Dana College Wrestling to Celebrate on Friday April 27th
Blair, NE-- The annual Dana College wrestling awards banquet has been scheduled for Friday April 27th at the Bel Air Banquet room at 12100 West Center Road in Omaha. All Dana College wrestling fans, boosters, parents and alumni are invited to join the Dana College wrestling staff and athletes in celebrating the 2007 season.
The banquet is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm and end around 9:00 pm. A pasta dinner will be served with the individual and team awards being handed out as well as season highlight video and much more. If you want to be a part of the event, please RSVP by Monday April 23, 2007. The cost of the pasta dinner is $8.25 per person at the door. Please make all checks payable to Dana College Wrestling.
Barnes Takes Second; Dana College Fourth at National Wrestling
Sioux City, Iowa ~ The Dana College wrestling team finished fourth in the overall team scoring at the NAIA National Wrestling tournament hosted at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Vikings, who were the defending national champions, scored 100 team points. Lindenwood won the 2007 National Title with a total of 177 team points, Embry-Riddle was second with 110 points, and Dickinson State was third with 107 points.
The weather gave a brief glimpse of how frustrating the weekend would be for the Vikings. Dana had to drive up Highway 75 to reach Sioux City on Thursday afternoon due to Interstate 29 in Iowa being closed due to weather. The normal one hour and twenty minute drive took the Vikings three hours.
"The weather was crazy as our team did not even arrive in Sioux City until Thursday night after literally "weathering the storm" on the way up here. We were fortunate to have got our team here for the national tournament, said head coach Richard Fergola.
Matt Jacobson lost his opening round match 10-4 to Richard Byrd of Embry-Riddle University at 125 pounds. Craig Trampe (SR, Ord, NE), a returning All-American, was upset in his first match by Trevor Lofstedt of Southern Oregon University 9-6. Jacobson would win his first round consolation match 17-12 over Andrew Leggott of Dakota Wesleyan. He would then fall 12-6 to Cory Johnston of Dickinson State. Trampe would win by decision over Desean Willis of Cumberland (TN) 4-1. He would then pin Kevin Gray of York College in 4:13. Trampe's quest for All-American status would come to an end with a 2-1 decision to Richard Byrd of Embry-Riddle University.
Burke Barnes (JR, Lake Stevens, WA) and Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) would represent the Vikings at 133 pounds. Graham would fall in his opening match 9-4 to Kaci Payne of Campbellsville University. Barnes would pin Mikeal Brooks of the University of the Cumberlands (KY) in 4:04. Barnes would win with a major decision over Mike McPeak of Montana State Northern 20-9. Graham would advance through the consolation bracket with a 7-3 decision over Blake Risk of Great Falls. He would then handle McPeak of Montana State Northern via technical fall 19-2. Barnes would then win with a decision over Ryan Moyer of Lindenwood 9-6. Graham would then advance onto the next round with a 2-0 decision over Chris Utesch of Morningside. He would then dispatch Gabe Hale of Oklahoma City 11-1 to become an All-American. Barnes would move in the 133 pound championship match by pinning Jacob Murton of Campbellsville University in 2:33. Graham would then fall to Murton by pin. He would fall to returning All-American Jason Moreno of Lindenwood by pin to claim sixth place. Barnes would square off against three-time All-American Mike Miller of McKendree. He would take an early lead with two take-downs, but would fall via pin in 2:59.
Terrence Almond (SR, Pelham, GA) and Brian Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) would represent Dana at 141 pounds. Graham and Almond would each receive first round byes. Graham would lose via decision 9-3 to returning All-American Kyle Jahn of McKendree. Almond would make quick work of Kyle Norred of Campbellsville with a pin in 4:43. He would then be upset in the quarterfinals by Gordo Villaescusa of Embry-Riddle 5-2. Graham would then defeat Jared Pickett of Morningside 9-4. Almond would win by major decision over Zach Halcumb of Jamestown 12-3. Brian Graham would be knocked out of the tournament by Nick Budeski of Great Falls 17-5. Almond would knock Budeski out of the tournament in the next round with a 15-7 decision. He would then use his riding time advantage to defeat Chris Smith of Montana State Northern in the consolation semi-finals 7-6. In the consolation finals, Terrence would again face Villaescusa of Embry-Riddle. Almond would have a 6-2 lead in the closing seconds of the match. Villaescusa would use a take down and a near fall to steal the win from Almond as time expired to claim the win. Almond would place fourth in the tournament and become the first ever Viking wrestler to be a four-time All-American.
Dan Pray (SO, St. George, KS) and Jason Bilinksi (JR, Pittsgrove, NJ) would be the Viking representatives at 157 pounds. Pray and Bilinksi would each receive first round byes. Pray would defeat David Johnson of King College 5-4. Bilinski would win with a major decision 12-0 over Zack Brissey of York College. Bilinski would then lose 15-5 to Hayden Harrison of Embry-Riddle University in the quarterfinals. Pray would also fall in the quarterfinals. Pray would be pinned in 2:14 by Campbellsville's David Clemens. Pray would win his first match in the wrestle backs against Josh Blackburn of McKendree 8-3. Bilinski would then pin Robert Davis of Menlo in 47 seconds. Pray would fall in the consolation quarterfinals to Brandon Benson of Oklahoma City 17-0. Bilinski would then pin Missouri Valley's Chad Jennings in 2:44. He would then fall to Wayne French of Great Falls by pin in the consolation semifinals. Bilinski would pin Earl Ulrey of Southern Oregon to claim fifth place. Pray would be beaten by Jennings for an eighth place finish.
Ryan Tuzon (FR, Wailuku, HI) would defeat JaVonte Ashford of King College 9-4 in the opening round. Tuzon would continue his winning ways with a 10-8 victory over Clay Weier of McKendree. He would then square off against Stephen Towne of Menlo in the quarterfinals. Bulla would come away with a 6-5 win. Tuzon would fall in the semi-finals to Lindenwood's Jake Dieffenbach 17-5. He would then be pinned by Calvin DeVault of Embry-Riddle in the consolation semi-finals. Tuzon would end his first national tournament with a 7-4 win over William Penn's Nate Stirgus top claim fifth place.
Webster Farris (JR, Nebraska City, NE) would represent Dana at 184 pounds. Farris would win by major decision over Tanner Wolk of McKendree 10-2. Farris would then win a close 3-1 decision over Dan Price of Missouri Valley. He would then fall to Joffre Lander of Embry-Riddle in the quarterfinals 4-3. Farris' hopes of being an All-American were dashed by Jasper Lockett of Missouri Valley 12-4. "Webster actually defeated two wrestlers that beat him previously this year and almost avenged another one against Lander of Embry-Riddle," commented head coach Richard Fergola.
