Clackamas CC edges Ellsworth on criteria for NWCA National Duals title

Clackamas Community College of Oregon City, Ore., needed the fourth criteria level to break an 18-18 final deadlock and capture a third straight NWCA National Duals championship in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament as the Cougars benefitted from scoring more near-fall points than Ellsworth (Iowa), Jan. 9, in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

The final outcome needed to go to a fourth criteria as both schools tied in the first criteria of most individual bouts won (five by each school), second criteria of most bonus victories (as each school scored a fall) and the third criteria of total points scored (which was still tied).

Clackamas was ranked only No. 6 prior to the Nationals Duals before the Cougars defeated Triton, 47-1, and edged No. 5 Iowa Western, 16-15 in the quarterfinals with the deciding point coming off Brandon Johnson’s 14-0 major decision against Stephen Boone at heavyweight. This set up a semifinal matchup with top-ranked NE Oklahoma, which the Cougars won 26-10 by capturing seven individual wins, including Chrisopher Garcia’s pin against Dustin Hayden in 3:59 in the 149-pound bout.

In the championship dual, Ellsworth dropped two of its ranked wrestlers — Matthew Rodriguez-Kirkland and Sadarris Patterson — down a weight to earn victories at 157 and 165 before Jordan Gundrum stunned sixth-ranked Tommy Brewster with a pin in 5:33 at 174 pounds to give Ellsworth a 15-12 lead with three bouts left.

Clackamas came back to lead 18-15 by winning two straight matches, including eight-ranked Haszell West’s 7-2 upset over No. 2 DeAndre Jones at 184. Ellsworth forced an 18-18 deadlock when No. 4 Dalonte Holland upset No. 1 Brandon Johnson at heavyweight.

NWCA Multi-Division National Duals • Jan. 8-9 • Ft. Wayne, Ind.

NJCAA Tournament Results

First Round

No. 4 Iowa Central defeated NW Kansas Tech, 30-3

Harper College (Ill.) defeated No. 13 Colby (Kan.), 29-19

No. 2 Ellsworth (Iowa) defeated Labette (Kan.), 38-4

No. 12 Western Wyoming defeated No. 3 Muskegon (Mich.), 25-21

No. 6 Clackamas (Ore.) defeated Triton (Ill.), 47-1

No. 5 Iowa Western defeated No. 17 Mercyhurst NE (Pa.), 46-6

No. 7 Iowa Lakes defeated Neosho (Kan.), 43-8

No. 1 NE Oklahoma A&M defeated No. 14 Northwest (Wyom.), 35-10

Quarterfinals

Iowa Central defeated Harper, 42-6

Ellsworth defeated Western Wyoming, 31-9

Clackamas defeated Iowa Western, 16-15

NE Oklahoma A&M defeated Iowa Lakes, 30-20

Semifinals

Ellsworth defeated Iowa Central, 21-18

Clackamas defeated NE Oklahoma A&M, 26-10

Championship

Clackamas defeated Ellsworth, 18-18, 4^th criteria

3^rd-Place Match

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M defeated Iowa Central, 25-12

5^th-Place Match

Iowa Lakes defeated Western Wyoming, 38-7

7^th-Place Match

Iowa Western defeated Harper, 40-9

NJCAA Championship Dual — No. 6 Clackamas (Oregon) 18, No. 2 Ellsworth (Iowa) 18 (criteria)

125 — DeVaughn Sapien (Clackamas) dec. No. 7 Tepra Wright, 8-3

133 — No. 2 Michael Knoblauch (Clackamas) dec. Blake Walker, 6-1

141 — No. 3 Bobby Alexander (Ellsworth) dec. Zechariah Bresser, 6-3

149 — Christopher Garcia (Clackamas) pinned Marcus Thompson, 5:50

157 — No. 2 (165) Matthew Rodriguez-Kirkland (Ellsworth) dec. John Leal, 7-2

165 — No. 2 (174) Sadarriss Patterson (Ellsworth) dec. Brendan Harkey, 10-5

174 — Jordan Gundrum (Ellsworth) pinned No. 6 (165) Tommy Brewster, 5:33

184 — No. 8 Haszell West (Clackamas) dec. No. 2 De`Andre Jones, 7-2

197 — No. 2 John Morin (Clackamas) over Terry Martin, 6-0

Hwt — No. 4 Dalonte Holland (Ellsworth) No. 1 over Brandon Johnson, 5-2