Another super tough conference within the NAIA, the Heart of America Conference tournament will take place this upcoming weekend in Oskaloosa, Iowa, hosted by William Penn. Last year, the HOACC produced 14 NAIA All Americans. 7 of those All Americans are back, including two national champions & two runner-ups.
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| 125 lbs |
Wins over Hunter Sparks of Eastern Oregon, as well as Brandon Orum of Life, Reeves has more than earned his top ranking within the NAIA. A runner-up finish to a DI opponent at the Grand View Open, he won the Oppenheim Invitational. I don't see anyone coming remotely close to him here in the HOAAC. I will say though, I believe his finals opponent may very well be Jose Gonzalez of Dickinson State. The California native has looked tough at various times, including a R12 finish at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
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| 133 lbs |
It absolutely dumbfounds me how locked and loaded the Vikings always seem to be at every weight class. Are we to see an all Grand View final here at 133 lbs? I'd bet on it. An HOAAC champion last season & 2nd in the NAIA nation, Carson Taylor looks to take all as the season comes to an end. A Grand View Open champion, among NCAA DI competition he took home 3rd at the RENO tournament of champions. Right there with him fighting him in the room & hoping to knock him off in a town I spent many pee-wee wrestling practices in, is Jackson Cockrell. It was gold for the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native as he won both the Oppenheim Invitational as well as the Missouri Valley Invitational earlier this season.
As we look at the rest of the bracket, Haden Hernandez of Missouri Valley looks to be a strong candidate for 3rd & I wouldn't dare overlook Lane Scorpil of William Penn. The sophomore was an NAIA qualifier for the now defunct Iowa Wesleyan Tigers last season. Heartbreaking to see the up and coming program with so much potential go out in such a sleazy way, but that's how life is at times. Scorpil was welcome with open arms by Coach Scott and staff, and looks to nab Q number two this weekend.
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| 141 lbs |
I can see this being a rather competitive weight class with some tough wrestlers all gunning to walk out of Oskaloosa this weekend with a HOAAC title. Donovan Parn of Missouri Valley has proven that going smaller isn't always the answer in this great sport. 5th in the HOAAC last season competing at 133 lbs, he's as far as the rankings are concerned the forerunner for a title. He was recently 4th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Hot on his trail will be Graceland's Jackson Wenberg who was 2nd here a year ago. Winner of the Coe Invitational, he was 5th at both the Oppenheim as well as the Missouri Valley Invitational.
I have to say, I for one am taken aback by Edrich Nortje of Dickinson State. Not only has he wrestled well enough to earn a ranking above the top twenty in the NAIA, he is also an assistant coach for the women's wrestling team! I didn't even know that schools allowed someone to still be competing at the collegiate level, while still wrestling themselves. I think that's a story worth sharing. Also in this bracket is Nortje's tough teammate Taylor Tugg, who took 7th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Then of course what is a weight class without mentioning someone from Grand View? Tony Mendoza was one match shy of a top 8 showing at the Mo Val himself.
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| 149 lbs |
Truth to be known, if the NCAA DI tournament allowed NAIA wrestlers to compete within it, Blake Gonzalez of Grand View might even contend for All American honors. I believe his only loss this season is to Casey Swiderski of Iowa State in the Grand View Open Finals & he beat a number of ranked DI wrestlers in route to winning the RENO tournament of Champions earlier this season. An HOACC champion last year & 3rd in the NAIA nation, he'll contend for another conference title this weekend.
And as good as Gonzalez is, it will NOT be a shoe-in! Chase Zollman of Missouri Valley will be right there to challenge him. A former DI wrestler himself, that competed for Wyoming, he too has wins over DI opponents. Competing for Missouri Valley this season he was 4th at the Grand View Open & champion at his new school's Invitational. He has an 8-1 victory over Blake Haney, another Viking who himself was 5th at the Grand View Open & 3rd at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Looking over the rest of the bracket, We have Tyler Okada, one of Waldorf's best wrestlers, who was 8th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Then we also have Dallas Koelzer of Baker, who was a runner-up here last season & Bryson Anderson a teammate of Zollman's who was 4th.