Wade Jordan (JR, Coulee City, WA) was the lone Viking at 197 pounds. Jordan would stick Jake Head of Waldorf College in 1:24. He would continue with a 6-4 decision over Josh Deadrick of Campbellsville. Jordan would then win via technical fall 16-1 over Seth Theriot of Missouri Valley to advance to the semifinals. He would then be pinned in the semifinals by Brian Fritchman of Montana State Northern in 6:10. Jordan would then drop his final two matches in consolations to take sixth place.
"Obviously our goal was a second national title, but we will have to be content with our results," said Head Coach Richard Fergola. "For a young team, these guys performed at a very high level only finishing ten points out of second place. A couple more matches go our way and we would have finished in the top two."
Dana finished their season with seven All-American wrestlers and three NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athletes. The Vikings will graduate only two wrestlers from this years National Tournament squad. Dana will return ten of the twelve national qualifiers and six of their seven All-Americans. The Vikings are coached by first-year Head Coach Richard Fergola.
For more information, contact:
Shad Beam, sports information director, 402-426-7389, sbeam@dana.edu
2007 Border Brawl Line-Ups
The 2007 Border Brawl All-Star Dual between the top seniors from Iowa pitted against the top seniors from Nebraska is all set for this Friday March 9th at Dana College in Blair, NE. Action will begin at 7:00 pm in Gardner-Hawks Center. 2007 will mark the second year of the event in which about 750 people were in attendance for the first year. This year looks to be a much bigger event.
The 2007 Border Brawl will be highlighted by 17 nationally ranked wrestlers as rated by Wrestling USA magazine. There are total of 22 wrestlers that claimed state championships this year, but a combined total of 35 state titles among all of them. There are also 5 National championships and many, many All-American honors highlighted as well.
Three matches on the evening will be match-ups of the undefeated. Trenton Washington of Boystown High School in Omaha, NE will take his 35-0 record and put it against West Delaware-Manchester's (IA) Zach McCool's 40-0 mark. Omaha North's DeVaughan Perkins finished his season record of 30-0 and career record of 86-0 and laying it on the line against 42-0 Andrew Sorensen of Forest City, IA. Lastly, Howell's (NE) Chad Brester completed his senior season 39-0 and will take on Ryan Helenthal of Keokuk (IA) who completed a 43-0 season.
Seventeen macthes will highlight the evening which will be broadcast live via Takedown Wrestling Radio at http://www.intermatwrestle.com/takedownradio/home2.aspx and just click "listen live"! Scott Casber and Steve Foster will bring you all of the action live starting around 6:30 pm. In addition to the wrestling action, there will be live interviews with the athletes, coaches and hosts.
To reserve your tickets today, complete the online reservation form at http://www.dana.edu/wrestling/brawl_reservations.html and payment form on the confirmation page. Tickets purchased in advance are $8. Tickets purchased at the door are $10. Reserved tickets will be held in your name at the "will call" window. For more information, call Tyler Mohr at 402-426-7290.
Dana College Capture Fifth Regional Crown
Dickinson, ND ~ Looking at the setting prior to Saturday's North Region tournament, Dana wrestling had an uphill battle. Dickinson State was hosting the regional tournament and was rated second in the nation. Also standing in Dana's way to defend its national title was the remainder of the GPAC wrestling teams. A new coach, new starters, and a new region resulted in the same ending for the Dana College wrestling team. The result was a North Region crown. The Vikings had all 12 of their wrestlers finish in the top six in the tournament. Dana had three individual champions, four runner-ups, and three third place finishes.
Dana College put up 175.5 points in the regional tournament to claim the title. Second rated Dickinson State finished in second with 167 points.
Craig Trampe (SR, Ord, NE) and Matt Jacobson (FR, Craig, NE) represented Dana at 125 pounds. Trampe and Jacobson advanced into the quarterfinals with byes. Trampe defeat Dakota Wesleyans' Andrew Leggot via fall in 2:00. Jacobson would win by decision over Bradley Gustafson 6-3. Jacobson would be defeated by regional top seed Mark Johnston of Dickinson State by technical fall in 2:43. Trampe would then fall 3-1 to Cory Johnston of Dickinson State. The Consolation rounds would see Jacobson and Trampe switch first round opponents. Trampe would defeat Gustafson 5-4, while Jacobson would lose by decision to Leggot 16-11. Trampe would claim third place over Leggot via pin in 3:03. Jacobson would be pinned in his rematch against Gustafson in 3:35 for sixth place.
Burke Barnes (JR, Lake Stevens, WA) and Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) would be the Vikings choices at 133 pounds. Barnes received a first round bye as he was the top seed. Graham would pin Briar Cliff's Angelo Crinzi in 6:09 in the opening round. Graham would then get pinned in the quarterfinals by Shane Hase of Jamestown College in 1:42. Burke Barnes would claim a 13-11 win over Jordan Harer of Dakota Wesleyan. Barnes would find his semifinal match much easier. Burke would pin Chris Utesch of Morningside in 2:16. Graham would start working his way back through the consolation rounds. Graham would win his next match with a pin of Scott Thompson of Jamestown in 4:31. Graham would continue his pin streak over Jake Cawthorne of Sioux Falls in 3:49. In his third colnolation match, Graham would earn a major decision over Morningside's Utesch 11-0. In the consolation finals, Eric Graham would win a 4-1 decision over fourth seeded Eli Huizar of Dickinson State to claim third. Burke Barnes would square off against Shane Hase. Barnes would earn a 19-7 major decision over Hase to claim the 133 pound title.
Terrence Almond (SR, Pelham, GA) and Brian Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) would represent Dana at 141 pounds. Almond was crowned the 141 pound champ and the GPAC wrestler-of-the year and Graham would be crowned the 149 pound champ last week at the conference championships. The two wrestlers would fight their way through the brackets and face off in the finals. Almond's trip to the finals took a total of 3:48. Terrence pinned Sioux Falls' Eric Engberg in 2:06 and then stuck Cody Ingle of Briar Cliff in 37-seconds. Almond then pinned Levi Price of Northwestern in 1:05. Graham's trip to the finals took a bit longer. Brian opened up with a pin of Billy Murtha of Dakota Wesleyan in 57-seconds. Graham would then upset third seed Jared Pickett of Morningside 12-7. Graham would then defeat second seeded Zach Halcumb of Jamestown 7-3. Terrence Almond would then claim the regional title over Brian Graham via a forfeit. Almond was also named the 2007 North Region Wrestler of the Year and the 2007 North Region Tournament Outstanding Wrestler.
Dan Pray (SO, St. George, KS) and Jason Bilinski (JR, Pittsgrove, NJ) would look to challenge for the 157 pound title. Bilinski would upset third seeded Matt Gustafson of Morningside 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Pray would earn a major decision over Courtney Goodwin of Northwestern 12-4. Dan would then win a 7-1 decision over Carlyle Scott of Jamestown in the semifinals. Bilinski would earn a major decision over second seeded Brian Heiberger of Northwestern 9-0. The win would match up teammates Pray and Bilinski in the finals. Bilinski would pull the upset over top seed Pray 7-1 to win the title.
