NIACC's Santee moves to semifinals
COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC's Zach Santee moved to the semifinals at the NJCAA Division I national tournament at 285 pounds on Friday night.
Santee pinned Northwest Kansas' Elwin Trejo in four minutes, 58 seconds in the quarterfinals.
Santee (13-11) now faces Northeast Oklahoma A&M's top-ranked Antonio Andrade in Saturday's semifinals. Andrade pinned Santee in 3:00 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney duals in January.
Santee entered the national tournament below .500 with a record of 10-11 but the former Central Springs' standout is now one win from wrestling for a national title. Santee upset Western Wyoming's fifth-ranked Landon Brown 3-2 in the first round and pinned Triton's Christopher Colvin in the second round.
Heading into Saturday's sessions, NIACC is in 13th place with 35 points.
NIACC's Brock Luthens and Hunter Luke both dropped quarterfinal matches Friday night.
Luthens dropped a 11-0 major decision to Northeastern JC's Quintel Fuchs in the 133-pound quarterfinals. Iowa Western's Gad Huseman pinned Luke in 4 minutes, 43 seconds in the 141-pound quarterfinals.
NIACC's Luthens (12-8) and Tony Mendoza (149) stayed alive in the consolation round Friday night and guaranteed themselves all-American honors. Mendoza (21-7) dropped his opening round match and won four straight consolation matches to advance to Saturday's consolation quarterfinals.
Luthens faces Iowa Western's Jacob Ruiz in the consolation quarterfinals.
Luthens and Ruiz split a pair of matches earlier this season. Ruiz won 11-4 in a dual meet and Luthens topped Ruiz 4-2 at the district tournament.
Mendoza, who is ranked sixth, takes on Barton's Kolby Drogenmeier in his 149-pound consolation match.
The championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals are set for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
NIACC'S FIRST ROUND RESULTS
125 - Esco Walker (North Idaho) major dec. Mark Gonzales (N), 14-5.
133 - Brock Luthens (N) dec. Gage Gomez (Barton CC), 8-6.
141 - Hunter Luke (N) dec. Corbin Nirschl (Northeast Oklahoma A&M), 6-0.
149 - Enkhbold Sukhbaatar (Northwest Kanasas) dec. Tony Mendoza (N), 7-3.
174 - Dalton Bernett (Itasca) major dec. Mason Carpenter (N), 10-2.
184 - Alex LaPierre (RCTC) dec. Reldon Miller (N), 4-3.
285 - Zach Santee (N) dec. Landon Brown (Western Wyoming), 3-2.
NIACC'S SECOND-ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
133 - Luthens (N) dec. Anthony Sobotker (Nassau), 7-5.
141 - Luke (N) dec. Freddy Eckles (Niagara), 4-3.
285 - Santee (N) pinned Christopher Colvin (Triton), 4:39.
NIACC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
133 - Quintel Fuchs (Northeastern) major dec. Luthens, 11-0
141 - Gad Huseman (Iowa Western) pinned Luke, 4:43.
285 - Santee pinned Elwin Trejo (Northwest Kansas), 4:58.
NIACC'S FIRST ROUND CONSOLATION RESULTS
125 - Gonzales (N) dec. Dylan Wilkins (Muskegon), 7-3.
149 - Mendoza (N) dec. Kollin Wade (Colby), 11-5.
174 - Carpenter (N) dec. Adonis Morano (Ulster), 14-7.
184 - Miller (N) won by medical forfeit over Ben Gore (Highline), 2:35.
NIACC'S SECOND ROUND CONSOLATION RESULTS
125 - Tramon Jenkins (Spartanburg Methodist) pinned Gonzales (N), 4:20.
149 - Mendoza (N) pinned Kattrell Jackson (Niagara), 3:09.
174 - Jacquan McPherson (Lackawanna) pinned Carpenter (N), 4:51.
184 - Miller (N) dec. Joey Ewalt (Barton), 10-9.
NIACC THIRD ROUND CONSOLATION RESULTS
149 - Mendoza (N) major dec. Maverick Keigher (Northeastern), 16-5.
184 - Miller (N) pinned Jordan Shahrikian (Ellsworth), 3:10.
NIACC FOURTH ROUND CONSOLATION RESULTS
133 - Luthens (N) dec. Jordan Carson (Triton), 7-5.
141 - Joshua Franich (Highline) pinned Luke, 1:36.
149 - Mendoza (N) major dec. Maverick Keigher (Northeastern), 16-5.
184 - Corey Perkins (Muskegon) dec. Miller, 3-2.
