2023 NAIA The Season; Ottawa

 

2022-2023 looks to be another successful season for Ottawa Brave wrestling as they look to once again rule the roost of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and compete hard within the NAIA. 

125 lbs
Eddie Daniel 

After two seasons at Clackamas and one season at Midland, Eddie Daniel qualified for the NAIA championships for Ottawa last season after a 3rd place finish at the KCAC. This included placing ahead of Jake Stanton of Oklahoma Wesleyan who had defeated him in the quarterfinals. Daniel will once again compete for a high placing at KCAC, and another trip to the NAIA nationals. 

133 lbs
Diago Hernandez 

Only a sophomore, Diago Hernandez won the KCAC championship last year as a freshman and finished just one win shy of being an All American at the NAIA championships. The two time Kansas High School 5th placer, looks to perhaps place more times at nationals than he did at state. 

133 lbs
Braden Ledford 

Another standout sophomore for the Braves this season will be Braden Ledford. Winning 23 matches last season, the Kansas state champion finished in 3rd place at the KCAC tournament after dropping a tight 3-1 decision in the semi-finals. I thought he might get selected as a wildcard entry, but he was not, but I do feel that he should make the NAIA tournament from here on out. 

141 lbs 
Parker Wright 

Parker Wright is another Brave that finished in 3rd place at the KCAC championships last season. Putting together a 22-7 record, he should once again wrestle well for Ottawa as he looks for a trip to the NAIA championships. 

157 lbs 
Braden Anderson 

Going 30-7, Braden Anderson looked very sharp all season last year, including winning a title at the KCAC tournament. I was a little surprised that he went 0-2 at the NAIA championships, but a national tournament can often be a harsh environment.  Look for another KCAC title & a better showing at nationals this season out of the Brave.

165 lbs 
Dayton Hill 

Dayton Hill who was a teammate of Braden Anderson's at Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma, also won a KCAC title last season for the Braves. Wouldn't it be something if both Anderson and Hill were to eventually win four KCAC titles apiece? I wonder how many times throughout the History of collegiate wrestling, college teammates who were also teammates in high school both won four conference titles? Easier said than done, but what a story that would make.  Also like Anderson, Hill didn't quite fare as well at the NAIA's as I thought he might. Nevertheless he should do better this season. 

174 lbs
Kendall Biddle 

A two time NJCAA qualifier for Cowley Community College, Biddle missed out on his first NAIA qualification when he finished 4th in the KCAC. He lost a squeaker 7-6 in the semi-finals, before being pinned in the consolation finals. It'll be a chore and it's not a given, but Biddle does has the tools to be another qualifier for the Braves this season. 

184 lbs 
J.D. Perez 

J.D. Perez made history last season as he became the first Brave since Tyler Hinton who placed 8th in 2015 & 2nd in 2016, to become an NAIA All American when he took 5th place honors at the national tournament. Only junior this season, Perez has the potential to surpass Hinton and become the Braves first three time All American. 

197 lbs
Dylan Reel 

A NJCAA champion for Clackamas and a KCAC champion last season, one thing I know that Dylan Reel knows how to do is win. He'll make a second trip to the NAIA championships this season and he'll contend for All American honors. 

HWT
Justin Darter 

Fellow HWT & teammate Benito Hernandez has thus graduated and I'm anxious to see what type of an effect that will have on Justin Darter. The two have been battling it out, making one another better for the past two seasons. At the KCAC championships in 2021, Hernandez beat Darter in the finals. Darter got his win in the KCAC finals last season in 2022. Yet at the NAIA championships, while Nick Jarvis of Reinhardt defeated Darter 3-1, he lost to Hernandez 5-3. No doubt about it, Ottawa will have others in the room with Darter, but a good workout partner often makes a world of difference. Very anxious to see how not having Hernandez in the room with him effects his overall performance. 

