NIACC's Minto, Valdez move to semifinals
COUNCIL BLUFFS - NIACC's Christian Minto and Jose Valdez both kept their perfect 2021 records intact.
Minto, the top-ranked and top-seeded 165-pounder moved to Thursday's morning semifinals with a 5-1 win over Cloud County's seventh-ranked Cooper Mosier. Minto now has a record of 11-0 this season and 33-1 for his career.
Valdez, who is ranked fourth, also improved his record to 11-0 with a 6-4 overtime victory over Western Wyoming's Tyler Scheurn.
Earlier in the day Wednesday, Minto stuck Barton's Stephan Duffy in 2:00 in his opening match and topped Southwestern Oregon's Austin Raby in his second-round contest, 9-5.
Valdez opened the national tournament with a 19-6 major decision victory over Pratt's Bryce Westmoreland and edged Rowan's Curtis Thomas 2-1 in triple overtime.
Minto faces Western Wyoming's Collin Smith, who is ranked fifth, in the 165-pound semifinals. Valdez takes on Clackamas' top-ranked Tarik Sutkovic in the 197-pound semifinals.
In the 125-pound quarterfinals Wednesday evening, Henry Ford's fourth-ranked Aseel Almudhala topped NIACC's seventh-ranked Clarence Lee-Green by major decision, 11-2.
Iowa Central's Aiden Harris edged Lee-Green 7-6 in the consolation round.
In the 141-pound consolation round, NIACC's Quentrevion Campbell topped Garrett's Brady Villa 12-6 and then Campbell was pinned by Pratt's Jacob Mitchell in 3:50.
In the 157-pound consolation round, Neosho's Sam Son edged NIACC's Curtis Brock, 4-3.
In the 174-pound consolation round, Indian Hills' Justin Grant topped NIACC's Randry Mugisha by injury default.
