Labette runs away with NJCAA team title
2/26/2012
Andrew Hipps, InterMatWrestle Senior Editor
andrew@intermatwrestle.com, Twitter: @InterMat

Related Content:
Brackets and Team Standings

Labette claimed the NJCAA team title (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Labette entered this season ranked fifth in the NJCAA national college wrestling rankings, and head coach Joe Renfro wasn't sure he had the type of team that could challenge for a national championship.

Fast-forward four months to Saturday night and that seems almost unbelievable.

Labette head wrestling coach Joe Renfro was named 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Labette ran away with the national team title at the 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, totaling 161.5 points and finishing 16.5 points ahead of runner-up Iowa Central.

"They performed outstanding," said Renfro, who was named 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year. "They went above and beyond. They got the pins whenever they had to get the pins. They came together and bonded well. It was a great performance. That's all I can say."

Minutes after the heavyweight finals match ended, Coach Renfro was swarmed from behind by his wrestlers who leaped on him in celebration. Renfro, though, refused to take credit for his team's performance.

"I can't take credit," said Renfro. "The boys performed well at the right time. That's bottom line. They performed well and I'm proud of them."

Labette freshmen Devin Aguirre (157) and Ethan Orr (165) won national titles and nine Cardinal wrestlers earned All-Americans honors.

Aguirre, a two-time state champion from Ponca City (Okla.), trailed 5-0 early in his finals match against Justin Pencook of Glouster, but battled back to win 12-6.

"Devin just has a motor on him that does not quit," said Renfro. "He keeps coming. He keeps coming. He keeps coming, even if he gets tired. We all get tired because it's wrestling, but he just keeps coming and keeps going. A great performance and a great weekend for him."

Labette freshman Ethan Orr controls Kris Schimek of Niagara in their national championship match at 165 pounds (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Orr, a two-time state champion for nationally ranked High Point (N.J.), controlled Kris Schimek of Niagara from start to finish to win 4-0 and claim the national title at 165 pounds.

"It means a lot to me to win the national title, not only for me, but for my team," said Orr. "I did it for my team and for me. We worked so hard to win that national title, six months straight. Coach Joe Renfro trained me so well for this national tournament."

Orr said he and his teammates knew before the tournament that they could perform as well as they did.

"We knew we could come into this tournament and make a bang," said Orr. "We all had great spots on the charts. We knew we were in a great position to win this tournament, and we just came out on top."

Iowa Central, a perennial junior college wrestling power, finished runner-up with three national champions and six All-Americans.

Terrel Wilbourn (141), Edwin Cooper (149), and Jahwon Akui (174) won national titles for the Tritons. All three were among the nation's top 30 recruits last year.

Wilbourn, who entered the tournament ranked fourth, battled top-ranked Ethan Raley of Lincoln to a scoreless first period. Wilbourn picked up an escape and takedown in the second period to go up 3-0. Wilbourn then broke the match open in the third period, picking up three takedowns and a two-point nearfall, to win 11-3.

"I knew he was a tough kid coming in ... He won Super 32," said Wilbourn, a three-time Missouri state champion and multiple-time Cadet and Junior National All-American. "My game plan was just to break him the first two periods. I know my hands would do their job and that led to a big major."

Iowa Central's Edwin Cooper lifts Nassau's Mac Maldarelli off the mat in their national championship match at 149 pounds (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Cooper, a two-time Illinois state champion and four-time state finalist, scored three takedowns in the opening period of his finals match against Mac Maldarelli of Nassau (N.Y.) to build a 6-2 lead. Maldarelli stayed aggressive throughout the match, picking up a takedown in each of the final two periods, but it wasn't enough as Cooper held on for the 11-8 victory.

Cooper did not celebrate on the mat and showed no emotion after getting his hand raised. For him, the national championship was merely a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

"I'm just never satisfied," said Cooper, a Cadet National freestyle champion and two-time Junior National freestyle runner-up. "I want more and more. I'm just determined to get what I really want, and this is just a step to get there."

So what is it that Cooper really wants?

"I want to go DI and claim one of those national titles and go a little bit farther," said Cooper.

Cooper, who plans to redshirt next season, gave credit to his coaches for what he was able to accomplish.