As loaded as 149 lbs is with talent already, just think what it'd look like if the NAIA allowed up to three wrestlers from the same team in the same bracket! Then we'd also have Cole Ferguson of Grand View also competing, who himself was 4th at the Missouri Valley Invitational!
Bronze collected at both the Grand View Open as well as the Missouri Valley Invitational, Dylan Whitt was 6th at the Oppenheim Invitational. He may be young, but he is poised to win a HOAAC title this weekend. Among his competition will be Donald Griffin of Central Methodist who was 3rd here a year ago and 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational himself. Although unranked, I wouldn't look past any of the other talent in this bracket.
Tanner Abbas has been around for what seems forever and he's been an All American in his own right. Seems like you never know when or where he's going to show up, but I would think that this being his final shot, the Viking coaches would give it to him. He was 2nd at the Grand View Open, one spot ahead of where Whitt finished.
We also have Kael Bruce was 5th here last year and one match shy of NAIA All American honors last season, as well as Gino Camarca who placed 5th at the Oppenheim Invite.
If you enjoy extremely competitive weight classes, then you'll enjoy the 165 lbs class here at the HOAAC. Central Methodist's Roman Garcia has the highest ranking as of the time this was written. Cam Hargrove gives William Penn a hope at crowing an individual champion. He was 5th here last season competing at 149 lbs. Usually jumping up two weight classes can prove to be a struggle, but he's wrestled better thus far at 165, than he did at 149. He was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
I'm really anxious to see how Joey Hancock of Baker does this tournament. He was 3rd here a year ago, but had a rather disappointing Missouri Valley Invitational, failing to place, after having earned a medal their last season. I imagine that's probably put a chip on his shoulder and it could make him extraordinarily dangerous this tournament.
Then of course we have two representatives of Grand View, also both extremely tough wrestlers. There will come a point where Grand View will have to pick and choose who they start, as each team can only have so many representatives. As to who they'll send and who they'll leave home, that's something I'm not sure if even they fully know at this point. What I do know is that both Justin McCunn & Jovon Mitchell are contenders. McCunn was the runner-up at the Missouri Valley Invitational & Mitchell was 7th.
And as good as Gonzalez is, it will NOT be a shoe-in! Chase Zollman of Missouri Valley will be right there to challenge him. A former DI wrestler himself, that competed for Wyoming, he too has wins over DI opponents. Competing for Missouri Valley this season he was 4th at the Grand View Open & champion at his new school's Invitational. He has an 8-1 victory over Blake Haney, another Viking who himself was 5th at the Grand View Open & 3rd at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Looking over the rest of the bracket, We have Tyler Okada, one of Waldorf's best wrestlers, who was 8th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Then we also have Dallas Koelzer of Baker, who was a runner-up here last season & Bryson Anderson a teammate of Zollman's who was 4th.
As loaded as 149 lbs is with talent already, just think what it'd look like if the NAIA allowed up to three wrestlers from the same team in the same bracket! Then we'd also have Cole Ferguson of Grand View also competing, who himself was 4th at the Missouri Valley Invitational!
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| 157 lbs |
Bronze collected at both the Grand View Open as well as the Missouri Valley Invitational, Dylan Whitt was 6th at the Oppenheim Invitational. He may be young, but he is poised to win a HOAAC title this weekend. Among his competition will be Donald Griffin of Central Methodist who was 3rd here a year ago and 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational himself. Although unranked, I wouldn't look past any of the other talent in this bracket.
Tanner Abbas has been around for what seems forever and he's been an All American in his own right. Seems like you never know when or where he's going to show up, but I would think that this being his final shot, the Viking coaches would give it to him. He was 2nd at the Grand View Open, one spot ahead of where Whitt finished.
We also have Kael Bruce was 5th here last year and one match shy of NAIA All American honors last season, as well as Gino Camarca who placed 5th at the Oppenheim Invite.
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| 165 lbs |
If you enjoy extremely competitive weight classes, then you'll enjoy the 165 lbs class here at the HOAAC. Central Methodist's Roman Garcia has the highest ranking as of the time this was written. Cam Hargrove gives William Penn a hope at crowing an individual champion. He was 5th here last season competing at 149 lbs. Usually jumping up two weight classes can prove to be a struggle, but he's wrestled better thus far at 165, than he did at 149. He was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
I'm really anxious to see how Joey Hancock of Baker does this tournament. He was 3rd here a year ago, but had a rather disappointing Missouri Valley Invitational, failing to place, after having earned a medal their last season. I imagine that's probably put a chip on his shoulder and it could make him extraordinarily dangerous this tournament.
