MASON CITY – The No. 19 NIACC wrestling team will host the NJCAA Central District Tournament on Sunday in the NIACC gym.
The district tournament, which includes Ellsworth, Iowa Central, Iowa Lakes, Iowa Western and host NIACC, starts at 10 a.m.
A total of 50 wrestlers are seeking to punch their ticket to the NJCAA Division I national tournament, which will be held March 1-2 in Council Bluffs.
Iowa Central enters the district tournament ranked fourth, Ellsworth is ranked fifth, Iowa Lakes is ranked 22nd and Iowa Western is ranked 24th.
NIACC was 1-5 in ICCAC duals and is coming off a 26-18 dual meet win over Iowa Western on Jan. 31 in Council Bluffs.
NIACC freshman Tony Mendoza is ranked fourth at 149 pounds.
Mendoza (16-5) split a pair of matches with Iowa Central’s seventh-ranked Yarhoski Aldiva in their two dual meets this season. Aldiva won 11-5 and Mendoza won 3-2.
Mendoza owns a pin over Iowa Western’s Melvin Hernandez. Mendoza did not face Ellsworth’s Cardy Wilson or Iowa Lakes’ Tracy Davis.
At last season’s district meet in Fort Dodge, the Trojans qualified eight wrestlers for the national meet and placed fifth with 107 points.
The Trojans placed 17th at the national tournament in 2018 and crowned the school’s 13th national champion in 141-pounder Austin Anderly.
NIACC’S DISTRICT TOURNAMENT LINEUP
125 – Mark Gonzales (5-5); 133 – Brock Luthens (8-6); 141 – Hunter Luke (11-5); 149 – Tony Mendoza (16-5); 157 – Quinn Murphy (2-12).
165 – Xavier Judge (5-7); 174 – Mason Carpenter (6-2); 184 – Reldon Miller (8-9); 197 – Hunter Hagen (7-6); 285 – Zach Santee (8-10).