Ryan Tuzon (FR, Wailuku, HI) would be the third seed at 165 pounds. Tuzon would earn a major decision over Ryder Weischedel of Jamestown 18-6. Tuzon would then upset second seed Brett Jarman of Sioux Falls 7-3. Bulla would fall to Dickinson State's Shane Bennett 12-7 in the finals.
Webster Farris (JR, Nebraska City, NE) would place third at 184 pounds. Farris would earn a decision over Morningside's Zach Anderson 16-12 in the quarterfinals. He would then fall 10-3 to Dickinson States' Matt Michaelson in the semifinals. Farris would make a come back through the consolation rounds. Webster would knock off fourth seeded Justin Schuele of Jamestown 4-2. Farris would then pin Jordaryl Logan of Briar Cliff in the consolation finals in 3:14.
Wade Jordan (JR, Coulee City, WA) would bring home a second place finish for the Vikings. Jordan would start off with a pin over Chris McKinney of Sioux Falls in 1:59. He would then upset Andrew Lundgren of Northwestern 5-1 in the semifinals. Jordan would run out of steam as he fell to defending national champion Justin Schlecht of Dickinson State 7-0 in the finals.
Jesse Boggs (FR, Deming, NM) would represent the Vikings at 285 pounds. Boggs would defeat fourth seeded and returning All-American Lionel Riley of Dakota Wesleyan 1-0. He would then fall to top seeded Clay Rodgers of Dickinson State by a 3-1 score in a tie-breaker overtime. Boggs would lose again in the consolations to Sam Zylstra of Northwestern 5-1. Boggs would claim fifth as Lionel Riley would default to him.
"Our guys wrestled their hearts out", stated head coach Richard Fergola. "They are starting to peak and this is when we want them to. They are ready to defend their title in Sioux City.
The Vikings are off until the National Tournament on March 2 and 3 in Sioux City, Iowa. This is the 50th anniversary of the NAIA National Tournament, which will be held in the Tyson Events Center and Gateway Arena. Dana will look to defend its 2006 National Title against top ranked Lindenwood and second ranked Dickinson State.
Plc Score School
1 175.5 Dana College
2 167.0 Dickinson State U.
3 109.5 Morningside College
4 86.0 Northwestern College
5 79.0 Jamestown College
6 43.0 Dakota Wesleyan
7 38.0 Sioux Falls
8 26.0 Briar Cliff
Dana College Dominate All-Conference Team
Sioux City, Iowa ~The Great Plains Athletic Conference announced its first ever All-Conference wrestling team. Newly crowned Dana College landed five wrestlers in the first team, five on the second team, and one on the honorable mention team. The Vikings also walked away with wrestler-of-the-year and coach-of-the-year honors.
Dana College went 5-0 in regular season conference duals and put up 124.5 points in the conference wrestling tournament. 2006-2007 is the first year that the GPAC is offering wrestling as an official conference championship sport.
All five of the Vikings conference champions were named to the first team. Matt Jacobson (FR, Craig, NE), Terrence Almond (SR, Pelham, GA), Brian Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO), Dan Pray (SO, St. George, KS), and Wade Jordan (JR, Coulee City, WA) were named to the inaugural all-conference first team. Webster Farris (JR, Nebraska City, NE), Burke Barnes (JR, Lake Stevens, WA), Jesse Boggs (FR, Deming, NM), Ryan Tuzon (FR, Wailuku, HI), and Craig Trampe (SR, Ord, NE) were named to the second team. Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) made the honorable mention team.
Terrence Almond was also named the first ever GPAC Wrestler-of-the-year. The senior from Pelham, GA is closing in on Dana's all-time win and pin marks. Viking skipper Richard Fergola was named the GPAC Coach-of-the-Year in his first season.
The Vikings will be in action next weekend at Dickinson, N.D., when they take part in the NAIA Regional Tournament. The NAIA National Wrestling Tournament will be held in Sioux City, Iowa at the Tyson Event Center on March 2-3.
Dana College Clinch First GPAC Title
Mitchell, South Dakota ~ The Dana College Wrestling team made history Friday evening. The Vikings clinched the first ever "official" Great Plains Athletic Conference wrestling title. Dana completed a perfect regular season in dual action by stopping Dakota Wesleyan 26-16 on Friday evening.
Craig Trampe (SR, Ord, NE) got the Vikings started with a second period fall over Andrew Leggott at 4:44 at 125 pounds. Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) would earn an 8-0 major decision over Jordan Harer at 133 pounds. Dana would continue to pound away on DWU as Shawn Tsutsumi (SR, Kaneohe, HI) would defeat Ben Sevingy 4-1 at 141 pounds.
Clinton Dale (JR, Las Vegas, NV) was defeated at 149 pounds by Thomas Konenche 9-3 at 149 pounds. Dan Pray (SO, St. George, KS) put on a display of takedowns to earn a major decision 13-4 over Spencer Novotny at 157 pounds. Marcos Martinez (JR, Las Vegas, NM) would then step up from 157 pounds to take on Laird Klippenstein at 165 pounds. The weight difference gave Martinez a bit of trouble in the match. Marcos would score a reversal late in the match to score an 11-8 win for Dana. Josh Ghobadpoor (FR, Dahlonega, GA) would drop an 8-6 decision to Dakota Wesleyan's Blake Hodne in overtime at 174 pounds. The Vikings would forfeit at 184. Tony Palmer (JR, Dennison, OH) lost a major decision to Kyle Henderson 19-8 at 197 pounds. Jesse Boggs (FR, Deming, NM) would seal the title for the Vikings. Boggs would win by fall in 4:45 Derek Ashley at heavyweight.
Dana would move their overall record to 11-2 and a perfect 5-0 in conference duals. Wrestling was recognized by the GPAC this season as a championship sport. The Vikings had won all four "unofficial" GPAC tournaments previously held. Dana will finish their dual season Wednesday evening as they travel to Marshall, Missouri to take on ninth rated Missouri Valley College at 7:00pm. The Vikings will look to capture their first official GPAC tournament championship on February 10th in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Dana Downs Red Raiders and Come Up Short Against UNO
Blair, NE-- The Dana College wrestling program played host to back to back home duals on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Vikings took on GPAC foe Northwestern College who is currently ranked No. 12 in the NAIA. The Vikings would walk away with a 22-14 victory over the Red Raiders.
Freshman Matt Jacobson (Craig, NE), competing in his first varsity dual for the Vikings would score a major decision over Bill Frederick of Northwestern 20-8 at 125. Following up Jacobson, was junior Burke Barnes (Lake Stevens, WA) at 133. Barnes, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the country found himself in a battle with No. 6 ranked Jordan Keckler. Barnes would come from behind to defeat Keckler 10-8.
The Vikings would drop the next two matches to Northwestern at 141 and 149. Junior Jason Bilinski (Pittsgrove, NJ) got the Vikings back on track with a fall over Courtney Goodwin at 157. Following up Bilinski's fall would be another freshman Bulla Tuzon (Wailuku, HI) with a 7-3 decision over Lamar Reed at 165.
