Tiger wrestling team finishes just outside the top 20
Led by freshman Chance Davis's fifth-place finish in the 165-pound weight class, the Cowley College wrestling team finished in 21st place out of 55 schools represented at the NJCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships held March 1-2 in Council Bluffs, IA.
Cowley finished with 40 team points, while Western Wyoming claimed the national title with a whopping 161 points. Iowa Central (139.5 points) was a distant second, while Jayhawk Conference foe Pratt Community College (134.5 points) placed third.
Davis went 4-2 at the national tournament, while Jacen Jackson went 3-2 at 157 pounds. Beau Murphy (125 pounds), Ryker Agee (141 pounds), and Stefann Fearon each won two matches. Bryce Goucher rounded out Cowley's competitors at nationals and also picked up a win at the national tournament.
Stefaan Fearon and Aiden O'Dell were the only sophomores to compete at nationals, as Cowley will return an experienced team next season.
Cowley Results:
*125 pounds - Beau Murphy (CC) lost by tech fall (19-3) to Isaac Gibbs (Indian Hills); won by fall over Edward Lauritsen (Lackawanna) won by fall over Kolton Misener (Labette); lost a major decision (19-5) against Chris Kish (Harper).
*133 pounds – Aidan O'Dell (CC) lost by forfeit. Failed to make weight.
*141 pounds – Ryker Agee (CC) lost by fall to Tim Lopez (Clackamas); won by tech fall (15-0) over Danny Ramirez (Middlesex); defeated Benjamin Fosdick (Iowa Central) by a score of 14-7; lost a 7-2 decision to Ryan Paladino (Nassau).
*157 pounds – Jacen Jackson (CC) lost to Job Lee (NW Tech) by a score of 13-8; received a bye in the consolation round of 32; won by fall over Xavier Byrne (Henry Ford); won by fall over Nicholas Faldetta (Camden County); won by major decision (20-9) over Gavin Gust (Rochester); lost a 22-19 decision to Noah Smith (Carl Albert).
*165 pounds – Chance Davis (CC) won by fall in the first period over Easton Boone (Cloud); won by fall over Bryson Larrabee (Minnesota North-Itasca); won by tech fall (17-2) over Jayden Luttrell (Western Wyoming); lost a 14-6 decision to Austin Ravy (Clackamas); lost by fall to Leo Tukhlynovych (Rochester); won by tech fall (16-0) over Jayden Luttrell (Western Wyoming) in the fifth place match.
*184 pounds – Bryce Goucher (CC) lost to Blake Jouret (Pratt) by a score of 10-1; received a bye in the consolation round of 32; won by fall over Braden Pease (Clackamas); lost by fall to Noah Poe-Hatten (North Idaho).
*285 pounds - Stefann Fearon (CC) won by tech fall (19-3) over Nicholas Martinez (Colby); lost by fall to DJ Moehring (Iowa Central); won an 11-7 decision over Gabe Kant (Labette); lost by fall to Oleg Slmakov (Harper).