Norse Wrestlers Finish Second at NWCA National Dual Meet Championships

The 2015 NWCA National Dual Meet Wrestling Championships were held on January 9-10, 2015 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  Sixteen NJCAA wrestling teams were scheduled to compete, but the Norsemen, seeded second received a first round forfeit when Niagara, NY CC was unable to field a team and make the trip.

In the second round on Friday evening NEO defeated Harper College 27-18.  Winners for the Norsemen were: 141-Timothy O'Connor, Guthrie sophomore, over NJCAA ranked #8 Kerin Ramirez 5-2; 149-Dewaylan Barnes, Muskogee freshmen by fall; 165-Bryan Dutton, Guthrie sophomore by decision; 174-Jacobe Smith, Muskogee freshman by fall; 184-Brock Warren, Broken Arrow sophomore by fall; and 197-Josh Latham, Chickasha freshman, by decision.  The win advanced NEO to the semi-finals on Saturday.

The semi-final match proved the most exciting of the two day event for NEO.  Final score was 20-20 with Iowa Central and had to be decided on criteria. Each team won five matches the first criteria, but NEO recorded one pin to earn the dual victory using the second criteria. Winning for NEO were: O'Connor by a major decision; Barnes over NJCAA #8 ranked Teddie Harvey 8-0; Smith with a fall; Warren with a decision; and at 285 Big John Davison, Guthrie sophomore, tied the score with a major decision 11-3.

The finals match against Clackamas CC, Oregon featured ten Clackamas wrestlers ranked in the top 6 of the latest NJCAA National Rankings.  At 141 O'Connor lost a close 3-2 decision to #5 ranked Robert Rizzolino; Barnes pinned #5 ranked Christopher Garcia; Smith overtime decision over #1 ranked Dylan Reel 9-7; Warren pinned the defending National Champion and #1 ranked Adrian Salas; and Big John Davison closed out the match with a close 9-8 decision over #6 ranked John Morin.

Barnes, Smith, and Warren finished the two day meet undefeated at 3-0.  The team dual record is now 6-4, with NEOSHO CC, Chanute, KS. coming to Miami for a 7 PM home match on Thursday.

restlesThe trip was an excellent opportunity for our wrestlers to show our depth of talent as many reserves got to participate.  "It allowed us to see some of the best teams in the country and as a team better visualize our goals for February and the National Tournament. What we accomplished is good, but our goal is a second National Title and this was only a step along the way," according to assistant coach Dennis Siegmann. "Getting better every day is what NEO wrestling is all about!"