Then of course we have two representatives of Grand View, also both extremely tough wrestlers. There will come a point where Grand View will have to pick and choose who they start, as each team can only have so many representatives. As to who they'll send and who they'll leave home, that's something I'm not sure if even they fully know at this point. What I do know is that both Justin McCunn & Jovon Mitchell are contenders. McCunn was the runner-up at the Missouri Valley Invitational & Mitchell was 7th.
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| 174 lbs |
As if they haven't already, here is where we'll really begin to see how and why Grand View has a stranglehold on the HOACC. We have a ton of great wrestlers from the other programs that will be present, but if I were a betting man, I'd say 174 through HWT, we're probably looking at all Viking champions. Right here at 174, Alex Reynolds who took a redshirt last season, was 3rd in the HOACC & R12 at the NAIA's in 2022. A Falcon Invite champ, 3rd at the Grand View Open & 6th at the RENO tournament of champions, I can't see anyone stopping him in his quest to win conference this weekend.
The battle for silver may be another deal. Former Harper College NJCAA standout Brenden Parks of Missouri Valley has been doing quite well this season. He was 7th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Then we also have Jayden Terronez of St Ambrose, who has an ability to get hot at the right moments. He was a match shy of a top 8 finish at Missouri Valley. Then of course, we can't look past Joseph Teguia of Graceland, another NJCAA standout who competed for Camden County.
Branson Bottorf of William Penn looks to wrestle well and don't be the least bit surprised if Tom Even (if Grand View wrestles him) comes in here and meets up with teammate Reynolds in the finals. The Don Bosco of Gilbertville superstar has had himself a very respectable season thus far. R12 at the Missouri Valley Invite, he was 3rd at the Falcon Invite & runner-up at the Oppenheim Invite.
An HOACC champion last season and 2nd in the NAIA nation, Isaiah Luellen is another Viking of Grand View I can't see anyone stopping this weekend. He was runner-up at both the Grand View Open & RENO, but I think from here on out his medals will be cloaked in gold. As to our plausible runner-up, the odds point to Brett Bober of Baker who was also 2nd here a here ago. Thus far this season, he's had a runner-up finish at the Oppenheim Invitational & he was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. This bracket will also feature Jackson King of Dickinson State who was 7th at the Missouri Valley Invitational, as well as 2023 NJCAA champion Jameel Coles now of Grand View, a transfer of Northwest Kansas Tech. He was one match shy of a top 8 showing at Missouri Valley.
A returning NAIA national champion and two other returning All Americans, 197 lbs may very well be the toughest weight class here in the HOAAC. Champion in both the HOAAC and the NAIA last season, Owen Braungardt looks to repeat. He was 4th at RENO among Division I competition earlier this season. Teammate Garavous Kouekabakilaho (ought to earn your kid an A if that's ever on a spelling test) will be one to challenge him. R12 at the NAIA championships last year, he's proven himself time and time again this season with multiple wins over various All Americans. 2nd at both the Oppenheim as well as the Grand View Invitational, he defeated Baker's Malachi Karibo who was 2nd here last year for a title at the Missouri Valley Invitational. A likely semi-final rematch between the two, could end up one of the best matches of tournament.
Looking to perhaps spoil plans, will be Elijah Hynes of Central Methodist. 3rd here last season, he became one of the Eagle's first All Americans in school history when he placed 8th at the NAIA national championships. In '23-'24 thus far he was 5th at the Grand View Open & 4th at the Missouri Valley Open.
Lastly, I could possibly see Cameron Cornman pulling off an upset. Not giving it a huge probability, but it's greater than you might think. The jacket can sting. Was R12 at Missouri Valley.
Gotta also throw out the name Tayvone Jackson. An All American candidate in his own right, who will simply be sitting out this weekend because in the NAIA a team can only send two wrestlers at most per weight. He actually defeated Hynes in the consolation final at Missouri Valley.
