Let's take a look at the upcoming tournament, weight by weight.
NAIA national champ contender Aden Reeves is our clear favorite to win a HOAAC title this weekend. The Viking was a champ here last year & 3rd in the NAIA nation. Teammate Gabe Gonzales has been having himself one heck of a good season in his own right, winning the Falcon Invite & placing 2nd at the Grand View Open. Could we see an all Viking final? Likely.
Haden Hernandez has proven to be quite tough in the past & will make a good run at the 3rd place spot on the podium, with tough freshmen Sauol Prado out of Las Vegas & Clemente Delgado fighting it out for that 5th place spot.
In a bracket that will only be taking the top 5, look for Mike Chagnon to plausibly steal a spot. The Bee has been ranked earlier this season & he finished one match shy of a top 8 showing at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
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| 133 |
The Vikings once again illustrate their dominance within the conference, with a clear favorite to win the 133 lbs weight class in Jackson Cockrell, who was a runner-up last season. He should have little to no problem taking home the gold, but the quest for silver & bronze, will be a war worth watching. Arojae Hart of Central Methodist, was 5th in the NJCAA nation for Indian Hills last season, and has been doing quite well in the NAIA so far. He was one match shy of placing at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Lance Scorpil, was an NAIA qualifier in 2023 for the now defunct Iowa Wesleyan, but missed out on another qualification last year, by one match. Donovan Parn returns, looking for another respectable finish, after finishing 5th & 3rd the the past two seasons. Add in Baker reps, Christian Rivera & Niko Gonzalez and we have 6 very tough wrestlers duking it out for placement among the allocations.
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| 141 |
Another bet to easily place on the Vikings. Carson Taylor has already won two HOAAC titles & he's likely to win a third this weekend. I'd say it's also pretty predictable that Edrich Nortje, will once again pick up a silver medal. The South African placed 7th in the NAIA nation last season & picked up a 6th place finish at the Missouri Valley Invitational earlier this season. I am anxious to see what teammate Jose Gonzalez will do this tournament. Honestly, I was shocked to see him up at 141. He doesn't seem near big enough but result and ranking trump initial thought. He was the runner-up here last year at 125 lbs & he was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
It'll be an extremely tough road if Guiseppe Guerra is to steal one of the three allocations from any of these three. Nevertheless, stinger out and ready to strike, the Bee will give em' Hell.
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| 149 |
I've noticed in wrestling, some coaches are more along the lines of recruiting from the NJCAA level & some are more along the lines of recruiting from the high school level. I figure, why not be like Grand View, and get the best of both worlds? Darnai Heard was an NJCAA champ for Iowa Central last season & he doesn't seem like he wants to settle for anything less than champ in the world of NAIA wrestling. Teammate Elijah Larsen, a three-time state champ out of Alaska, is having himself a pretty good season too. Another all Viking final? I wouldn't bet against it.
Kris Arrey has looked good this season, and for that matter, so has Nik Slatoff. Both were place-winners at NAIA's toughest in-season tournament, the Missouri Valley Invitational. Arrey was 4th to Slatoff's 7th.
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| 157 |
Donald Griffin, gives us our first opportunity to see a gold medal that might not go to a Viking in this tournament. The Eagle has thus far been 3rd & 2nd in HOAAC competition as he'll look for that 1st place finish this weekend. I say might for good reason, as E'lan Heard will be gunning for that gold medal to make five in a row for GVU. He was the runner-up at the Missouri Valley Invitational earlier this season. Look for Diego Machado, an HOAAC bronze medalist last year, to once again pick up a 3rd place showing.
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| 165 |
If GVU was 5 for 5 up to 157 lbs, I can guarantee they'll be 6 for 6 once we reach 165. Former Illinois Fighting Illini Cam Robinson, looks to duke it out with teammate Dylan Whitt in another likely all Viking final. Robinson was 3rd at the Grand View Open & a champion at Oppenheim. Whitt, a champion here last year, took runner-up finishes earlier this season at both the Falcon Invitational & the Missouri Valley Invitational. He was also 8th at the NAIA national tournament last year.
Cameron Hargove, one of host William Penn's top stars, looks to capture the bronze medal. The Statesman was 4th earlier this season at the Missouri Valley Invitational. Battling it out in the remainder of the bracket will be Brendan Parks & Juan Lopez. Lopez a transfer from Mt. San Antonio was a runner-up in the CCCAA.