2023 NAIA The Season: Iowa Wesleyan

 

It's blatantly obvious that head coach Jake Kadel is Hell bent on making Iowa Wesleyan a powerhouse in NAIA wrestling & he isn't very patient as he works to climb up the ladder not only in the Heart of America Conference, but throughout all of the NAIA.  Take one look at the schedule he has his wrestlers enduring not only facing Grand View and other top NAIA programs, but putting his boys up against some top tier NCAA Division III competition. The philosophy of, "wanna be the best? gotta wrestle the best" is not lost on Coach Kadel. With former Iowa Hawkeye Cash Wilcke in the room to put the wrestlers through Hawkeye style red-flag practices, you know that these guys are going to be in phenomenal shape. The future is bright for Tiger wrestling. 

141 lbs 
Brandon Ball 

Believe it or not, having been out of High School now for well over 18 years, I wrestled Brandon Ball my senior year. Matter of fact, he was my last match. He went on to have a stellar High School career, taking 7th place honors his junior season of 2006 & winning the Iowa High School state title his senior season of 2007. He went on to compete for Coe College, where he made All American honors his sophomore season with a 4th place finish at the NCAA Division III tournament in 2009. Unfortunately things came up and it seemed as if his wrestling career ended on a sour note. It was sad to see, cause I've always had a lot of respect and admiration for Ball, even though he loves to tell me how lucky I was to beat him & how I'd never do it again. I'm 37, I'd guess Ball be to at least 33 if not 34. Can he still hang with these kids in their late teens and early 20's?  Does he still have the conditioning, strength, flexibility and quickness that he had well over 10 years ago? He's been keeping up with MMA fighting and working out, but it's still a different scene than college wrestling. On a personal note I'll be rooting for him. We seem to have an obsession with youth in this sport & I think it'd do wrestling a lot of good to see someone of his age succeed. Talent and ability wise, if 100% healthy, Ball is an extremely tough guy.  He gave NCAA DI runner-up Dan Dennis of Iowa all he could handle in a 6-4 loss. What a redemption story this will make if he's able to wrestle as well as I know he's capable of. 

157 lbs
Brent Ward 

One of two Ironwood Ridge High School grads from Arizona, Brent Ward had himself a pretty respectable season last year as a freshman. Not only did he place 4th at the Heart of America Conference tournament, but he also had a 3rd place showing at the Under Armor Invitational at Central and he also placed 2nd at the Last Chance which was also held at Central College.  

174 lbs 
Caelen Shannon 

A Cedar Rapids Xavier state qualifier, Caelen Shannon had some good showings throughout his freshman season last year as well. 5th in the Heart of America, he was 4th at the Buena Vista Invite, 5th at the Cliff Keen Mike Duroe Invite at Cornell and 2nd at the Last chance at Central College.  

HWT 
Wyatt Nelson 

The other half of the Ironwood Ridge duo of Arizona, Wyatt Nelson also had some good showings last season as well. 5th at Buena Vista and 4th at Last Change, he was 6th at Heart of America.  Again, only sophomore this season, the future looks to be bright. 

HWT 
Brendon Lundsford 

A transfer from Hannibal-LaGrange, he will push Wyatt Nelson as hard as Wyatt Nelson will push him. When you have two talented HWT's in the room going at it every day, they're only going to make themselves better. 

=== 

If you enjoy Johnnythompsonnum1 & would like to see further coverage of your favorite college wrestling teams and college wrestlers please consider donating to Johnnythompsonnum1. Thus far generous donations have allowed me to purchase a camera & I hope to further my ability to cover more events and grow the coverage I do for wrestling. Send donation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1 

2023 NAIA The Season: Dickinson State

 

141 lbs
Dante Venema 

Taking 6th at the Heart of American Conference tournament last season, look for Dante Venema to have a solid year & improve upon his finish. 

165 lbs
Tate Nordby 

If the Blue Hawks are to send anyone to the NAIA championships this season, I think the answer lies in Tate Nordby. The hometown favorite placed 4th at the Heart of America Conference championships last season & looks to improve upon that finish in what will be his junior year. 