174 and 184 would go to the Red Raiders. At 197, junior Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) picked it back up again with 6-0 shut-out over Matt Leither. Freshman Jesse Boggs (Deming, NM) would finish off the Red Raiders with 13-9 decision over Andrew Lundgren who is currently ranked No. 4 at 197.
Following Friday's dual with Northwestern, the Vikings would find themselves hosting the three-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Mavericks of Nebraska-Omaha. With a capacity crowd on hand, the No. 2 rated Mavericks would claim seven of ten matches to down the NAIA champs 26-9.
At 125, senior Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) lost in overtime to Jimmy Ball 3-1. Junior Burke Barnes (Lake Stevens, WA) recorded a 13-7 decision over Jeff Rau. Senior Terrence Almond (Pelham, GA) continued his quest for the all-time career wins by claiming his 34th victory of the season and his 137th career victory. Almond is now only eight victories away from taking over the top spot set by Leister Bowling.
Freshman Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO) bumped up from 141 to take on No. 1 ranked Todd Meenely at 149. Graham scored a takedown late in the second period that took Meenely to his back, but was unable to keep him down for a possible fall. Meenely would win the match by technical fall.
The Mavericks would win the next five matches. At 165 pounds, freshman Bulla Tuzon (Wailuku, HI) was one takedown away from defeating No. 1 ranked Ross Taplin. With about 10 seconds left in regulation, Taplin led Tuzon 4-3 with 1:03 riding time. Tuzon was unable to score the takedown in the final seconds for the win and lost 5-3.
Freshman Jesse Boggs (Deming, NM) would finish off the night with a heavyweight victory for the Vikings by defeating No. 7 rated (NCAA Division II) Tony Lewis 3-2.
The Vikings will be back in action at home on Wednesday January 31st at 7:00 pm hosting NCAA Division II Augustana College (SD). Augustana is currently rated No. 14 in NCAA Division II. The dual will mark Dana's final home meet for the 2007 season and will be highlighted by "Senior Night". The Class of 2007 will be honored.
Dana College Takedown D-II Northern State
Blair, NE-- Fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2007 NWCA/NAIA National Dual Championships, the Vikings recorded their eighth dual win of the season by defeating NCAA Division II Northern State University on Wednesday night in Gardner-Hawks Center 42-6. With the victory, Dana moves their season dual record to 8-1.
Starting off the evening was senior Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) at 125 by claiming a fall over Corbin Surat. Senior Shawn Tsutsumi (Kaneohe, HI) would be handed a forfeit at 133 from Northern State. At 141, freshman sensation Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO) would continue his winning ways by recording a fall over Dave Schiley.
Junior Clinton Dale (Las Vegas, NM) would walk away with a win at 149 by defeating Dustin Bonn 10-8. The Vikings would drop a close decision at 157 with junior Marcos Martinez bumping up from 149 losing to Northern State's Phillip Downs 7-5. Sophomore Dan Pray would then bump up to 165 from 157 and lose in overtime to Shawn Lewis 9-7.
Freshman Josh Ghobadpoor (Dahlonega, GA) would add a fall to his record by pinning Northern State's Brunau Augustin. Junior Webster Farris (Nebraska City, NE) would get another forfeit from Northern State at 184. Junior Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) kept the victories in the Viking corner with a decision over Todd Naasz 7-4. Finishing off Northern State would be freshman Jesse Boggs (Deming, NM) pinning Jared Little at heavyweight.
The Vikings will be back in action this Saturday at the annual Northwestern Red Raider Invitational in Orange City, IA at 10:00 am. The Vikings have won the Red Raider Invite the past two seasons and are looking to keep the title.
WRESTLING DUAL MEET REPORT
Winning Team
Score
Losing Team
Score
Dana College
42
Northern State
6
Wt.
Winner (School)
Score
Loser
(School)
Score
125
Craig Trampe (D)
Fall
Corbin Surat (NSU)
1:28
133
Shawn Tsutsumi (D)
Win
OPEN
141
Brian Graham (D)
Fall
Dave Schiley (NSU)
1:05
149
Clinton Dale (D)
10
Dustin Bonn (NSU)
8
157
Phillip Downs (NSU)
7
Marcos Martinez (D)
5
165
Shawn Lenis (NSU)
9
Dan Pray (D)
7
174
Josh Ghobadpoor (D)
Fall
Brunau Augustin (NSU)
4:51
184
Webster Farris (D)
Win
Open
197
Wade Jordan (D)
7 Todd Naasz (NSU) 4
285
Jesse Boggs (D)
Fall
Jared Little (NSU)
4:23
Location:
Blair, Nebraska
Date:
1/17/2007
Dana's Dual Record:
8-1 (3-0)
Northern State Record:
1-5
Dana Brings Home Runner-Up Honors from National Duals
Cedar Falls- IA-- Defending NAIA NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals champion Dana College reached the finals of this weekends NWCA/NAIA National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA. The Vikings, who were the number six seed, coming into the tournament defeated McKendree College (IL) in its opening round match 25-18. Jason Bilinksi of Dana recorded a pin at 157 to help secure the Vikings win. Other first round winners were Craig Trampe (125), Burke Barnes (133), Terrence Almond (141), Bulla Tuzon (165), and Wade Jordan (197).
The Vikings would then square off against long-time rival William Penn University in the quarterfinals. The Statesmen, the number three seed, were coming off an opening round 44-6 win over Cumberland University. Dana would open up with three straight wins at 125, 133, and 141. Coach Richard Fergola would bump normal 141 pound wrestler, Terrence Almond, up to 149 pounds and wrestle freshman Brian Graham in his spot. Graham would come away with a major decision win 13-5 over Terrence Johnson of WPU. Almond was set to face No. 1 rated Darren Cotton at 149. Almond would drop a tightly contested 7-3 decision. The Vikings would put the match away by winning the last three weight classes and win 26-11, highlighted by Webster Farris defeating three-time All-American and No. 2 rated Abe Trujillo by a score of 11-4 and unrated Jesse Boggs defeating No. 3 rated Chauncey Coleman 6-5.
In the semi-finals, the Vikings would face No. 2 rated Embry-Riddle University. Senior Craig Trampe would drop a closely contested bout to No. 2 rated Richard Byrd 4-3. Junior Burke Barnes, rated No. 3 would get a victory by fall over No. 7 rated Franky Villescusa in :13 seconds. At 141 would be the battle of No. 2 rated Gordo Villescusa against No. 3 rated Terrence Almond. Almond would dominate the match and record a major decision 14-6. Bumping up from 141 would be freshman Brian Graham. Graham would defeat No. 6 rated Jason Mendez by a score of 7-4. Junior and No. 6 rated Jason Bilinski would fall behind to No. 1 rated Hayden Harrison early, but would come back in the third period to place Harrison on his back three times and nearly recording the fall, but fell short on time and lost 16-13. Bulla Tuzon lost by fall to No. 4 rated Calvin DeVault and freshman Josh Ghobadpoor lost 7-2 to Morgan Scott. No. 7 rated Webster Farris lost 7-1 to No. 2 rated Joffre Lander.
