NIACC's Minto, Valdez advance to finals
COUNCIL BLUFFS - For the first time since 2015, NIACC has placed two wrestlers in the national finals.
NIACC's Christian Minto and Jose Valdez both punched their tickets to the NJCAA Division I national finals at the Mid-America Center with semifinal victories Thursday morning.
Minto, who is ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds, moved to his second straight national title match with a convincing 15-1 major decision over Western Wyoming's fifth-ranked Collin Smith.
Valdez, who is ranked fourth at 197 pounds, scored a takedown in the final minute of the third period to edge Clackamas' top-ranked Tarik Sutkovic, 3-2.
In the 2015 season, NIACC's Nosomy Pozo (149) and Yoanse Mejias (157) both claimed national titles.
Minto, who has a career record of 34-1, will faces Iowa Central's Keaton Geerts in Thursday's 165-pound national title match. Geerts, who is ranked sixth, edged RCTC's second-ranked Seth Brossard, 10-8, in his semifinal match.
Minto (12-0) stopped Geerts by technical fall (16-1) earlier this season when the NIACC and Iowa Central met in a dual meet in Mason City on Feb. 24.
In last season's 165-pound national finals, Minto suffered his lone collegiate loss when he dropped a narrow 6-4 decision to Iowa Western's Isaiah Crosby.
On Wednesday, Minto moved to the national semifinals with a fall in the opening round and decisions in the second round and quarterfinals.
Valdez (12-0) faces Cloud County's Zach Ferris in the 197-pound national title match. Ferris,who is ranked second, nipped Iowa Western's third-ranked Josh McFarland 5-4 in his national semifinal contest.
On Wednesday, Valdez, who has a career record of 20-5, moved to the national semifinals with a major decions and two sudden victory decisions.
ROAD TO THE FINALS
NIACC's Christian Minto
NJCAA national tournament
Minto pinned Stephan Duffy (Barton), 2:00; Minto dec. Austin Raby (Southwestern Oregon), 9-5; Minto dec. Cooper Mosier (Cloud County), 5-1; Minto major dec. Collin Smith (Western Wyoming), 15-1.
NIACC's Jose Valdez
NJCAA national tournament
Valdez major dec. Bryce Westmoreland (Pratt), 19-6; Valdez dec. Curtis Thomas (Rowan), 2-1 (2SV); Valdez dec. Tyler Scheurn (Western Wyoming), 6-4 (SV); Valdez dec. Tarik Sutkovic (Clackamas), 3-2.
