By Alex Peitz
The Grand View wrestling team will host the Central National Qualifying tournament this Saturday at the Johnson Wellness Center here in Des Moines starting at 9 am. Fourteen teams will be competing for spots at the national tournament including, 8th ranked Missouri Valley, 10th ranked Oklahoma City, and 8th ranked Missouri Valley. Wrestlers will be vying for their own spot for the National Tournament this year which will be held in Topeka, Kansas March 6-7th.
The Grand View Vikings competing tomorrow are: #1 ranked Ryak Finch at 125. #5 Jacob Colon at 133, #1 Brandon Wright at 141, #1 Gustavo Martinez and #8th ranked Elijah Sullivan at 149, #1 Dallas Houchins and #7 ranked Grant Henderson at 157, #2 Jimmie Schuessler at 165, #2 Thomas Moman at 174, #2 Christian Mays at 184, and #4 and #5 ranked Dean Broghammer and Jake Laden at heavyweight.
What to Watch For :
1) Ryak Finch will look to keep his streak of not losing in a Grand View singlet alive.
2) At 133 pounds we will probably see returning national champ Bryce Shoemaker and Jacob Colon go at it again. They are 1-1 in the year against each other.
3) At 149 pounds Missouri Valleys Jake Ekster (2nd) will likely square off against Ellijah Sullivan (8th) for the second time of the season (Ekster won 5-1) before either can get to top ranked Gustavo Martinez. Sullivan and Martinez had a good match in the Johnson Center for the GV Open Finals a few weeks ago, with Martinez winning 4-3.
4) The 157 bracket. Four top ten wrestlers will be competing at this weight: Grand Views Houchins (1st) and Henderson (7th) along with Andrew Simmons (6th) of Missouri Valley and Oklahoma City’s Zach Skates (8th)
5) At 165, Viking Jimmie Schuessler will likely see 5th ranked Ricky McCarthy of Oklahoma City in the finals. Schuessler beat him earlier in the year in Vegas.
6) Grand View will likely have two heavy weights in the finals who haven’t wrestled each other all year.
Full List of Teams
1. Bacone College (OK)
2. Baker College (KS)
3. Benedictine College (KS)
4. Bethany College (KS)
5. Central Baptist (AR)
6. Grand View
7. Hannibal- LeGrange (MO)
8. Lyon College
9. Missouri Baptist
10. Missouri Valley
11. Oklahoma City
12. Ottowa (KS)
13. Wayland Baptist (TX)
14. Williams Baptist (AR)