The Vikings would find themselves in familiar territory as they were once again in the National Duals finals facing No. 1 seed Lindenwood. Lindenwood was the No. 1 seed in 2006 and placed third behind the Vikings as well as at the National Tournament in Sioux City, IA. In a closely contested dual, the dual came down to the heavyweights. Losing 20-17 heading into the heavyweight match, the Vikings needed a decision victory from freshman Jesse Boggs to tie the dual and the Vikings would claim the title on criteria of most technical falls. Boggs would lose a close match with Lindenwood's Lance Shunia 6-4 and give the title to Lindenwood 23-17.
"I am very proud of this team and our coaching staff. Coming in as the sixth seed and coming that close to winning the championship again was a tribute to the effort that these young men put forth," stated Head coach Richard Fergola.
Dana College (Dana) 25 vs. McKendree College (McKend) 18
125 Craig Trampe (Dana) WBF FORFEIT F FOR
133 Bruke Barnes (Dana) WBD Mike Miller (McKend) D 4-2
141 Terrence Almond (Dana) WBD Levi Sisco (McKend) M 13-5
149 Josh Blackburn (McKend) WBF Clinton Dale (Dana) F 3:44
157 Jason Bilinski (Dana) WBF Aaron Winning (McKend) F 6:06
165 Bulla Tuzon (Dana) WBD Clay Weier (McKend) D 7-5
174 Brandon Wyms (McKend) WBD Josh Ghobadpoor (Dana) D 6-0
184 Tanner Wolk (McKend) WBF Webster Farris (Dana) F 4:43
197 Wade Jordan (Dana) WBD Ben Laux (McKend) D 5-1
285 Trevor Maloch (McKend) WBD Jesse Boggs (Dana) D 8-2
William Penn College (Will Penn) 11 vs. Dana College (Dana) 26
125 Craig Trampe (Dana) WBD Shamar Haynes (Will Penn) D 5-3
133 Burke Barnes (Dana) WBF Nick Cucciniello (Will Penn) F 1:27
141 Brain Graham (Dana) WBD Terence Johnson (Will Penn) M 12-4
149 Darren Cotton (Will Penn) WBD Terrence Almond (Dana) D 7-3
157 Jason Bilinski (Dana) WBD Brandon Graham (Will Penn) M 11-3
165 Nate Stirgus (Will Penn) WBD Bulla Tuzon (Dana) D 6-5
174 Marty Usman (Will Penn) WBD Josh Ghobadpoor (Dana) TF-5 15-0; 7;00
184 Webster Farris (Dana) WBD Abel Trujillp (Will Penn) D 11-4
197 Wade Jordan (Dana) WBD Jorge Ortiz (Will Penn) D 4-3
285 Jesse Boggs (Dana) WBD Chauncey Coleman (Will Penn) D 6-5
Dana College (Dana) 24 vs. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Emb Rid) 18
125 Richard Byrd (Emb Rid) WBD Craig Trampe (Dana) D 4-3
133 Burke Barnes (Dana) WBF Franky Villaescusa (Emb Rid) F 0:13
141 Terrence Almond (Dana) WBD Gordo Villaescusa (Emb Rid) M 14-6
149 Brian Graham (Dana) WBD Jason Mendez (Emb Rid) D 7-4
157 Hayden Harrison (Emb Rid) WBD Jason Bilinski (Dana) D 16-13
165 Calvin DeVault (Emb Rid) WBF Bulla Tuzon (Dana) F 2:14
174 Morgan Scott (Emb Rid) WBD Josh Ghobadpoor (Dana) D 7-2
184 Joffre Lander (Emb Rid) WBD Webster Farris (Dana) D 7-1
197 Wade Jordan (Dana) WBF FORFEIT F FOR
285 Jesse Boggs (Dana) WBF FORFEIT F FOR
Finals
1st Place 140
Lindenwood University (Lind) 23 vs. Dana College (Dana) 17
125 Dennis Kakrah (Lind) WBD Craig Trampe (Dana) D 3-1
133 Burke Barnes (Dana) WBD Jon Lloyd (Lind) TF-5 21-6; 6;07
141 Terrence Almond (Dana) WBD Caleb Lockyer (Lind) D 7-6
149 Mark Dickman (Lind) WBD Brian Graham (Dana) M 12-3
157 Jason Bilinski (Dana) WBD Mike O'Hara (Lind) D 10-5
165 Jake Dieffenbach (Lind) WBF Bulla Tuzon (Dana) F 1:07
174 Jon Salter (Lind) WBD Josh Ghobadpoor (Dana) M 11-3
184 Kyle Frawley (Lind) WBD Webster Farris (Dana) D 10-6
197 Wade Jordan (Dana) WBF Josh McGrotty (Lind) DEF
285 Lance Shunia (Lind) WBD Jesse Boggs (Dana) D 6-4
Dana Adds Four More Signings
Blair, NE-- Dana College Head Wrestling Coach Richard Fergola announced the signings of four new signees, bringing their current recruiting class to seven. Coming off the 2006 NAIA National Championship, the Vikings and head coach Richard Fergola are looking to continue their strong recruiting classes. The Vikings recorded the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 Non-Division I recruiting classes in the past three years as rated by Wrestling USA magazine.
"I am so excited about the addition of these four young men as they will fit in very well in our program and all have very bright futures as Dana student/athletes", states head coach Richard Fergola.
Heading this batch of recruits for the Vikings will be Jeremiah Barkac. Jeremiah hails from the state of Maine where he has compiled an undefeated high school career record of 143-0 and three state championships. Jeremiah is currently 25-0 in his senior season at Dexter Regional High School and will be seeking his fourth state title and finish his career undefeated. Jeremiah has also been successful on the national scene by claiming All-American honors twice at the prestigious Cadet/Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND, placing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Jeremiah is currently ranked No. 23 among the nation's top seniors as rated by Wrestling USA magazine. Jeremiah will compete for the Vikings at 125 lbs.
Kyle Grape from Lansing, KS has made Dana College his choice in the fall. Grape is a three-time state placer for Lansing High School. Grape placed 4th as a freshman and reached the finals as a sophomore and junior winning the state championship as a sophomore. Grape also placed 2nd at the Brute Nationals and holds a career record of 105-13. Grape will look to compete at 149 lbs for the Vikings.
The second half of this group is two quality junior college transfers that should prove beneficial right away for the Vikings. Adam Manz and Travous DeGrout will continue their college wrestling careers at Dana College. Manz, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, IA, the defending NJCAA National Champions, will be looking to compete at 149 lbs for Coach Fergola. Manz is originally from Council Bluffs, IA where he was a two-time state placer claiming runner-up honors as a senior.
