DES MOINES – NIACC advanced three wrestlers into tonight’s quarterfinals at the NJCAA national tournament at the Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
NIACC’s top-ranked 184-pounder Basil Minto moved to the quarterfinals with a pair of pins. He pinned Steve Conn of Clackamas Community College (2 minutes, 45 seconds) in the first round and stuck Lincoln College’s Archie Williams (6:43) in the second round.
NIACC coach Steve Kelly, whose team is in 11th place with 19 points, said he want’s Minto to be even more aggressive.
“He’s a little tentative,” Kelly said. “He wants to win so bad.”
Minto, a sophomore, showed his explosiveness in the waning seconds of his second round match to gain the pin.
“He has some horsepower,” Kelly said.
Minto faces Colby Community College’s Dylon Braun in tonight’s quarterfinals.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals tonight were freshman 197-pounder Shakheim Chapman and freshman 285-pounder Alex Stockton.
“We’re happy for the guys that won,” Kelly said. “We just have to keep winning. Momentum can change so quickly. We just have to go out and attack and wrestle with confidence.
At 197 pounds, Chapman beat Springfield Tech’s Ramel Hill 3-1 in the first round and topped Colby Community College’s Cash Drylie 4-3 in the second round.
Chapman took down Drylie in the final seconds to gain the second-round win.
“That’s the neat thing about wrestling,” Kelly said. “He kept attacking and never gave up. That’s exciting.”
Chapman faces Harper Community College’s Larry Carter in tonight’s quarterfinals.
At 285 pounds, Stockton topped Labette Community College’s Trey Page, the 2012 285-pound runner-up 6-2 in the first round. Stockton then beat Ridgewater’s Zane Peterson 6-1 in the second round.
“Stockton won two big matches,” Kelly said. “He’s listening to us – bottom line.
“That’s why he’s having success. He’s very coachable.”
Also for NIACC, Zach Welter (133), Sha-Keno Jenkins (149) and Parker Sturges (165) stayed alive in the consolation round and will wrestle again tonight.
JP Gamez (125), Blake Spotts (141) and Dillon Coe (157) were eliminated from the tournament with a pair of losses.
Team leaderboard
North Idaho 32.5; Labette Community College 29.5; Lincoln College 27.5; Northwest College 26; Harper College 25.5; Clackamas Community College 25; Western Wyoming Community College 22.5; Iowa Western 21; Nassau Community College 20.5; Ridgewater College 19.5; NIACC 19; Rend Lake College 19.
NIACC first-round results
125 pounds
Chris Lantz (Bergen CC) pinned JP Gamez (NIACC), 6:47.
133 pounds
Brandon Owens (Darton College) pinned Zach Welter (NIACC), 1:52.
141 pounds
Steven Ruppert (Muskegon College) tech. fall Blake Spotts (NIACC), 16-1.
149 pounds
Sha-Keno Jenkins (NIACC) dec. Kyle Graumenz (Neosho County), 11-5.
157 pounds
Dillon Coe (NIACC) major dec. Don McGregor (Triton College), 15-5.
165 pounds
Ryan Zumalt (North Idaho) pinned Parker Sturges (NIACC), 2:39.
184 pounds
Basil Minto (NIACC) pinned Steve Conn (Clackamas CC), 2:31.
197 pounds
Shakheim Chapman (NIACC) dec. Ramel Hill (Springfield Tech), 3-1.
285 pounds
Alex Stockton (NIACC) dec. Trey Page (Labette CC), 6-2.
Championship second round
149
Kyle Wade (Nassau) major dec. Jenkins, 8-0.
157
Adam Will (Thaddeus Stevens College) dec. Coe, 5-3.
184
Minto pinned Archie Williams (Lincoln), 6:43.
197
Chapman dec. Cash Drylie (Colby), 4-3.
285
Stockton dec. Zane Peterson (Ridgewater), 6-1.
Consolation round
125
Barney Prince (Niagara) dec. Gamez, 4-1.
133
Welter major dec. Frank Wilczek (Ridgewater), 13-2.
141
Spotts dec. Darius Henderson (Lincoln College), 2-1; Blake Santi (Harper) pinned Spotts, 2:16.
149
Jenkins dec. Nick Starzec (Muskegon), 9-6.
157
David Booth (Itasca) dec. Coe, 8-1.
165
Sturges dec. John Marino (Triton College), 9-2; Sturges pinned Sean Dulom (Iowa Western), 2:56.
