Western Wyoming claims first National Championship
Council Bluffs, IA - Western Wyoming claimed its first NJCAA Wrestling Championship title Saturday in Council Bluffs. The Mustangs finished with a team score of 134 . Darion Johnson was the lone Western Wyoming wrestler to wrestle for an individual national title but fell Northwest Kansas Tech's Jameel Coles in the 184 weight class.
Championship bout rundown (125-157)
125: Jett Strickenberger (Northwest Kansas Tech) defeated Jakason Burks (Iowa Western) by decision 7-6.
133: Thaddeus Long (Carl Albert State) defeated Jason Henshel (Pratt) by fall (3:33).
141: Brant Porter (North Idaho) defeated Easton Taylor (Pratt) by decision, 4-2.
149: Matt Sabro (Iowa Central) knocked off Dylan Brown (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) by fall (6:03).
157: Fabian Padilla (Iowa Western) avenged last year runner up finish by defeating Benjamen Mitchell (North Idaho) by decision, 5-4.
Championship awards
Ernest B. Gould Outstanding Wrestler (Most Outstanding Wrestler, as voted by tournament coaches): Jett Strickenberger, Northwest Kansas Tech.
Jett Strickenberger topped Iowa Western's Jakason Burks by decision 7-6 to claim the individual national title in 125.
Joseph A. Rockenback Sportsmanship Award (As voted by tournament coaches): Brayden Lowry, Northwest (149).
NJCAA Scholarship Coach of the Year: Art Castillo, Western Wyoming
NJCAA Non-Scholarship Coach of the Year (Presented to the head coach of the highest-scoring non-scholarship team): Vougar Oroudjou, Nassau.
Championship bout rundown (165-285)
165: Steele Starren (Clackamas) improved from last year's second place finish by defeating Khayitov Mirzo (Ellsworth) by decision, 4-3.
174: Aziz Fayzullaev (Northwest) defeated Jake Stiles (Harper) by sudden victory, 6-4 .
184: Northwest Kansas Tech's Jameel Coles defeated Team National Champion, Western Wyoming's Darion Johnson by decision, 1-0.
197: Brett Mower (Iowa Western) defeated Ibrahim Ameer (Cloud County) by decision, 10-9.
285: Kale Schrader (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) closed out the night with victory by fall (2:57) over Kawaun Deboe (Indian Hills).
