Men's Wrestling

DEFENDING CHAMPS TO HOST DISTRICTS

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Posted: Feb 12, 2022

Centerville, IA – The 2022 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Wrestling North Central District Championship commences Sunday in Centerville with a star-studded field of competition. The defending district champions, Indian Hills serve as this year's host of the championship.

DETAILS Sunday, Feb. 13 | 10:00 AM | Centerville, IA - Lakeview Elementary 
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: 2022 NJCAA North Central District Championship Home
TICKETS: Buy Online
WATCH LIVE: GoHillsTV
DIGITAL PROGRAM: Tournament Program
BRACKETS (PRINTABLE):    Brackets

 

MAT NOTES

  • Indian Hills headlines this year's North Central District Championship as the defending champions after claiming the title last season in its inaugural year of competition.
  • The Warriors became the third different ICCAC team to claim the district title in the last three years after Iowa Central won the title in six consecutive years.
  • Indian Hills and Iowa Central both closed out the regular season of conference action with a 5-1 dual record. Iowa Western placed third at 4-2.
  • All 90 matches of this year's championship will be streamed live via GoHillsTV, the official streaming platform of Indian Hills.
  • The NJCAA National Championship has featured at least one member of the North Central District in the top-five team finishes in each of the last seven years, including six years with at least two teams in the top-five.

WARRIORS TO WATCH

In its first year of existence, a loaded freshman roster highlighted the Warriors as the team made a run to an eighth-place finish at last year's national championship along with its district title. A number of those freshman are back for year two with the Warriors.

  • At 125lbs, Chris Busutil claimed a district title and All-American honors at last year's national tournament. In a packed weight class, Busutil has his sights set on a repeat district title.
  • The top-ranked 133lb wrestler in Caleb Meekins is back for year two, looking to repeat as District Champion. Meekins boasted an undefeated dual record this year.
  • Victor Guzman earned All-American honors as a freshman and looks to take home a district title as he enters Sunday's championship as the second-highest ranked wrestler in the district at 141lbs.
  • Sophomore Destin Jones enters Sunday's action on a tear since the start of the new year. Jones entered the latest national rankings at No. 10 at 157lbs.
  • In one of the toughest weight classes at this year's district, Cameron Nesbitt, ranked No. 5 nationally, looks to showcase his talents against the cream of the crop.
  • Deron Pulliam, ranked No. 1 all year long at 184lbs, enters Sunday without having lost a dual match all season. The sophomore will look to repeat as District Champion.
  • Khris Walton brings All-American experience to the Warriors at 197lbs after placing seventh at last year's national championship. Walton is currently ranked No. 7.

GUESS WHO'S BACK

The ICCAC has long been known as one of the premier conferences in junior college wrestling. Despite the constant turnover of two-year student-athletes, this year's field features a bevy of returning All-Americans and District Champions.

  • 16 NJCAA All-Americans return across the six teams competing on Sunday, including three each in the 165lb and 197lb weight classes.
  • Christian Minto of NIACC, the defending national champion at 165lbs, will look to become the first ICCAC wrestler to earn three district titles after regaining a year of eligibility due to COVID-19. Minto claimed the last two district titles at 165.
  • Along with the Warriors' three returning district champions, this year's championship features four additional returning district champions in NIACC's Minto, Quentrevion Campbell, and Jose Valdez along with Iowa Central's Jose Rodriguez.
  • Along with Minto, Iowa Central's Jose Rodriguez enters Sunday as the defending national champion in his respective weight class at 174.

RANKED FOES

  • All six teams competing on Sunday have appeared in the national rankings throughout the duration of the season.
  • Each of the programs currently rank inside the top-15 nationally, led by Iowa Central at No. 3, Indian Hills at No. 5, and NIACC at No. 7.
  • Iowa Western checks in at No. 10, followed by No. 10 Iowa Lakes and No. 15 Ellsworth.
  • In total, 27 wrestlers competing in this weekend's action appears in the individual national rankings.
  • Six of the 10 weight classes across the nation are headlined by a wrestler in Sunday's District Championship who hold the No. 1 spot.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

A berth at the 2022 NJCAA National Championships, the goal for any and all junior college student-athletes. A total of 52 wrestlers will earn a berth between automatic qualifiers and wild cards. The 2022 National Championships will be held at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, IA March 4-5.