No. 7 Trojans set to compete at districts
COUNCIL BLUFFS - The No. 7 NIACC wrestling team will compete in the NJCAA North Central District Championships on Sunday on the Iowa Western campus.
The six-team tournament starts at 10 a.m. Due to COVID-19, there will be no spectators allowed at the six-team event.
Defending district champion and host Iowa Western enters the tournament ranked No. 5. Iowa Central is ranked ninth, Indian Hills is 12th and Iowa Lakes is tied for 13th.
Typically, the district championship serves as the national qualifier for the NJCAA Wrestling Championships qualifying 70% of participants, and as the host region, earning an additional 10 qualifiers.
However, due to COVID-19 causing many schools across the country to opt out of the spring season, the NJCAA Wrestling Committee voted in favor of the national championships being an open tournament. Each institution has the ability to enter one wrestler per weight class for a total of 10 from each school.
NIACC, which is 2-1 in ICCAC duals, enters the tournament with four ranked wrestlers, including top-ranked 165-pounder sophomore Christian Minto (3-0). Minto, who was the national runner-up at 165 last season, has a career record of 25-1 with four falls, five technical falls and 5 major decisions.
Other ranked wrestlers for the Trojans are fourth-ranked 125-pounder Clarence Lee-Green (2-1), fifth-ranked 184-pounder Chase McCleish (2-1) and third-ranked 197-pounder Jose Valdez (3-0).
RANKED WRESTLERS AT DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
125 - 4. Clarence Lee-Green (NIACC); 6. Chris Busutil (Indian Hills).
133 - 5. Caleb Meekins (Indian Hills); 7. Aidan Harris (Iowa Central).
141 - 5. Creighton Baughman (Iowa Western); 8. Bret Minor (Iowa Central).
149 - 6. Phil Smith Jr. (Iowa Central); 8. Destin Jones (Indian Hills).
157 - 1. Isaiah Crosby (Iowa Western); 6. Andrew Gamble (Iowa Central).
165 - 1. Christian Minto (NIACC); 5. Keaton Geerts (Iowa Central).
174 - 3. Jose Rodriguez (Iowa Central); 6. Michael Aguirre (Iowa Western); 7. Massoma Endene (Iowa Lakes); 8. Justin Grant (Indian Hills).
184 - 1. Josh McFarland (Iowa Western); 5. Chase McCleish (NIACC); 8. Logan Koedam (Iowa Lakes).
197 - 3. Jose Valdez (NIACC); 6. Khris Walton (Indian Hills).
285 - 3. Mitchell Williamson (Iowa Lakes); 4. Jorden Pryor (Iowa Central); 5. Dillyn Miller (Iowa Western).
NIACC'S LINEUP
125 - Clarence Lee-Green (2-1)
133 - Connor Wiemann (0-0)
141 - Quentrevion Campbell (1-1)
149 - Brody Hawtrey (2-1)
157 - Josh Barretta (1-2)
165 - Christian Minto (3-0)
174 - Randry Mugisha (0-3)
184 - Chase McCleish (2-1)
197 - Jose Valdez (3-0)
285 - Troy Monahan III (1-2)