2023 NAIA The Season: William Penn

 

I've known head coach Aron Scott my entire life and I have first hand experience of how incredible he is at looking at each of his wrestlers individually and knowing exactly what it is they need to work on to improve. While in some cases at some schools it seems that wrestlers are as good when they leave as when they arrived, I can guarantee that isn't the case at William Penn. You will see steady improvement from freshman to sophomore, from sophomore to junior, to junior to senior every year. The Statesmen qualified two to the NAIA championships last season & I see at least four this season if not more. 

149 lbs
Cameron Hargrove 

The Heart of America runner-up & R12 at the NAIA championships, Cameron Hargrove is well on his way to being a better collegiate wrestler than he was a high school wrestler, and he's only a sophomore. 25+ wins last season, look for him to contend for All American honors this year. 

157 lbs 
Steven Skewes 

3rd at the Heart of American Conference championships, Steven Skewes was one placing away from making what would have been his first appearance at the NAIA national tournament. Look for the three time Utah High School state finalist to punch his ticket to nationals this season in what should be a productive year for him. 

165 lbs
Matheson Meade 

After a promising regular season full of some standout performances, it was hard watching Meade get upset in round one of the Heart of America Conference tournament which eventually lead to him not placing. Those sorts things happen. Wrestling as rewarding as it can be in some aspects can be brutally cruel in others. It can be an unforgiving environment at times. Nevertheless I'm not too worried about it, because I know Meade not only can, but he will bounce back. He already proved his tenacity while he was in high school. Taking 3rd at the Tennessee High School state championships as a sophomore, he failed to place as a junior. He came back strong as a senior, taking runner-up honors. It'll be no different here.  He had a bad tournament last season. That's all. He'll be just fine this season. 

174 lbs
Makail Stanley 

Also a standout on the gridiron as well as on the track, we were fortunate that he decided to continue on the mat when he left high school for college. Twenty-two wins on the season last year as a freshman, he made his first appearance at the NAIA championships receiving a wildcard after finishing 4th at the Heart of American Conference tournament.  As do many freshmen, he had his fair share of rookie errors and mistakes, but under the leadership of Coach Scot those shouldn't be an issue any longer. 

184 lbs
Jesse Schwery

I believe as time progresses and Jesse Schwery gains more experience that he'll get better. The two time Iowa High School state qualifier was 6th in the Heart of America last season. Not sure if he'll make the NAIA's this year, but I do think we'll see some vast improvements. 

197 lbs 
Branson Bottorff 

Like Schwery, I see Branson Bottorff making some vast improvements this season & like Hargrove, I believe that when his collegiate career is all said and done, he'll have more accomplishments & credentials as a college wrestler than he did as a high school wrestler.  I'll endorse Coach Scot as a guy to go to if you have the heart, determination & work ethic, but you just need some help on developing your skills, talents, and techniques. Bottorff will soon enough be an example to my testimony. 



==== 

If you enjoy Johnnythompsonnum1 & would like to see further coverage of your favorite college wrestling teams and college wrestlers please consider donating to Johnnythompsonnum1. Thus far generous donations have allowed me to purchase a camera & I hope to further my ability to cover more events and grow the coverage I do for wrestling. Send donation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1 

2023 NAIA The Season: Waldorf

 

141 lbs
Tyler Okada 

I look for this to be a good season for California native Tyler Okada who won twenty matches last season as a freshman. Placing 5th at the Heart of American Conference tournament, I think he should improve upon that placing this season and make another trip to the NAIA's. 

157 lbs
Jalon Strong 

Look for Jalon Strong to be the standout performer on the Warrior wrestling team this season. A Heart of American Conference runner-up, his only loss was to the eventual NAIA champion, who has thus graduated. Strong himself only a sophomore, has a bright future ahead of him. 



 

2023 NAIA The Season: Grand View

 

As they have and as they will continue many years from now, Grand View looks to all but own NAIA wrestling in the 22'-23' season. Whatever they've lost, they've gained. It's like a factory of T-1000's from the TERMINATOR films. As if Batman, Superman & the Incredible Hulk all decided they were gonna compete for the same team.  Just take a look at their incredible lineup. To think, I'm probably leaving a few notable guys off too. 

