One of the best cross division duals of the season will take place tonight in the state of Nebraska as the #5 Southeast CC Bobcats of the NJCAA head 2 and a half hours east, to do battle with NCAA DII's #1 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers. We have got matches up and down the lineup that are sure to intrigue and excite. If you ever wondered how NJCAA matches up against NCAA DII, this is the dual to watch.
Now before we get started, there's an elephant in the room that needs addressed . The Bobcats Keith Smith was crowned head coach Terry Pack's first NJCAA champion at Southeast last season & he still remains on the 2025-2026 roster. Yet the history maker is not in the rankings. No doubt about it, as the Lopers do not have anyone ranked in the top 25, Smith would be big points in this important dual. However the Bobcats will be without their national champ, as Smith isn't eligible until second semester.
149 #1 Joe Airola who was 4th in the D2 nation should pick up some big points for the Lopers in his match & I'm very anxious to see #9 Otgonbayar Batsurri a former NJCAA champ in his own right for Fort Hays Northwest Tech to suit up in a UNK singlet at 174 lbs.
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| #8 Brandon Baustert Jr Vs #16 Caleb Coyle 125 |
The four-time Nebraska High School state finalist better be prepared for his first collegiate dual tonight. Caleb Coyle, a former Oregon State Beaver has already taken out some of the best wrestlers the NJCAA has had to offer & I would imagine he plans on doing so again tonight. The Loper owns both a 20-4 technical fall & a 10-4 decision over Clackamas star Ane'e Vigil and he also owns a 3-2 tiebreaker over former Western Wyoming standout Bridger Ricks. Not to mention, a 7-3 decision over Rhys Sellers of CSU-Pueblo who I named my darkhorse pick for '25-'26.
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| #8 Miles Anderson Vs #7 Zach Ourada 133 |
Head Coach Terry Pack has done a phenomenal job of getting in some standout recruits & no doubt about it, two-time Nebraska state champ Miles Anderson is one of them. I think he'll have a great season throughout the Plains District & the NJCAA, but boy oh boy does he have his work cut out for him tonight. Zach Ourada a two-time NCAA DII All-American at 125 lbs (5th & 2nd) has moved up to 133 lbs for the '25-'26 season. I think Anderson will be a good test for Ourada as he gets to know the world of 133 lbs.
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| #2 Ayson Rice Vs #9 Cael Robb 157 |
The Bobcats crowned their first ever NJCAA champion in Keith Smith last season & I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they don't crown their second this season in Ayson Rice. 4th in the NJCAA last season, he recently won the Luther Hill Invite with relative ease. His opponent tonight is Cael Robb, a wrestler who can be downright dangerous in opportune times. Batting .500 last year, he was not one I predicted to make the Super Region 6 finals or one that I thought would be in the blood round at D2 nationals. Nonetheless he gave me a taste of sweet potato pie & I shut my mouth watching him accomplish both. I'm going to go with Rice on this one for the simple fact that he is ready to go right out of the gate & Robb takes a minute to get his motor going.
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| #12 Silas Foster Vs #5 Trent Munoz 165 |
6th & 7th place finishes in the state of Indiana, Silas Foster may not have been the most touted recruit in the nation, but under the tutelage of Coach Pack, I think we'll see some great things out of him during his NJCAA career. Tonight against Trent Munoz? That might be an item not currently on the menu. Munoz is a two-time NCAA D2 qualifier, with Super Region VI finishes of 2nd & 3rd. He was one match shy of All-American honors in 2024.
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| #6 Dylan Scott Vs #7 Lazaro Crespo 184 |
3rd in the Plains District last season, I have no doubt that Dylan Scott is going to have a standout year & be an NJCAA All American by the end of 2026. However...tonight he draws Lazaro Crespo, who won an NJCAA title for Fort Hays Northwest Tech last year & who mark my word, will contend for NCAA DII All-American honors this year. I would love to see Scott give Crespo a good match, let's remember Crespo majored D2 finalist Jacobi Deal 14-5 last season.
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| #4 Victor Lamar Vs #1 Jackson Kinsella 197 |
We could very well be looking at a future Cuban international star when we look at Victor Lamar. The NJCAA qualifier has already had some success on the international scene, placing at U20's. Another of Coach Pack's pack, looking to have a standout NJCAA season. With that said, he's taking on the #1 ranked wrestler in NCAA DII tonight. Jackson Kinsella, a two-time All-American with finishes of 4th & 3rd.
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| #9 Ira Jenkins Vs #2 Crew Howard HWT |
Two-time Michigan high school state champion Ira Jenkins looked good this past weekend winning a title at Luther Hill. Not only do I think he'll be an NJCAA All-American this year, I also think he might end up leading the NJCAA in falls & winning whatever they call their Gorriaran award. With that said, again, he's probably up against his toughest challenge of the '25-'26 season. Crew Howard, a two-time Super Region VI champ, has had D2 All-American honors of 3rd & 4th thus far, as he looks to end his season as a national champion.
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Southeast CC is a great NJCAA team that is going to have a great season in the NJCAA. No doubt about it, multiple All-Americans & I say they crown another NJCAA champ. This is simply a matter of....→Nebraska Kearny is ranked #1 FOR A REASON!← and yeah, while the Bobcats will win some matches & put up a good fight in others, the Lopers are going to demonstrate why they're #1.
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