Estherville, IA – The No. 19 nationally ranked Indian Hills Men's Wrestling team is set for the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) North Central District Championship which gets underway Sunday morning.

DETAILS: 2024 NJCAA North Central District Championship

Estherville, IA  |  Iowa Lakes Community College (Map)

Sunday, February 11  |  10:00 AM

WATCH LIVE: GoHillsTV

TICKETS: Adults ($15), Students/Senior Citizen ($10)

BRACKETS (released Saturday night): 

125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

SCHEDULE

BACK POINTS

The prestigious NJCAA North Central District Tournament gets underway Sunday morning as six programs are set to chase a District title and punch individual berths to the upcoming NJCAA National Tournament in Council Bluffs, IA March 1-2.

• Indian Hills heads to Estherville ranked No. 19 in the NJCAA team rankings, No. 10 in The Open Mat Team Dual rankings, and No. 6 in The Team Tournament rankings. 
• The Warriors posted a 4-2 record in ICCAC dual action on the year, scoring the most team points among the six conference squads, outscoring their opponents 213-81 on the year.
• Indian Hills placed third overall at last year's NJCAA North Central District Tournament, scoring 112.5 team points behind District champion Iowa Western and runner-up Iowa Central.
• The Warriors will send nine new faces to this year's District tournament with just one returner from a year ago.
• A team from the ICCAC has placed in the top-5 at the NJCAA National Tournament in each of the last eight years.

ASBURY'S BACK

Sophomore Peyton Asbury returns to the national qualifier this year as Indian Hills' lone wrestler with District tournament experience. Asbury put together a strong showing at last year's District tournament in his freshman campaign, placing fourth overall at 165lbs to earn an automatic bid to the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament. Asbury finished just outside of All-American status as a freshman, scoring two victories in the consolation round in Council Bluffs.

Ranked No. 6 in The Open Mat rankings at 165lbs, Asbury has left his mark on the Warrior program throughout his career. Asbury has collected 28 career victories which ranks eighth all-time while his 49 career matches are third-most in school history. Asbury has earned 11 pins on the year and posted a 2-1 record in ICCAC duals.

Asbury is looking to become the program's seventh two-time national qualifier.

SOPHOMORE EXPERIENCE

The Warriors boast five sophomores on this year's District lineup, including three who have produced solid two-year careers for the Warriors.

• Despite missing significant time due to an injury, sophomore Arojae Hart has been a force for the Warriors during his second season in Centerville. Hart enters the weekend ranked No. 7 in the national polls.
• Treyshawn White has produced 34 career wins over the last two seasons for the Warriors, the fifth-most in school history. White, ranked No. 8 in The Open Mat rankings, is one of three ranked individuals in the heavyweight division.
• First-year members Arieh Hart (141lbs) and Ayden Kingery (157lbs) will look to make an impact in their first District tournament appearance while eyeing a bid to the national tournament. 

FRESHMEN PHENOMS

A series of standout rookies and first-year members of the program have sparked the Warriors throughout the year leading up to the District tournament.

• Freshman Isaac Gibbs has starred at 125lbs for the Warriors as the No. 7 ranked individual has posted 25 wins on the season, third-most in a single season in school history. Gibbs posted a 3-2 record in ICCAC action this year, including two wins against Dstrict participants.
• Jaquan East has surged down the stretch for the Warriors as the No. 10/9 ranked wrestler at 174lbs as the freshman has lost just three matches while winning 19 on the year, ninth-most in school history. East went unbeaten in ICCAC dual action this year, including three wins against District participants. 
• Ansel Cervantes, ranked for a majority of the year in the national rankings at 197lbs, opened the year with a win over the previous No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation from Carl Albert State. Cervantes capped the year with four wins in ICCAC dual action to just one loss.
• After missing two months due to an injury, Darion Thompson is back in action at 184lbs and ranked No. 8 in the nation.
• Yaveion Freeman has secured 14 wins on the year, including victories over Iowa Western and Ellsworth in ICCAC dual action earlier this season.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

The loaded NJCAA North Central District Tournament features some of the top competition from around the nation. This year's field features nine national qualifiers from a year ago, including five NJCAA All-Americans. The 2023 NJCAA National Tournament saw five ICCAC programs place in the top-20, including a third-place finish from Iowa Western, a seventh-place finish from Iowa Central, and the Warriors' ninth-place showing.

• Iowa Western enters the weekend ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA team rankings, No. 4 in The Open Mat Team Tournament rankings, and No. 5 in The Open Mat Team Dual rankings. The Reiver lineup features five nationally ranked individuals, including returning District champions Paul Ruff at 133lbs and Malachi Bordovsky at 141lbs.
• Iowa Central, who has claimed eight District titles over the past 12 seasons, boasts four ranked individuals, including the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 149lbs in Matt Sarbo. The Tritons ran through the six-dual ICCAC schedule this year with a perfect 6-0 mark, outscoring their opponents 211-71.
• NIACC, winners of the 2022 NJCAA North Central District title, head into postseason action under head coach Steve Kelly in his 15th year at the helm. The Trojans return three individuals from last year's District qualifiers.
• Ellsworth boasts the No. 8 ranked wrestler in the nation at 184lbs in Brent Greenfield, last year's District runner-up.
• Iowa Lakes returns three District participants from a year ago, including national qualifier Ayden Rader at 133lbs.

WARRIORS AT DISTRICTS

In just four years of existence, the Indian Hills Men's Wrestling program has made an immediate impact in the ultra-competitive North Central District. The Warriors have posted three consecutive top-four finishes, including the historic District title in its first season in 2021 and a third-place showing last year.

• The Warriors have collected six individual NJCAA North Central District titles, including Kawaun Deboe's heavyweight title last season.
• In each of the last three seasons, the Warriors have claimed 10 bids to the national tournament through the District qualifier.
• The Warriors earned eight automatic bids last season and two wild card berths.

NATIONALLY RANKED INDIVIDUALS

18 nationally ranked individuals head to Estherville this weekend spread out across five of the six participating teams.

• Indian Hills and Iowa Central enter the weekend with four ranked individuals each.
• Four of Iowa Western's five ranked individuals earned a spot in the top-5 in the latest poll.
• At 184lbs, this weekend's District tournament features four top-10 wrestlers squaring off.

SPREE'S NOTES

Head coach Cole Spree, who has won two NJCAA North Central District titles (2021, 2013) has the Warriors primed for another postseason run. "Consistently you see a large number of All-Americans and National Champions come out of our district. I am assuming that you will see this again along with a very tight team race this Sunday.

We have nine new starters in the line-up this year and they are excited to make their mark. I feel like they are really embracing the underdog mentality and are excited to prove themselves."

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Individual berths to the NJCAA National Tournament are on the line at the district tournament on Sunday. The top four individuals from each weight class will earn automatic berths to the NJCAA National Tournament with wild card spots available based on total number of participants. 10 individuals earned wild card berths in 2023. The 2024 NJCAA National Tournament is set for March 1-2 at the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs, IA.

HOW TO WATCH

For the third consecutive year, GoHillsTV, the official streaming platform of Indian Hills Community College will provide full coverage to the NJCAA North Central District Tournament, free of charge. Fans can tune in a number of ways all season long:

• Facebook: visit www.facebook.com/gohillstv
• GoHillsTV App: Download the GoHillsTV app on your android or ios device
• Website: https://www.gohillstv.com/browse to catch all live and archived information
• Roku Streaming Device (new):  Have a Roku TV or streaming stick? Download the GoHillsTV app to start streaming today!

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