An HOAAC champion, an NAIA Champion and 3rd at RENO, Greg Hagan gives us yet another Viking likely to walk out of Oskaloosa this weekend a champion. Do I think that Missouri Valley's Joshua Isaac can give him a match in the finals? I most certainly do. Talent and ability wise? Again, I most certainly do. Isaac fell short of an All American honor last season after placing in both '21 & '22. He showed the kinda mission he's on in '23-'24 when he won the Missouri Valley Invitational. As to who takes the bronze here? Why none other than the living, walking, breathing proof that the state of Louisiana NEEDS college wrestling. Garine Gibson of Central Methodist.
The battle for silver may be another deal. Former Harper College NJCAA standout Brenden Parks of Missouri Valley has been doing quite well this season. He was 7th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Then we also have Jayden Terronez of St Ambrose, who has an ability to get hot at the right moments. He was a match shy of a top 8 finish at Missouri Valley. Then of course, we can't look past Joseph Teguia of Graceland, another NJCAA standout who competed for Camden County.
Branson Bottorf of William Penn looks to wrestle well and don't be the least bit surprised if Tom Even (if Grand View wrestles him) comes in here and meets up with teammate Reynolds in the finals. The Don Bosco of Gilbertville superstar has had himself a very respectable season thus far. R12 at the Missouri Valley Invite, he was 3rd at the Falcon Invite & runner-up at the Oppenheim Invite.
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| 184 lbs |
An HOACC champion last season and 2nd in the NAIA nation, Isaiah Luellen is another Viking of Grand View I can't see anyone stopping this weekend. He was runner-up at both the Grand View Open & RENO, but I think from here on out his medals will be cloaked in gold. As to our plausible runner-up, the odds point to Brett Bober of Baker who was also 2nd here a here ago. Thus far this season, he's had a runner-up finish at the Oppenheim Invitational & he was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. This bracket will also feature Jackson King of Dickinson State who was 7th at the Missouri Valley Invitational, as well as 2023 NJCAA champion Jameel Coles now of Grand View, a transfer of Northwest Kansas Tech. He was one match shy of a top 8 showing at Missouri Valley.
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| 197 lbs |
A returning NAIA national champion and two other returning All Americans, 197 lbs may very well be the toughest weight class here in the HOAAC. Champion in both the HOAAC and the NAIA last season, Owen Braungardt looks to repeat. He was 4th at RENO among Division I competition earlier this season. Teammate Garavous Kouekabakilaho (ought to earn your kid an A if that's ever on a spelling test) will be one to challenge him. R12 at the NAIA championships last year, he's proven himself time and time again this season with multiple wins over various All Americans. 2nd at both the Oppenheim as well as the Grand View Invitational, he defeated Baker's Malachi Karibo who was 2nd here last year for a title at the Missouri Valley Invitational. A likely semi-final rematch between the two, could end up one of the best matches of tournament.
Looking to perhaps spoil plans, will be Elijah Hynes of Central Methodist. 3rd here last season, he became one of the Eagle's first All Americans in school history when he placed 8th at the NAIA national championships. In '23-'24 thus far he was 5th at the Grand View Open & 4th at the Missouri Valley Open.
Lastly, I could possibly see Cameron Cornman pulling off an upset. Not giving it a huge probability, but it's greater than you might think. The jacket can sting. Was R12 at Missouri Valley.
Gotta also throw out the name Tayvone Jackson. An All American candidate in his own right, who will simply be sitting out this weekend because in the NAIA a team can only send two wrestlers at most per weight. He actually defeated Hynes in the consolation final at Missouri Valley.
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| HWT |
An HOAAC champion, an NAIA Champion and 3rd at RENO, Greg Hagan gives us yet another Viking likely to walk out of Oskaloosa this weekend a champion. Do I think that Missouri Valley's Joshua Isaac can give him a match in the finals? I most certainly do. Talent and ability wise? Again, I most certainly do. Isaac fell short of an All American honor last season after placing in both '21 & '22. He showed the kinda mission he's on in '23-'24 when he won the Missouri Valley Invitational. As to who takes the bronze here? Why none other than the living, walking, breathing proof that the state of Louisiana NEEDS college wrestling. Garine Gibson of Central Methodist.
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