Championship finals set for NAIA Wrestling Championships; Grand View clinches team title
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by Alan Groshbach, NAIA
TOPEKA, Kan. – (Brackets – PDF) Davion Caston of Campbellsville (Ky.) is the only defending champion left with an opportunity to win back-to-back championships, while Grand View (Iowa) created no doubt that the team title for a fifth-consecutive season will return to Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday in session III action at the 2016 NAIA Wrestling National Championships, presented by USA Wrestling-Kansas. The 59th annual event is taking place at the Kansas Expocentre for the third-straight year.
For the first time in NAIA history, session IV, which features the 10 title bouts, will be delivered live on ESPN3. Action is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CST and can be accesses at www.WatchESPN.com.
Grand View, fueled by 10 All-Americans out of 11 qualifiers, currently owns 195 team points, eclipsing the previous team scoring record of 193 points set by Grand View in 2014 and former-member Dana (Neb.) in 2006.
Barring a significant amount of disqualifications in the championship final, the Vikings are the first team in NAIA history to win five-consecutive national titles. Additionally, Grand View is only the fifth program in collegiate wrestling history (NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA) to win five-or-more consecutive championships. The other programs to do so are NCAA Division I Iowa (six-straight (1995-2000) and nine-straight (1978-1986)), NCAA Division I Oklahoma State (seven-straight (1937-1949)), NCAA Division II Cal State-Bakersfield (five-straight (1979-1983)) and NCAA Division II Cal Poly (seven-straight (1968-1974)).
Montana State-Northern is second with 104 points, while Indiana Tech (74.5 points), Missouri Valley (71.5 points) and Campbellsville (Ky.) (66.5 points) round out the top five in the team race.
Caston, who won the 133-pound championship a season ago to become the Tigers’ first champion since Tommy Petty (133) took first-place in 2010, won a hard-fought semifinal bout against Godwin Cutler of Grand View (Iowa), 4-3. With a win tonight, the Sanducky, Ohio, native will be the first Campbellsville grappler to win back-to-back titles in program history.
The two other defending national champions – Ricky McCarty of Oklahoma City and Gabi Musallam of Missouri Valley – fell in the semifinals. McCarty is a two-time All-American at 165 pounds after finishing in four-place, while Musallam is a three-time All-American at 285 pounds with a third-place finish.
Two individuals placed to become four-time All-Americans. Jake Ekster of Missouri Valley, a senior 141 pounder, finished in fifth-place with a technical fall (18-2) win over Central Group rival Walker Marshall of Grand View. Ekster is the fifth four-time All-American in Missouri Valley history.
Colby Crank of Baker (Kan.) (157 pounds) is the other four-time All-American at this year’s championships. The senior is the No. 4 seed and with a 10-6 win over Kyle Terry of Campbellsville will appear in the finals for the second time in his career. Crank finished runner-up at 149 pounds in 2014.
Overall, 12 different schools had individuals advance into the championship finals, including seven from Grand View. Five of the Vikings finalists pinned their way into the title bout. The number of finalist for Grand View gives the club chance to break former member Central State’s (Okla.) NAIA record of six individual champions in one year (1981). The Vikings finalists are: Jacob Colon (133 pounds), Grant Henderson (157 pounds), Dallas Houchins (165 pounds), Lawton Benna (174 pounds), Michael Pixley (184 pounds), Grant Harrill (197 pounds) and Dean Broghammer (285 pounds).
Baker – Victor Hughes (149 pounds) and Crank – and Southern Oregon – Tyler Cowger (149 pounds) and Ryan McWatters (184 pounds) – are the only teams outside of Grand View with two-or-more individuals wrestling in session IV.
Four programs have their first-ever national finalist – Concordia (Neb.), Doane (Neb.), Ottawa (Kan.) and Warner Pacific (Ore.). Concordia’s Andrew Schulte, who has won 25-straight matches entering the finals, and Tyler Hinton of Ottawa – the only unseeded wrestler to advance beyond the semifinals – face off in the 141-pound title bout in a battle of first-time championship finalist.
For more information on the NAIA Wrestling National Championships, click here.
For the first time in NAIA history, session IV, which features the 10 title bouts, will be delivered live on ESPN3. Action is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CST and can be accesses at www.WatchESPN.com.
Grand View, fueled by 10 All-Americans out of 11 qualifiers, currently owns 195 team points, eclipsing the previous team scoring record of 193 points set by Grand View in 2014 and former-member Dana (Neb.) in 2006.
Barring a significant amount of disqualifications in the championship final, the Vikings are the first team in NAIA history to win five-consecutive national titles. Additionally, Grand View is only the fifth program in collegiate wrestling history (NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA) to win five-or-more consecutive championships. The other programs to do so are NCAA Division I Iowa (six-straight (1995-2000) and nine-straight (1978-1986)), NCAA Division I Oklahoma State (seven-straight (1937-1949)), NCAA Division II Cal State-Bakersfield (five-straight (1979-1983)) and NCAA Division II Cal Poly (seven-straight (1968-1974)).
Montana State-Northern is second with 104 points, while Indiana Tech (74.5 points), Missouri Valley (71.5 points) and Campbellsville (Ky.) (66.5 points) round out the top five in the team race.
Caston, who won the 133-pound championship a season ago to become the Tigers’ first champion since Tommy Petty (133) took first-place in 2010, won a hard-fought semifinal bout against Godwin Cutler of Grand View (Iowa), 4-3. With a win tonight, the Sanducky, Ohio, native will be the first Campbellsville grappler to win back-to-back titles in program history.
The two other defending national champions – Ricky McCarty of Oklahoma City and Gabi Musallam of Missouri Valley – fell in the semifinals. McCarty is a two-time All-American at 165 pounds after finishing in four-place, while Musallam is a three-time All-American at 285 pounds with a third-place finish.
Two individuals placed to become four-time All-Americans. Jake Ekster of Missouri Valley, a senior 141 pounder, finished in fifth-place with a technical fall (18-2) win over Central Group rival Walker Marshall of Grand View. Ekster is the fifth four-time All-American in Missouri Valley history.
Colby Crank of Baker (Kan.) (157 pounds) is the other four-time All-American at this year’s championships. The senior is the No. 4 seed and with a 10-6 win over Kyle Terry of Campbellsville will appear in the finals for the second time in his career. Crank finished runner-up at 149 pounds in 2014.
Overall, 12 different schools had individuals advance into the championship finals, including seven from Grand View. Five of the Vikings finalists pinned their way into the title bout. The number of finalist for Grand View gives the club chance to break former member Central State’s (Okla.) NAIA record of six individual champions in one year (1981). The Vikings finalists are: Jacob Colon (133 pounds), Grant Henderson (157 pounds), Dallas Houchins (165 pounds), Lawton Benna (174 pounds), Michael Pixley (184 pounds), Grant Harrill (197 pounds) and Dean Broghammer (285 pounds).
Baker – Victor Hughes (149 pounds) and Crank – and Southern Oregon – Tyler Cowger (149 pounds) and Ryan McWatters (184 pounds) – are the only teams outside of Grand View with two-or-more individuals wrestling in session IV.
Four programs have their first-ever national finalist – Concordia (Neb.), Doane (Neb.), Ottawa (Kan.) and Warner Pacific (Ore.). Concordia’s Andrew Schulte, who has won 25-straight matches entering the finals, and Tyler Hinton of Ottawa – the only unseeded wrestler to advance beyond the semifinals – face off in the 141-pound title bout in a battle of first-time championship finalist.
For more information on the NAIA Wrestling National Championships, click here.
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