DeGrout will be coming to Dana from Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. Travous was an NJCAA National qualifier in 2006. As a prep-star in New Mexico, Travous was a three-time state placer, placing 1st, 2nd, and 5th. DeGrout is currently ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA and currently coming off the Colby Tournament of Champions title at 184 lbs.
Barkac, Grape, Manz and DeGrout will join Kendall Burke (Ray-Pec, MO), Keaton Taylor (Silver Lake, KS) and Matt Mueller (Malcolm, NE) in the 2007-08 recruiting class. "All seven of these athletes exemplify the Dana College student/athlete and will assist Dana College in continuing the tradition of excellence in wrestling," said head coach Richard Fergola.
Dana College Prepares for National Duals
Blair, NE-- The 2007 Dana College Viking wrestling program is back in full swing now after the holiday break. The Vikings recently hosted the annual Ron Beaman/Dana Open on January 6th. The Dana program and head coach Richard Fergola utilized the home tournament as a preparation process for the upcoming NWCA/NAIA National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA.
Five Vikings placed in the Dana Open with senior Terrence Almond leading the way. Almond finished the day with a 5-0 record and claimed his fourth tournament title of the season which ties him for the most tournament titles in a season. Almond is now 26-1 on the season and is fifteen victories away from tying the all-time career wins held by Leister Bowling. Almond claimed the title as Dana freshman Brian Graham reached the finals but the match was not wrestled. Brian Graham has now placed in four tournaments on the year, reaching the finals in two of them. En route to the finals, Graham defeated two University of Missouri wrestlers in Vince Hannon 2-0 and Amond Prater 8-7.
Senior Craig Trampe reached the finals with a 1-0 victory over Missouri Valley All-American Billy Exline. Trampe fell short of the tournament title with a loss to University of Missouri's Tony Pescaglia. At 157, Dan Pray finished the day in fourth place.
Junior Wade Jordan ranked sixth in the country capped off the day with a third place finish at 197 pounds. En route to his third place finish, Jordan defeated three Missouri Valley wrestlers in a row including Jeff Cobb who was a 2004 Olympian by a score of 2-1. Jordan then finished off another Missouri Valley opponent in Wade Empting 6-1.
Juniors and two of the four team captains, Burke Barnes and Webster Farris pulled out of the tournament with minor injuries. Barnes was 2-0 and Farris was 2-1 before pulling out.
The Vikings will be in action this weekend at the NWCA National Duals held at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. Dana is the defending duals champion and will head into the duals as the tournament's sixth seed. Action will get underway for the Vikings at 11:00 am on Saturday January 13th against McKendree College.
Dana Spoils Sioux Falls Home Opener
Sioux Falls, SD—The 1-0 Dana College Vikings put a damper on the home opener for the University of Sioux Falls on Friday December 8th, as the No. 8 ranked Dana Vikings defeated Sioux Falls 46-3. Sioux Falls forfeited at 133 and 149 and the Vikings claimed seven of eight weight classes wrestled on the evening.
Starting the Vikings off was 2006 All-American Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) at 125 defeating Chris Strand 11-4. At 133, the Vikings received a forfeit. At 141, freshman sensation Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO) won 14-7 over Eric Engberg. Sioux Falls forfeited again at 149 to Clinton Dale of Dana. Junior Jason Bilinski (Pittsgrove, NJ) recorded the first fall of the evening at 157 over Koln Fink.
Red-shirt freshman Bulla Tuzon won by injury default over Brett Jarman at 165 pounds. Tuzon was winning the bout by one point and starting in the down position in the third period when the official called the match. At 174, freshman Josh Ghobadpoor (Dahlonega, GA) dropped a 2-0 decision to Sioux Falls’s Derrick Pomranky. Recording two more falls for the Vikings were juniors Webster Farris (Nebraska City, NE) and Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) at 184 and 197. Farris won by fall over Brock Nelson, while Jordan pinned Chris McKinney. Finishing out the dual was heavyweight Jesse Boggs getting a major decision over Clint Whitley.
The Dana Vikings were also in action in Kearney, NE at the annual Kearney Open. Highlighting the day for the Vikings was senior Terrence Almond (Pelham, GA). Almond, a three-time All-American won the 141 pound division with three falls and a major decision in the finals. Almond defeated former UNK standout Adam Keiswetter in the finals 14-7.
The Vikings will be in action this weekend for back to back home duals on Friday December 15th and Saturday December 16th before heading into the Christmas Break. The Vikings will host the Chargers of Briar Cliff on Friday for “Prep Night” where all local wrestling clubs, middle and high school wrestling programs are welcome to attend the dual for free. The dual with Briar Cliff is slated for a 7:00 pm start. On Saturday December 16th, the Vikings will host Morningside College at 1:00 pm.
Dana 46 University of Sioux Falls 3
125- Craig Trampe (Dana) dec. Chris Strand (USF) 11-4
133- Teddy Gillespie (Dana) wins by forfeit
141- Brian Graham (Dana) dec. Eric Engberg (USF) 14-7
149- Clinton Dale (Dana) wins by forfeit
157- Jason Bilinski (Dana) wbf over Koln Fink 6:15
165- Bulla Tuzon (Dana) wins by inj. Default over Brett Jarman (USF)
174- Derrick Pomranky (USF) dec. Josh Ghobadpoor (Dana) 2-0
184- Webster Farris (Dana) wbf over Brock Nelson (USF) 1:58
197- Wade Jordan (Dana) wbf over Chris McKinney (USF) 3:35
285- Jesse Boggs (Dana) maj. Dec. Clint Whitley (USF) 17-5
Sioux City to Host Collegiate All-Star Challenge
Some of the finest college wrestlers from around the country are set to compete in the inaugural Collegiate All-Star Challenge on Saturday, December 30, 2006. The event will feature clashes between top-ranked wrestlers from NCAA Division II and Division III, the NAIA and the nation's Junior Colleges in each of ten weight classes.
Four returning national champions and four number one-ranked wrestlers head the line-up for the 7:00 p.m. start at the Long Lines Center (adjacent to the Tyson Events Center) in Sioux City, IA.
Match-ups confirmed at this time include (individual ranking in parentheses):
133 pounds: (2) Jestin Hulegaard - Buena Vista vs. (3) Burke Barnes - Dana
141 pounds: (3) Terrance Almond - Dana vs. (4) Chris Frejie - Western State
149 pounds: (1) Mark Dickman - Lindenwood vs. (1) Mikel Delk - Ft. Hays State
165 pounds: (1) Jake Dieffenbach - Lindenwood vs. (6) Blake Peterson - Truman State
197 pounds: (2) Nate Buys - Augustana vs. ('05 NAIA Champion) Jesse Laber - Mary
285 pounds: (1) Sam Sand - Jamestown vs. (3) Andrew Ubben - Ft. Hays State
Other wrestlers slated to participate include: (1) Jasper Lockett - Missouri Valley, (1) Andrew Lacroix - Roger Williams, (2) Abel Trujillo - William Penn, (3) Joe Soto - Iowa Central, (3) Austin Scarset - Augustana and (5) Cody Henriksen - Augustana.
