Tiger wrestling team places 20th at national championships

Led by freshman Melton Powe placing third and garnering All-American honors in the 174-pound weight class, the Cowley College wrestling team placed 20^th at the NJCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships held Friday and Saturday in Council Bluffs, IA.

Powe won four straight matches on the back side of the bracket to earn third place, while Cowley was close to having additional All-Americans as Aidan O'Dell (133 pounds) and Trenton Grant (141 pounds) lost in the quarterfinals. O'Dell's loss was especially tough as he suffered a one-point defeat in the quarterfinals.

"We wrestled well," Cowley interim head coach Justice Circle said. "The guys went out and fought."

Tiger freshman Kanden Young, unfortunately, suffered a season-ending knee injury in just the second round of the tournament, while sophomore Dean Setticase lost in double overtime to Northeast Oklahoma's Kale Schrader, who ended up as the national champion in the event.

Cowley will say goodbye to Dean Setticase and Trenton Grant, two of only five sophomores on the roster.

"I hate to see Trenton and Dean move on, but I am very excited for the future here at Cowley," Circle said. "It was good for everyone to experience multiple wins at the national tournament. The future is bright."

Western Wyoming Junior College claimed its first wrestling national championship, finishing 21 ½ points in front of national runner-up Pratt Community College.