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| 174 |
7 for 7? Looks like it. Alex Reynolds is both a returning HOAAC champion & a returning NAIA champion, and he looks to nothing less than defend both titles as we wind down the season. I will say that I think Francis Morrissey might give him a match in the finals. Morrissey is a tough wrestler. Started off competing for Life & then went to Ottawa, where he shined in the KCAC conference, placing 7th in the NAIA nation last year. Now at Missouri Valley, he looks to I suppose make 174 yet another Viking Vs Viking final, only this time both Vikings won't be from the same school. The guy to look out for here, is Roman Garcia of Central Methodist. The guy's relentless attack & seemingly never running on less than full gas tank, shined through at last year's NAIA championships. He was 5th at the HOAAC, and then turned around and placed 5th at the NAIA's! You know what's most peculiar about that? Those ahead of him at HOACC didn't place at NAIA's! Jett Nelson, a two time NJCAA qualifier for Southwest Oregon will also be competing for a top four qualification spot.
I usually don't say a whole lot when it comes to rankings and allocations, but I feel that Jayden Terronez really got jipped here in these end of the seasons rankings & allocations. He's been in and out the rankings all season, and if memory serves me correct I think he's been as high as #19. Do I think he'll steal a spot here? He's not beating Reynolds & he's not beating Morrissey. Do I think he can beat Garcia? Yes. Do I think he can beat Nelson? Yes. Not saying he will, and not taking anything away from Garcia or Nelson, but Terronez not getting a nod is frankly twaddle. I say he shows up with his toolbox, takes out his trusty neck wrench and shows the ranking committee they were wrong to leave him out.
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| 184 |
GVU, GVU, GVU, GVU, GVU, GVU, GVU...finally a weight class that doesn't look to be dominated by GVU. I say that now, based on rankings & allocations. It's not lost on me that Jameel Coles (who I think is redshirting???) still has eligibility left & who knows who else the Vikings may send to this tournament. They're only allowed 12, but rest assure they probably have 50 they could send with legit chances. That aside, 184 looks like a really good match between Graceland and Central Methodist.
K.J. Fry is a tough freshman, an Iowa High School state medalist who could walk out of here with his first HOAAC championship. Challenging him will be Sincere Hall-Osbourne, a defensive back on the Eagle football team, who took 3rd at the Missouri Valley Invitational earlier this season. Joseph Teguia, Jackson King & Branson Bottorf round out the other talent looking for allocations. King was 3rd here a year ago & I believe that Bottorf could be a wrestler looking for national qualification who never did earn state qualification while in high school.
Crooks among thieves, look for Dylan Meiners to try and steal one of the five allocation spots.
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| 197 |
Hope you enjoyed our small break from talking about GVU Vikings that will most likely win HOACC individual titles this weekend, because now we're back. We're here to stay. The announcer at the Grand View home matches simply called him G.K., so I think I will too. However you say his name, what I can tell you about him, is that he is one tough wrestler. Only a junior and already racked an assortment of credentials. 3rd here a year ago, he was 2nd in the NAIA nation. Truth is, Elijah Hynes, is one heck of a good wrestler in his own right. A two-time NAIA All American, he also has HOAAC finishes of 3rd and 4th. Look for Donovan Giangregorio a transfer from Oregon State, who was 4th at the Missouri Valley Invitational to take a strong 3rd & for John Shuttler a tough sophomore from Iowa's meteorite city to challenge him for that spot.
A 2023 NAIA champion & a 2023 NAIA runner-up, two-time HOAAC champion Greg Hagan looks to give us yet another Viking champion, for what will probably end up a total of 8 or 9. I am anxious to see how he handles Austin Foye, the likely finalist facing him in the other corner. Foye is a big dude. I would imagine easily all of 285 lbs. Look for Randy Gonzalez of Missouri Valley to finish a strong 3rd. Gonzalez has had quite the collegiate career. Began at Cerritos, where he was 5th in the CCCAA, and then transferred to Fresno State. Now a Viking, he continues his success.
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| HWT |
A 2023 NAIA champion & a 2023 NAIA runner-up, two-time HOAAC champion Greg Hagan looks to give us yet another Viking champion, for what will probably end up a total of 8 or 9. I am anxious to see how he handles Austin Foye, the likely finalist facing him in the other corner. Foye is a big dude. I would imagine easily all of 285 lbs. Look for Randy Gonzalez of Missouri Valley to finish a strong 3rd. Gonzalez has had quite the collegiate career. Began at Cerritos, where he was 5th in the CCCAA, and then transferred to Fresno State. Now a Viking, he continues his success.
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