"The response by the national
wrestling community to this event has been phenomenal. What a fantastic way for wrestling fans to honor these great athletes for their hard work and dedication to the sport," stated Tim Tushla, Event Director. "The Siouxland area has provided tremendous support for wrestling and we expect nothing less for the Collegiate All-Star Challenge."
All tickets are general admission and will be available only at the door. Adult tickets are $10 and children under age 12 are $5.
Dana Inks Three Recruits
Blair, NE-Dana College, the 2006 NAIA National Champions and head coach Richard Fergola announced the early signing of three prep stars to
national letters of intent for the 2007-08 season. The Vikings have compiled a three-peat of top five Non-Division I recruiting classes since 2004. Dana has claimed the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 recruiting classes as ranked by Wrestling USA magazine. The 2007-08 class is off to a great start.
Keaton Taylor (Silver Lake, KS), Matt Mueller (Malcolm, NE), and Kendall Burke (Raymore, MO) have committed to the Viking wrestling program. "These three young men epitomize what we are looking for in a student-athlete," said head coach, Richard Fergola.
Keaton Taylor comes from a storied program at Silver Lake High School in Silver Lake, KS. Taylor recently won a state championship in football for the Eagles and will now vie for an individual state wrestling title in Class 3-2-1A. Taylor is a three-time state place-winner for Head Coach Harry
Lamar and the Eagles, placing 4th, 6th and 4th respectively. Taylor most importantly carries over a 3.5 G.P.A. Taylor will compete at 133 or 141 for the Vikings.
Matt Mueller is a native Nebraskan competing out of Malcolm High School in Malcolm, NE. Mueller is a Nebraska state qualifier, but is yet another high academic student/athlete with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. Mueller will major in Sports Management at Dana College and compete at 157.
Finally, hailing from Ray-Pec High School in Peculiar, MO is Kendall Burke. Burke is another two sport athlete that was part of a state championship football team this season and will be looking for his third individual state wrestling title claiming the championship in 2006 and 2005. Burke is currently ranked No. 19 among the nation's top seniors as rated by Wrestling USA magazine and is a Top 200 recruit as
rated by Intermat. Burke will compete at 149 or 157 for the Vikings.
"These three young men will add tremendous talent and work ethic to our institution as well as our wrestling program," said head coach Richard Fergola. I am very excited to have them become part of our program and look forward tooutstanding things from them."
Young Dana Team Places Second at Simpson Invitational
Indianola, IA-- Senior/junior captains Burke Barnes (Lake Stevens, WA) and Terrence Almond (Pelham, GA) captured individual titles at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to pace the No. 12-ranked Dana college Vikings to second place (144 points) at
the Simpson College Invitational, which concluded Saturday (Dec. 2) behind 1st place Wartburg College who is currently ranked No. 1 in the country in NCAA Division III and are the defending National Champions. Fellow junior Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) claimed the individual title at 197 pounds joining the two captains on the top of the podium. The Vikings had eleven total place-winners out of the 15 member team.
Senior captain Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) reached the finals at 125, but fell short of the title losing to Robert Struthers of Wartburg College 9-4. Freshman Matt Jacobson (Craig, NE) did not place at 125 pounds despite going 4-2 on the day. Freshman Eric Graham (Kansas City, MO) competing at 133, pinned his way to semi-finals, only to meet team-mate Burke Barnes, but Graham came back through the consolation rounds to finish third. Graham was unseeded but
recorded victories over the No.4, No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 seeds. Sophomore Brett Brandl (Madison, NE) finished sixth in the same weight class.
Joining senior Terrence Almond as a place-winner at 141 pounds, was freshman Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO). Fresh off a runner-up finish at the prestigious UNO Open, Brian Graham finished fifth in a tough weight class. At 149, junior Clinton Dale (Las Vegas, NM) competed in the varsity line-up for the first time as a Viking. Dale completed the day with fourth place finish recording defeats over the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds.
At 157, junior Jason Bilinski (Pittsgrove, NJ) coming in as the No. 5 seed pinned his way into the semi-finals eventually falling to the No. 1 seed Jacob Malone of St. Johns, MN and finished fourth on the day. Sophomore Dan Pray (St. George, KS) competed in this weight as well finishing
the day 3-2.
Freshman Bulla Tuzon (Wailuku, HI) unseeded, finished third at 165 pounds only losing to the eventual runner-up. Another freshman, Josh Ghobadpoor (Dahlonega, GA) finished the day with a 3-2 record and did not place. Junior captain Webster Farris (Nebraska City, NE) wrestled his way to a third place finish at 184 pounds.
Finally at heavyweight, freshman Jesse Boggs (Deming, NM) lost in the semi-finals to Wartburg's Brian Borchers and eventually settled for a fourth place finish.
The Vikings will be back in action when they travel to the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota to take on USF on Friday December 8th at 7:00 pm. Another Viking group will travel to Kearney for the annual Kearney Open on Saturday December 9th. Other events coming up are the back to back home duals on December 15 and 16. December 15th
is titled "Prep Night" and will feature Dana College vs. Briar Cliff University at 7:00 pm. On Saturday December 16th, the Vikings will host Morningside College at 1:00 pm.
Dana College Competes at Harold Nichols
Fort Dodge, IA-- The Vikings competed in the prestigious Harold Nichols Open Saturday on the campus of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, IA. The open consisted of four of the five national championship teams from 2006, Division II Nebraska-Omaha, Division III Wartburg, NAIA Dana College and host and NJCAA National Champions Iowa Central CC.
Joining the field was Iowa State, Iowa, South Dakota
State, William Penn University, Northern Iowa, Buena Vista, Nebraska, Ellsworth CC, and Kansas Newman. The tournament was action packed and the Vikings faired very well among some of the nation's top competition.
Leading the way for the Vikings was senior Terrence Almond. Almond, coming off his first open championship last weekend at the Daktronics Open at South Dakota State University competed in a stacked 141 pound weight bracket. Almond received the No. 2 seed despite the presence of many highly ranked Division I wrestlers. Almond finished the day with a 5-1 record and a third place honor. En route, Almond defeated Jeff Slaughter from the University of Nebraska by fall. Earl Robinson of William Penn was Almonds next foe whom fell 11-4. Moving onto the quarter-finals Almond faced and defeated University of Nebraska-Omaha's Yasim Bribieseca 3-1 in overtime. In the
semi-finals, Almond took on Mitch Mueller of Iowa State. Mueller is currently ranked No. 20 in Division I. Mueller narrowly defeated Almond by a score of 4-3.
In the consolation rounds, Almond won by injury default over Zach McCray of Wartburg. In the consolation finals, Almond finished the day with a huge win over C.J. Ettelson of Northern Iowa 3-2. Ettleson was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and is currently ranked No. 8 in the country in Division I. Almond is now 10-1 on the year.
