Wrestlers head to Dubuque for Central Region Championships
DUBUQUE, Iowa — The Simpson Storm wrestling team travels to the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa for the 2017 NCAA Division III Central Region Championships on Saturday, Feb. 25. Storm wrestlers will be competing for a spot at the national meet.
MEET INFORMATION
Date/Time — Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m.
Venue — Five Flags Center • Dubuque, Iowa
Links — Live Video ($15) • Live Stats
THE COMPETITION
The Central Region consists of the nine Iowa Conference schools, Augustana (Ill.), Cornell, Huntingdon, MacMurray, Millikin and Ozarks.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
A top three finish at the Central Region Championship means a trip to the NCAA Championships on March 10-11 in La Crosse, Wis. Simpson is looking for its first national qualifier since 2007.
ON THE MAT
125 — Jacob Irwin, 9-18
133 — open
141 — Jason Kiehne, 18-9
149 — Anthony Derrick, 0-15
157 — Jason Clark, 16-8
165 — Jake Mize, 12-10
174 — RJ Brown, 14-15
184 — Noah Robinson, 15-21
197 — DeVaughn Scott, 15-7
285 — Colby Vlieger, 22-10
STORM NOTES
• Simpson is looking to send its first wrestler to the national tournament since Curtis Barber qualified back in 2007. The Storm haven't had an All-American since 2006.
• Senior 285-pounder Colby Vlieger closed the season on a three-match winning streak, going 11-3 down the stretch to finish with the best record of his career. He is looking to improve upon last year's sixth-place finish.
• Sophomore 197-pounder DeVaughn Scott is returning to the mat for the first time since Dec. 17, when he sustained an injury that kept him sidelined the second half of the season. Scott was 15-7 and 5-2 in duals before the injury.
• After starting the season at 149, junior Jason Kiehne moved to 141 and was one of the Storm's top wrestlers in the second half of the season. He closed the regular season with 18 wins, winning 7 of 8 to close the season.
• Senior 157-pounder Jason Clark quietly put together a great year, going 16-8 overall and 4-3 in the IIAC. After starting the season a modest 6-6, Clark went 10-2 down the stretch. He went fifth at last year's regional.
• Five of Simpson's nine wrestlers are making their first NCAA Regional appearance: sophomore Jacob Irwin, senior Anthony Derrick, freshman RJ Brown, freshman Noah Robinson and sophomore DeVaughn Scott.
