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NJCAA national wrestling tournament starts Friday

niacc_trojans_logoDES MOINES – The NIACC wrestling team placed 10th at last year’s NJCAA national tournament in Spokane, Wash.

The Trojans, who qualified all 10 wrestlers, look to imrpove on that finish at this year’s national meet, which begins Friday at the Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

NIACC placed second at the NJCAA North Central district meet on Sunday and qualified all 10 wrestlers for the national meet. Jake Marlin claimed the 141-pound district title and Nosomy Pozo was the 149-pound district champion.

NIACC coach Steve Kelly was selected as the district coach of the year.

Pozo and 157-pounder Yoanse Mejias are seeking to become NIACC’s second and third two-time national champions. Joe Hatchett won back-to-back national titles at 190 pounds in 1970 and 1971.

Pozo topped Northeast Oklahoma A&M’s Zack Dobbins in an 18-6 major decision to claim the 2014 149-pound national title. Mejias stopped Iowa Central’s Richie Lewis 7-3 in the 157-pound national title bout last season.

NIACC’s 10th place finish at last year’s national tournament was the highest under sixth-year coach Steve Kelly.

Pozo enters this year’s 149-pound bracket ranked No. 1 and Northwest Wyoming’s Jeff McCormick is ranked second. Pozo took a 7-1 decision from McCormick in the second round at last year’s national tournament.

Pozo (27-6 with 5 pins, 6 technical falls and 6 major decisions) received a first-round bye. He faces Neosho’s Joel Hood or Clackamas’ Chris Garcia in the second round Friday morning.

Mejias (29-4 with 7 pins, 6 technical falls and 8 major decisions) enters the national tournament ranked second behind Iowa Central’s Lewis. Mejias faces Triton’s Ryan Fulton in his first-round match.

Mejias and Lewis are on opposite sides of the bracket so could possibly meet in the finals for the second straight year.

Last season, Mejias topped Lewis three times (dual, district final and national title match). This season, Lewis nipped Mejias 5-2 in triple overtime in their dual meet match and 3-2 in the district finals.

NIACC’s 285-pounder Lawrence Phillips enters the national tournament ranked sixth, 125-pounder Paul Mascarenas is ranked seventh, 133-pounder Shiquan Hall is ranked ninth and 165-pounder Quincy Kalkbrenner is ranked 11th.

NIACC at nationals under Kelly
2010 – Placed 16th. Brock Coutu placed 7th at 141 pounds; Zach Rosol placed 3rd at 285 pounds.
2011 – Placed 13th. Wismit Moinius placed 8th at 133 pounds; Quinten Haynes placed 7th at 157 pounds.
2012 – Placed 16th. Moinius placed 5th at 141 pounds; Basil Minto placed 5th at 184 pounds; Jameel Bryant placed 7th at 174 pounds.
2013 – Placed 17th. Minto placed 5th at 184 pounds; Shakheim Chapman placed 5th at 197 pounds; Alex Stockton placed 6th at 285 pounds.
2014 – Placed 10th. Nosomy Pozo placed 1st at 149 pounds; Yoanse Mejias placed 1st at 157 pounds; Thomas Daniels placed 8th at 174 pounds.

NIACC’s first-round matches
125 – No. 7 Paul Mascarenas (NIACC) (21-10) vs. Dylan Booth (Sullivan County)
133 – No. 9 Shiquan Hall (NIACC) (25-8) vs. Sammy Rosario (Darton)
141 – Jake Marlin (NIACC) (21-5) vs. No. 11 Kerin Rameriz (Harper)
149 – No. 1 Nosomy Pozo (NIACC) (27-6) received a first-round bye.
157 – No. 2 Yoanse Mejias (NIACC) (28-4) vs. Ryan Fulton (Triton)
165 – No. 11 Quincy Kalkbrenner (NIACC) (18-9) vs. No. 9 Greg Jaquez (Harper)
174 – Jacoby Benjamin (NIACC) (10-6) vs. Austin Lynn (Jamestown)
184 – Ben Wallace (NIACC) (16-16) vs. No. 10 De’Andre Jones (Labette)
197 – Kyler Mathews (NIACC) (11-11) vs. Tanner VanDalsen (Lincoln)
285 – No. 6 Lawrence Phillips (NIACC) (17-5) vs. Jay Sroufe (Muskegon)

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