The only other Dana Viking making the semi-finals was heavyweight Jesse Boggs. Boggs met up with Blake Gillis of Wartburg in the semi-finals. Boggs finished the day 3-2 and one match away from placing. Wade Jordan fell to eventual tournament champion and No. 8 ranked Kurt Backes of Iowa State in the quarter-finals 7-5. Jordan lost a close decision to Andrew Anderson of
Northern Iowa 8-5 in the consolation semi-finals finishing one match from placing. Jordan did defeat a pair of former Nebraska prep stars along the way. In the consolation rounds, Jordan racked up victories over former Plattsmouth star and current Nebraska freshman Cameron Browne 11-5. Jordan also defeated for Omaha-Skutt state champion and current Nebraska freshman Nick Schaffer 4-1.
The Vikings will continue action this Friday and Saturday. Friday the Vikings will open up their dual competition by hosting NAIA Oklahoma City University on November 17th at 7:00 pm in Gardner-Hawks Center. On Saturday November 18th, the Vikings will join the other four national championships teams from 2006 at the annual Kaufman-Brand Open at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Wrestling starts at 9:00 am.
Border Brawl Set for March
9th
Dana Sports Information
Blair, NE- In 2006, the Nebraska and Iowa wrestling communities witnessed the birth of the Border Brawl. The event showcased the states' best seniors pitted in a dual format held at Dana College in Blair, NE. Blair, NE is a stone's throw over the border between Iowa and Nebraska and turned out to be an excellent location for this first annual event.
Blair, NE and Dana College, the 2006 NAIA National Champions are slated to once again host the Border Brawl on March 9, 2007. Originally the Border Brawl was going to rotate to Sioux City, IA and hosted by Morningside College. Due to the date of the event and other events being hosted in the Sioux City area, the Border Brawl will be showcased once again at Dana College.
Last year's event drew a crowd of approximately 700 into the Gardner-Hawks Center to watch Iowa defeat Nebraska by a score of 46-15. Iowa won 11 of the 16 matches wrestled. 19 nationally ranked wrestlers as rated by Wrestling USA magazine competed in the first event. Each state was represented by four coaches.
Takedown Wrestling Radio was on hand broadcasting the event live via web cast. There were athlete interviews as well coaches and directors of the event. College coaches from all over the area were on hand to see some of the nation's top recruit's battle in what hopes to become a fun rivalry between the bordering states.
All of the proceeds from the Border Brawl go to help support NAIA college programs Dana College (NE) and Morningside College (IA). Event directors for the Border Brawl are Dana College Head Coach Richard Fergola and Morningside College Head Coach Tim Jager. "We are excited to be able to offer the Border Brawl again in 2007, "said Head Dana Coach Richard Fergola. "The event promotes wrestling in the area and creates excitement for the wrestling community." Morningside College Head Coach Tim Jager has to agree with his colleague Coach Fergola. "Last years Border Brawl was a huge success. It was a great showcase of some of the best high school wrestlers, not only in Iowa and Nebraska, but in the country. The 2006 Border Brawl was the first ever "Iowa vs. Nebraska" dual meet and it will continue to grow and draw interest."
In addition to the return of the Border Brawl on March 9th, the Dana Vikings will also continue to host the annual Black & Blue 2 Freestyle & Greco
Tournament. 2007 will
mark the third year for this event which attracts approximately 100-150 participants. The Black & Blue 2 will be held on Saturday April 14, 2007 in Gardner-Hawks
Center at Dana College. Lastly, 2007 will also mark the 3rd year of the Quest 4 Gold Summer Wrestling Camp at Dana. This year's camp will be held June 10-15, 2007. Past feature clinicians at the Quest 4 Gold Camp were Rulon Gardner and Tom Brands, both Olympic Champions. The 2007 feature clinician will be named soon.
Dana Announces Red & White Classic Wrestle-Offs
Blair, NE Danas wrestling Head Coach Richard Fergola announced today that the annual Red & White Classic wrestle-offs will be held this Friday October 20th at 7:00 pm in the Gardner-Hawks Center. The defending NAIA National Champions will be looking to replace a record setting line-up that went into the history books as the highest scoring team in NAIAs 50 years of wrestling championships.
The Vikings held their annual Team Trials on Saturday October 14th at the Gardner-Hawks Center. This event is held just like a challenge tournament in which brackets are set-up and the finalists earn the right to compete in the Red & White Classic this Friday to see who will claim the top spot in their weight.
The three returning All-Americans for Dana were exempt from the Team Trials and await the winner of the challenge tournament. Craig Trampe (125), Burke Barnes (133) and Terrence Almond (141) all sat out of the challenge tournament, but will take on the winners of the tournament on Friday in the Red & White.
The Red & White Classic will also feature four honorary coaches for the event. This year marks the third year that the Red & White Classic will feature honorary coaches. This years coaches are Ron Beaman, Perry Mostek, Steve Hansen and Pete Isham. Beaman is a former head coach of the Vikings for almost 20 years. Mostek is a Dana wrestling alumni and All-American and Wrestler of the Year for the Vikings in 1999.
Steve Hansen is the father of current Dana wrestler Chancy Hansen. Mr. Hansen and his wife Debbie have been major supporters of the Dana Wrestling program. Hansen wrestled at the University of Iowa and also hosts the Viking wrestling team on his ranch in Valentine, NE for the annual Team Retreat. Pete Isham is also a Dana wrestling alumni and is the current Assistant Coach at Millard North High School in Omaha.
Spectators will also get a chance to meet the new Vikings which were considered the No. 2 Non-Division I recruiting class in the country by Wrestling USA magazine. Following the Red & White Classic on Saturday October 21st will be the annual Fall Wrestling Clinic. Feature clinician will be 1992 Olympic Champion, 2x World Champion and current U.S. Head Freestyle coach Kevin Jackson as well as the Dana College National Champion athletes and coaching staff. The clinic registration begins at 8:00 am with the clinic starting at 9:00 am.
For the Red & White Classic line-ups, see below:
2006 Dana College Wrestling Red & White Classic
Line-Ups
Weight White TeamRed Team
125 Craig Trampe, Sr. Ty Costa, Fr.
133 Burke Barnes, Jr. Eric Graham, Fr.
141Terrence Almond, Sr. Brian Graham, Fr.
149 Clinton Dale, Jr. Marcos Martinez, Jr.
157 Jason Bilinski, Jr. Dan Pray, Jr.
165 Bula Tuzon, R-Fr.Jordan Davis, Fr.
174Josh Ghobadpoor, Fr.Ross Milam, So.
184Webster Farris, Jr. Jon Wilbourne, Fr.
197 Wade Jordan, Jr. John Schmalz, Fr.
285 Jesse Boggs, R-Fr. Shawn Gach, R-Fr
Coaches:Ron Beaman, Steve Hansen, Perry Mostek, Pete Isham