-16)

Stephen Boone (IW) dec. Pena, 3-2.

Northeast Oklahoma dual, 285 pounds (1-15-16)

Blake Andrews (NEO) dec. Pena, 6-1.

Colby CC dual, 285 pounds (1-15-16)

Pena dec. DeVante Ragland (C), 3-1.

Northwest Kansas Tech dual, 285 pounds (1-15-16)

Pena won by forfeit.

Pratt CC dual, 285 pounds (1-15-16)

Pena pinned Tommy Vu (P), 4:33.

Regional duals (Rochester, Minn.) (1-23-16)

Iowa Central dual, 285 pounds

Pena (N) dec. Quelton Toliver, 2-0.

RCTC dual, 285 pounds

Chase Nottestad (RCTC) dec. Pena, 3-2.

Augsburg JV dual, 285 pounds

Pena (N) dec. Mitch Nelson, 7-3.

Iowa Lakes dual, 285 pounds (1-27-16)

Guy Henson (IL) dec. Pena, 5-3.

NJCAA North Central district, 285 pounds (2-14-16)

Quarterfinals - John Wittman (Ridgewater) dec. Pena (N), 1-0. Consolation round one - Pena (N) dec. Quelton Toliver (Iowa Central), 6-0. Consolation semifinals - Pena dec. Stephen Boone (Iowa Western), 3-2. Third-place match - Pena major dec. Wittman (Ridgewater), 10-2.

NJCAA national tournament (285 pounds) (Feb. 27-18)

Pena (N) dec. Devante Ragland (Colby), 3-1 (OT); Pena dec. Robert Carson (Triton), 2-1; Pena (N) dec. Jenard Rosemond (Nassau), 3-2 (OT); Guy Henson (Iowa Lakes) dec. Pena (N), 3-2; Pena (N) dec. Ben Aquilina (Middlesex), 4-1; Dalonte Holland (Ellsworth) dec. Pena (N), 5-2.

News mentions
NIACC's Austin Anderly controls Christian Kanzler of Lincoln in their 141-pound quarterfinal match Friday.
Mario Pena smiles after moving to tonight's championship match at 285 pounds.
NIACC's Pena moves to finals
Mario Pena seeks to become NIACC's 13 individual national champion Saturday night.
NIACC's Pena aims for national title
Mario Pena tries to escape from Iowa Central's Thomas Petersen in the 285-pound title bout Saturday night.
NIACC's Pena falls in finals
NIACC's Mario Pena battles Western Wyoming's Wade French in their first-round match at 285 pounds at the national tournament Friday.
NIACC advances 5 to quarterfinals
NIACC's Tucker Black (right) will wrestle tonight in the quarterfinals at 165 pounds.
NIACC's quarterfinal round matchups
Mario Pena gives the thumbs up sign after winning his quarterfinal round match at 285 pounds Friday night.
NIACC's Anderly, Pena move to semifinals
NIACC's Brennen Doebel at practice Thursday night at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.
NIACC's Jamarius Jackson lifts Iowa Western's D'Andre Brumfield off the mat in their first round match at the NJCAA Central district tournament last Sunday.
NIACC's Mario Pena is ranked fourth at 285 pounds heading into Sunday's district meet.
NIACC wrestling team ranked 12th
NIACC's Brennen Doebel enters Sunday's district tournament ranked seventh at 125 pounds.
NIACC wrestlers stop Iowa Western, 35-12
NIACC wrestlers stop Iowa Western, 35-12
NIACC's Ryan Faught controls Iowa Lakes' Eric Vigo in their 174-pound match Thursday. Faught won, 5-1.
No. 17 NIACC stops No. 5 Iowa Lakes, 35-9
NIACC's Jaylen Lee controls RCTC's Dustin Lee in their 184-pound match Thursday in the NIACC recreation center. NIACC's Lee gained a pin in 4:31 to lift the Trojans to a 24-16 dual-meet victory.
NIACC wrestlers stop RCTC, 24-16
Four NIACC wrestlers go 2-0 at Kearney duals
NIACC wrestling team places fifth at Central Invite
NIACC wrestlers fall to Iowa Central, 36-14
No. 19 NIACC faces No. 2 Iowa Central on mat
NIACC wrestlers ranked 19th, Pena ranked 5th
NIACC falls to Ellsworth in dual, 38-8
NIACC falls to Ellsworth in dual, 38-8
NIACC's Sheppard, Pena place sixth at Coe Invitational
No. 11 NIACC hosts top-ranked Iowa Western on mat
NIACC's Brennen Doebel enters Sunday's district tournament ranked seventh at 125 pounds.
No. 11 NIACC opens season at Luther College Open
Intermat's NJCAA individual rankings
Intermat's NJCAA individual rankings
NIACC's Pena ranked preseason No. 1 at 285 pounds
Photos
Iowa Western @ At Mason City, Iowa

11/16/2016 7:00 PM CST

Iowa Western @ At Mason City, Iowa

11/16/2016 7:00 PM CST

RCTC @ At Mason City, Iowa

1/26/2017 7:00 PM CST

RCTC @ At Mason City, Iowa

1/26/2017 7:00 PM CST

Iowa Lakes @ At Mason City, Iowa

2/2/2017 7:00 PM CST

Iowa Lakes @ At Mason City, Iowa

2/2/2017 7:00 PM CST

NJCAA Central District Tournament @ Iowa Falls, Iowa

2/12/2017 10:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/24/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/24/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST

NJCAA national tournament @ Council Bluffs, Iowa

2/25/2017 12:00 AM CST