NIACC's Minto wins national title
COUNCIL BLUFFS - Sophomore Christian Minto became NIACC's 14th national champion in the sport of wrestling.
Minto completed a perfect 2021 season with a 13-6 victory over Iowa Central's Keaton Geerts in the 165-pound title match at the NJCAA Division I national championships Thursday night at the Mid-America Center.
Minto completed the 2021 season with a 13-0 record and moved his career mark to 35-1. It was the second victory over Geerts this season as Minto also topped him by technical fall in the dual meet during the regular season.
Before Minto's national title, NIACC's last national champion was 141-pounder Austin Anderly in the 2018 season.
In the 197-pound final, Cloud County's Zach Ferris nipped NIACC's Jose Valdez 3-2 in overtime. Valdez (12-1) was called for three stalling calls in the third extra session to give Ferris the national title.
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; Minto dec. Keaton Geerts (Iowa Central), 13-6.
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; Zach Ferris (Cloud County) dec. Valdez, 3-2 (SV).