125 lbs 
Aden Reeves 

You lose a national champion in Esco Walker & the NAIA's first five time All American in Justin Portillo, you'd think that it'd be near impossible to replace that sort of talent, but low and behold, Grand View did just that. Iowa State transfer Aden Reeves will be a contender right out of the gate. The sophomore should prove himself to be NAIA championship material soon enough as the season progresses. Exciting for me as up through the eighth grade he lived in what at one time was my Great Grandparents house & my Grandpa for a period of time dated his Great Aunt.  Known Aden his whole life and I'm excited to see all of the great things he'll accomplish over the next three seasons. 

133 lbs
Carson Taylor 

Runner up in the Heart of America Conference and 3rd in the NAIA last season, Carson Taylor will be a contender for both a conference & a national title this season. 

141 lbs
Shea Ruffridge 

The Pocahontas Area native enters his final season of eligibility looking to add yet another Heart of American conference title as well as a second NAIA All American honor to his resume. After finishing one match shy of placing in 2020, he had a standout NAIA tournament last season taking 3rd place. He will contend for the national title this season. 

149 lbs
Tanner Abbas

Two time NAIA All American Tanner Abbas who was 4th in 2020 & 6th in 2021, should return to the lineup as a full time starter looking to earn his third All American honor this season. 

165 lbs
Marty Margolis 

The NAIA runner up in last season and 3rd in 2021, Marty Margolis looks to end his final season as a Viking a top of the award stand at the national tournament. 

174 lbs
Alex Reynolds 

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Alex Reynolds doesn't enter the 2022-2023 season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Of 12 Vikings that entered the NAIA championships last season he was the only one to walk out of Wichita, Kansas without a medal. He missed out on All American status losing in sudden victory in the R12 match.  3rd in the Heart Of America, he'll look to earn his first All American honor along with his first conference title this season. 

184 lbs 
Ben Lee 

3rd in 2021 and 2nd last season, Ben Lee is one of the best wrestlers in the NAIA yet to win a national title.  Tough weight class, but he's most certainly a top contender. 

Ben Provisor 

To be honest I was expecting a bit more out of Provisor last season. Perhaps my expectations were too high but given that the man owns three gold, one silver & one bronze medal from the PAN-AMERICAN championships, I don't think I was being unfair in my presupposition. He has three seasons of eligibility left and I believe that Sooner or Later it'll all come together for him and he'll be one of the top wrestlers in the NAIA. It might have simply taken a year to get used to the grind of collegiate wrestling. At 32 years old, I believe if he makes All American status this would make him one of the oldest All American in collegiate history. I'm almost positive that if he achieves this status in 2025 at age 34, he will certainly be one of the oldest All Americans of all time. Pretty cool fact if he achieves this status. (Thumbs up to you if you understand why I italicized with capital letters on both Sooner and Later.)  

197 lbs
Owen Braungardt 

5th at the NAIA championships this past season and 3rd in 2020, Owen Braungardt will be going to his third All American honor this season. 

HWT 
Greg Hagan 

Ever since transferring from Indiana, Greg Hagan has proven to be a valuable asset to the Viking program. Dropping a 5-4 decision in the NAIA finals last season, he will be gunning to win a national title this season. 

=== 

Interesting side note that I always love telling to enhance the attitude of "Never, say never."  Years ago I was visiting a friend in Des Moines. I've always really enjoyed touring colleges. He took me around Grand View one day and we had an opportunity to speak with the athletic director. I asked if there was chance of the school ever getting a wrestling program. We were told, "Most likely no."   A few short years later they did get a wrestling program and it didn't take long for them to be THE wrestling program in the NAIA. I always like thinking of this story whenever anyone has a defeatist pessimistic attitude of "never" regarding the growth of wrestling.

