NIACC's Pena moves to finals
COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC's Mario Pena is one win away from being a national champion.
Pena edged Northwest Kansas' Odgerel Batkhishig 1-0 in the 285-pound semifinals Saturday morning.
It is the fourth straight season that the Trojans have had at least one wrestler in the finals. Pena is the first NIACC heavyweight in the finals since Bob Fouts won the heavyweight title in 1973.
Pena (18-9) faces Iowa Central's Thomas Petersen in the championship Saturday night at the Mid-America Center.
Petersen, who is ranked No. 1, topped Pena twice this season. Petersen won 12-5 in a dual meet and stopped Pena 9-3 at the regional tournament.
Pena, who is ranked fifth, placed fourth at last season's national tournament. Pena has a career record of 39-19.
NIACC is in sixth place in the team standings with 58 points heading into the consolation place matches Saturday afternoon.
NIACC's Brennen Doebel (125) and Austin Anderly (141) both will wrestle for fifth-place Saturday afternoon
Doebel (13-4) dropped a 8-4 overtime decision to Western Wyoming's Cole Verner in the consolation semifinals.
Doebel faces Ian Mullen of Harper in his fifth-place match.
Anderly (13-7) was pinned by Clackamas' Kurt Mode in 4:55 in his consolation semfinal bout. Anderly takes on Iowa Central's DeAndre Reed in his fifth-place bout.
At 133 pounds, NIACC's Jamarius Jackson (12-5) faces Otis Rollins of Colby in the seventh-place match.
At 165 pounds, NIACC's Tucker Black (19-10) takes on Labette's Skyler Bloomer in the seventh-place match.
