The Northeastern Oklahoma Wrestling Team won their second NJCAA National Championship in the last three years.  Since reinstituting the program under the direction of head coach Joe Renfro and assistant coach Dennis Siegmann, the Norsemen have been champions in 2014, fifth in 2015, and now champions again in 2016.
 
NEO entered the national tournament as the number three ranked team in the country according to rankings released on February 22 from the NJCAA coaches association, after being the number one ranked team during most of February. The Norsemen used a breakdown to "Attitude" during final preparation toward proving they were worthy of winning the National Title.
 
The 2016 National Championship included the crowning of three individual National Champions for the first time in school history. In all the NEO wrestlers had nine All-Americans out of ten weight classes. During the tournament NEO won 37 individual matches that included 15 pins.
 
Tournament Recap of NEO participants:
 
125 lbs. freshman Logan Terrill, Ark City, Kansas finished as an All-American in 7th place going 4-2 and defeating the #2 ranked wrestler from Nassau for seventh place 11-1.  Terrill ends his freshman year at 26-18 with 8 pins.
 
133 lbs. freshman Curtis Burnett, Independence, Kansas finished as an All-American in fourth place, finishing 5-2 in the tournament and 34-17 on the season with 9 pins. In the National Tournament Burnett defeated the #5 ranked Highline wrestler.
 
141 lbs. sophomore Mitchell Sellers, Tahlequah, Oklahoma was an All-American in fifth place going 6-2 with 4 pins including a pin over the #8 ranked wrestler from Harper.  Sellers also won the prestigious Most Falls award at the tournament.  This marked the second consecutive year a Norsemen wrestler won the fall award. He completes his season at 32-12 with 14 pins.
 
149 lbs. sophomore Kristian Holguin-Mendez, Sapulpa, Oklahoma was an All-American for the second season in a row finishing fourth. He went 4-2 in the tournament and is now 33-13 on the season.
 
157 lbs. sophomore Dawaylon Barnes, Muskogee, Oklahoma earned a National Individual Championship going 5-0 over two days. Barnes defeated 3 ranked wrestlers along the way including a pin over the number one in the quarter-finals. Dawaylon is now 38-7 for the year with 18 falls.
 
165 lbs. freshman Saul Ortiz, Wichita Heights, Kansas went 0-2 in the tournament and did not place.
 
174 lbs. sophomore Jacobe Smith, Muskogee, Oklahoma won his second National Championship defeating four opponents, three by fall, and winning a major decision in the finals. Smith was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. Jacobe defeated the #4 and 6 ranked wrestlers along the way. He finished the year at 40-2 with 26 pins.

184 lbs. redshirt sophomore Jacob Hill, Augusta, Kansas finished as an All-American in fourth place going 3-2. Hill is now 34-16 with 11 pins. Hill defeated two ranked wrestlers along the way over the #4 and #7 ranked athletes.
 
197 lbs. sophomore Josh Latham, Chickasha, Oklahoma finished in eighth place as an All-American going 2-3 and finishing the year at 25-10 with 15 pins.
 
285 lbs. sophomore Blake Andrews, Grapevine, Texas was the third National Champion for NEO going 4-0 in the event winning three matches over ranked opponents including the #2 Ellsworth wrestler in the semis, the number 5 Middlesex wrestler in the quarters and finished with a pin in the finals over the #4 ranked Iowa Lakes wrestler. Blake closes out his career this season with a team leading 46 wins and 5 losses including 22 pins.
 
Coach Renfro was also named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year for 2016, allowing NEO to win a majority of the "special awards". Coach Renfro and Coach Siegmann have now been teamed together for five seasons and have won four National Championships, including 2012 and 2013 at Labette CC, Kansas.
 
This team according to Coach Renfro, " Is a group of men that have really embraced the team philosophy of being a family as evidenced by the attendance at the National Tournament in Iowa when all members of the team were in attendance for two days to support their brothers". "They were the loudest bunch in the convention center."
 
Along with our athletes supporting our men, there were also many family members, parents and fans of NEO there cheering every win and loudly every pin. Coach Siegmann added, "It was a total team effort. Not many schools ever have 9 out of 10 All-Americans. It was fun to watch it happen."