"My coaches mean everything," said Cooper. "They helped me through the difficult times. They showed me what I needed to do to win this tournament. We worked hard as a team to get to where we are. My coaches showed me how to dedicate myself to the sport."

Akui was the third Iowa Central wrestler to win a national championship on Saturday night. He edged Kyle Sweedman of North Idaho, 3-2, to claim the title at 174 pounds.

"I was going to redshirt next season, but now I'm thinking I might want to wrestle next season because of my coaches and teammates," said Akui, who was ranked as the nation's No. 13 recruit by InterMat in 2011.

Akui was an All-State football player in Illinois before coming to Iowa Central. He rushed for over 5,000 yards in his prep career. He contemplated playing football this past fall, but ultimately decided to focus on wrestling. Akui said that he has aspirations of wrestling at the Division I level, and also training to make the U.S. World Team in Greco-Roman.

Lincoln College finished third in the team standings behind Labette and Iowa Central, and crowned one national champion, Mike Johnson (197), and six placewinners.

Johnson, a seventh-place finisher at the 2011 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, scored the go-ahead takedown against Zach Anderson of Labette off a bear hug with six seconds remaining to win his national title in dramatic fashion, 3-1.

Defending national champion Clackamas finished fourth in the team standings with 97 points. Clackamas' lone national finalist was Austin Morehead, who fell in the finals at 184 pounds to John McArdle of Middlesex. It marked the second straight year in which Morehead finished as the national runner-up. McArdle raced out to a 5-0 lead after a takedown and three-point nearfall from a cradle. McArdle took an 8-3 lead into the second period. Morehead mounted a late comeback, but came up short, 9-8.

Anthony Abidin of Nassau defeated Brandon Wright of Iowa Central, 7-4, to claim the national title at 133 pounds. Abidin's victory helped Nassau to a fifth-place finish.

"It was a long road to get here," said Abidin. "First year of college I didn't think I was going to do much. I had success in high school, but I knew college was a whole different animal. I've had the same mentality ... Work hard every day. Make sure that I work harder than everyone in the nation. If I'm working harder than everyone else, how are they going to beat me? That's what I always say."

Abidin, a freshman, entered the tournament ranked No. 10, while Wright, a returning All-American, was ranked No. 1.

"I love being the underdog," said Abidin, who won the Long Island Open and Wilkes Open this season. "My senior year of high school when I won states I was ranked fourth in my county. So I just love being the underdog because if I win, it's a big upset. If I lose, I was supposed to lose."

Jeff Vesta of Neosho was the first national champion crowned on Saturday night after beating top-ranked Steven Romero of Highline, 3-2, at 125 pounds. The two met for third place a year ago, with Romero coming out on top 11-6 in that meeting.

Curtis Blaydes of Harper, an Illinois state champion, won the title at heavyweight with a 6-5 victory over Jack "Trey" Page of Labette.

Finals Results:
125: No. 3 Jeff Vesta (Neosho) dec. No. 1 Steven Romero (Highline), 3-2
133: No. 10 Anthony Abidin (Nassau) dec. No. 1 Brandon Wright (Iowa Central), 7-4
141: No. 4 Terrel Wilbourn (Iowa Central) maj. dec. No. 1 Ethan Raley (Lincoln), 11-3
149: No. 1 Edwin Cooper (Iowa Central) dec. No. 2 Mac Malderelli (Nassau), 11-8
157: No. 3 Devin Aguirre (Labette) dec. No. 1 Justin Pencook (Gloucester), 12-6
165: No. 1 Ethan Orr (Labette) dec. No. 6 Kris Schimek (Niagara), 4-0
174: No. 1 Jahwon Akui (Iowa Central) dec. Kyle Sweedman (North Idaho), 3-2
184: No. 3 John McArdie (Middlesex) dec. No. 1 Austin Morehead (Clackamas), 9-8
197: No. 1 Mike Johnson (Lincoln) dec. No. 3 Zach Anderson (Labette), 3-1
285: No. 2 Curtis Blaydes (Harper) dec. No. 11 Jack "Trey" Page (Labette), 6-5

Team Standings (Top 10):
1. Labette 161.5
2. Iowa Central 145
3. Lincoln 111
4. Clackamas 97
5. Nassau 87.5
6. North Idaho 86
7. Northwest 79
8. Harper 58.5
9. Middlesex 52
10. Colby 51.5