Brackets released for national wrestling tournament
COUNCIL BLUFFS - The NIACC wrestling team will send nine wrestlers to the NJCAA Division I national wrestling tournament March 6-7 at the Mid-America Center.
Qualifying for the Trojans are Clarence Lee-Green (125), third-ranked Brock Luthens (133), eighth-ranked Hunter Luke (141), second-ranked Tony Mendoza (149), Kendall Sandifer (157), top-ranked Christian Minto (165), Cody Klettheimer (174), Reldon Miller (184) and ninth-ranked Holton Truax (197).
Minto enters the national tournament as the top seed at 165 pounds. Minto (19-0) beat Iowa Central's Ashton Eyler 9-6 to claim the 165-pound title at the NJCAA Central District tournament.
Mendoza enters the national tournament as the No. 2 seed at 149 pounds. Mendoza (15-3) edged Ellsworth's Cardionte Wilson 3-2 to win the 149-pound title at the district tournament.
The tournament begins with first-round matches at 9:30 a.m. on March 6.
The following are the Trojans' first-round matchups:
125 - Clarence Lee-Green (N) vs. Dawson Barfuss (Northwest)
133 - (3) Brock Luthens (N) vs. JaJuan Daniels (Northwest Kansas)
141 - (8) Hunter Luke (N) vs. (3) Matt Hofenbredl (Southwest Oregon)
149 - (2) Tony Mendoza (N) vs. Parker Price (Labette)
157 - Kendall Sandifer (N) vs. Braydon Johnson (Minnesota West)
165 - (1) Christian Minto (N) received first-round bye
174 - Cody Klettheimer (N) vs. Dane Colza (Triton)
184 - Reldon Miller (N) vs. Nick Mihajlovich (Harper)
197 - (9) Holton Truax (N) vs. Jayden Bortz (Lackawanna)
NJCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, March 6
9:30 a.m. - First-round preliminaries
Noon - Second-round preliminaries, first-round consolation, second-round consolation
6:15 p.m. - Championship quarterfinals, third-round consolation, fourth-round consolation
Saturday, March 7
10:30 a.m. - Championship semifinals, consolation quarterfinals
1:15 p.m. - Third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place matches
6:30 p.m. - Parade of All-Americans, Wrestling Coaches Association awards presentation
7 p.m. - Championship finals