===

If you enjoy Johnnythompsonnum1 & would like to see further coverage of your favorite college wrestling teams and college wrestlers please consider donating to Johnnythompsonnum1. Thus far generous donations have allowed me to purchase a camera & I hope to further my ability to cover more events and grow the coverage I do for wrestling. Send donation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1 

2023 NAIA The Season: St Ambrose

 

Only the second year of the program since being reinstated and I can see as many as 5 NAIA qualifiers, with the Fighting Bees looking at crowning their first All American this season. 

125 lbs
Mick Chagnon 

Finishing 3rd at the Heart of American Conference tournament, only behind NAIA champion Esco Walker & NAIA 3rd place Justin Portillo both of Grand View, look for Mick Chagnon to be a conference finalist this season. The Montana native should also contend for All American honors. 

133 lbs
Matt Robertson 

Giving St. Ambrose their first Heart of America conference champion, Matt Robertson came within a match of also giving them their first NAIA All American last season. A home town favorite whose High School is literally on the same block as the college, he is quickly establishing himself as the paver of the road for the program. Not only do I think Robertson has the tools to be an All American, I think on a good day, he's as good as anyone and can contend for the national title. 

141 lbs 
Riley Woods 

Riley Woods fell just shy of placing at last year's Heart of America Conference tournament as a freshmen. A first year of a varsity schedule in collegiate wrestling can be quite challenging and now that it is out of the way, expect to see improvements made as he enters his sophomore year. Not sure if this will be a year of qualification for Woods or not, but I do expect some big wins and some nice performances out of him this season. 

165 lbs 
Jayden Terronez

When speaking earlier this year to head coach Bo Bettinson, he said that he wanted St. Ambrose to be a home to wrestlers on both sides of the Mississippi river. Right across the bridge from Moline we have Jayden Terronez who was a Heart of American conference finalist last season. He will again look for a high finish in the conference, as well as NAIA All American honors. 

197 
TyReese Johnson 

One of the guys I was most impressed with last season in terms of heart and fight, was TyReese Johnson. Another local from just down the road at Davenport West, Johnson is also a member of St. Ambrose's football team as a linebacker. Fine tuning technique, fixing little mistakes and adding a bit more strength to his overall arsenal I can see big things coming out Johnson this season.  

====

If you enjoy Johnnythompsonnum1 & would like to see further coverage of your favorite college wrestling teams and college wrestlers please consider donating to Johnnythompsonnum1. Thus far generous donations have allowed me to purchase a camera & I hope to further my ability to cover more events and grow the coverage I do for wrestling. Send donation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1 

2023 NAIA The Season: Missouri Valley

 

Looks to be a very respectable year for Viking wrestling as I predict as many as six qualifiers for the NAIA championships in what will be Coach Machholz's 31st season. 

141 lbs 
Joseph Rice 

The four time state champion out of Idaho qualified for the NAIA championships in 2021, but missed out on a second qualification last season when he finished 3rd in the Heart of American Conference tournament. It'll still be a chore to get back to the NAIA's this season as a junior, but it is more than doable. 

141 lbs
Donovan Parn 

Donovan Parn was 4th in a tough Heart of America Conference tournament last season, where he actually lost to teammate Rice in the consolation final.  I'll be anxious to see if both stay at 141 lbs this season or if one will potentially go up or down a weight class. 

149 lbs
Jovon Mitchell 

Two time NAIA qualifier Jovon Mitchell was the Heart of America Conference champion last season, as he returns looking for a third qualification and another conference title. 

184 lbs
Karim Shakur 

Karim Shakur showed a tremendous amount of tenacity last season when he came all the way back from a first round loss to a round of twelve finish at the NAIA championships. He will contend for All American honors this season. 

HWT
Joshua Isaac 

Technical, limber and incredibly quick for his massive size, Joshua Isaac enters his senior season as a Viking looking for a fourth NAIA qualification and a third NAIA All American honor.  5th in 2021 as a sophomore and 8th in 2022 as a junior, he looks to have his best finish this season. Expect to see him in the Heart of America Conference finals as well. 

HWT
Brooks Baker 

Right behind Isaac in the lineup is Brooks Baker, who qualified for the NAIA championships last season where he went 1-2.  He should again qualify for nationals again this season.