COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — At the beginning of the 2020-2021 season, Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) Head Coach Art Castillo said that the team that best handles adversity and can maneuver the challenges of COVID-19 would win the national title this year.
The Mustangs are out to prove that statement this week.
WWCC, ranked third in the nation, heads to the NJCAA National Championships this week, which are set to begin Wednesday morning and conclude on Thursday night with the championship matches.
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The Mustangs qualified all 10 weight divisions this year, giving them an upper hand at a national title. WWCC will be just one team looking to knock off No. 1 ranked Clackamas who returns to the tournament as two-time national champions.
For eight of the 10 WWCC wrestlers going to this year’s championships, this will be their first taste of the bright lights. Out of those 10, six are freshmen and four are sophomores.
Anthony Herrera and Andrew Nicholson are the only returning wrestlers who grappled in Iowa last season. Both Herrera and Nicholson are returning as All-Americans seeking to add a national title to their WWCC legacies.
Herrera is heading into the tournament as the highest seed for the Mustangs. He is a number two seed in the 157 division. In the first round, he will wrestle Jeremy Pullen from Joliet Community College.
Caleb Nathan and Mason Christiansen are number three seeds in the 141 and 174 divisions respectively.
Collin Smith, Andrew Nicholson and Tyler Scheurn are fourth seeds. Smith will represent the Mustangs in the 165 division while Nicholson will compete in the 184 division and Scheurn in the 197 division.
Going into the tournament as fifth seeds are Garrett Ricks, Destin Summers and Wyatt Kearns. Ricks will hit the mats with the 125 division, Summers with the 133 division and Kearns with the 285 division.
If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that this year’s team is hungry to compete, which will make for an entertaining two days in Iowa this week.
SweetwaterNOW’s Brayden Flack will be covering the Mustangs live from the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa this week. Stay tuned for coverage on our website and social media pages.
