Three more members of the 2016 NEO National Championship wrestling team signed National Letters of Intent this week with three different NAIA schools. This brings the total to six wrestlers awarded scholarships to continue their wrestling careers as student-athletes.

This week Kristian Holguin-Mendez, Sapulpa, Oklahoma; Jacob Hill, Augusta, Kansas; and Dillon McCaleb, Coweta, Oklahoma signed to wrestle as members of NAIA teams. Kristian Holguin-Mendez is a two-time NJCAA All-American finishing third in 2015 and fourth in 2016 at 149 lbs. He will attend Oklahoma City University, always a national contender in NAIA.  Mendez will bring a 33-13 2016 record and 56 victories over two years to OCU.  Hill was an NJCAA All-American in 2016 finishing fourth at 184 lbs. with a 34-16 record and 51 overall wins in his career at NEO.  He is also a two time Academic All-American.  He will take his talents to a relatively new program at Lyons College in Arkansas. They are coached by former OSU Cowboy All-American Tom Erickson. Finally backup 133 lbs. McCaleb signed with Bacone College in Muskogee. McCaleb was the West-Central District runner-up in 2015 qualifying for the national tournament and winning a match there for NEO.  He brings 25 career wins to the Bacone program.

Mitchell Sellers, Tahlequah, Oklahoma and a 2016 All-American finishing fifth at 141 lbs. has been granted permission by OSU Cowboy head coach John Smith to walk-on at OSU.  This is a life-long goal for Sellers.  He won the NJCAA Most Falls Award this year.  He finished the 2016 season at 32-12 and has 40 career wins at NEO.

Sellers will join two other members of the NEO 2016 National Championship team at OSU.  Two time NJCAA National Champion Jacobe Smith, Muskogee, OK 174 lbs. and 285 lbs. Blake Andrews, Grapevine, Texas, 2016 National Champion signed National Letters of Intent last week to join the Cowboy wrestling program. Smith finished his career at NEO 76-6 having only lost to one junior college wrestler in two years. Andrews was 46-5 this year and 26-8 at Ouachita Baptist in 2015 and has never lost to a junior college wrestler.
Dawaylon Barnes, 157 lb. National Champion from Muskogee, Oklahoma, signed a national Letter of Intent to be a University of Oklahoma Sooner earlier last week as well.  He finished his 2016 year at 38-7 with 62 wins over two years at NEO.

Coach Renfro is very excited about the potential of these wrestlers at the next level. "I am sorry to see them leave, but at the same time excited for the opportunities that each of them has earned to further their wrestling careers, but even more excited at the opportunities for these young men to earn four-year college degrees. I am very proud of each of these men."