DANA WINS NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
March 4, 2006
Dana College has the best wrestling team in the nation. The Vikings won the 2006 NAIA National Wrestling Tournament Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa. All twelve Dana wrestlers placed in the tournament, giving Dana 12 All-Americans and an NAIA tournament record 193 team points (previous record 180 points Lindenwood 2002). Lindenwood was the runner-up with 164 points.
The national championship is the first ever NAIA team championship for any Dana College team.
Two Vikings also claimed individual titles. Jimmy Rollins (133 Woodbury, N.J.) won the national title over Kyle Jahn of McKendree College by injury default. Willie Parks (SR Garden Grove, Calif.) defeated Rick Story of Southern Oregon 16-8 for the national championship at 184 pounds. They are the first ever Dana College individual wrestling national champions.
Parks was honored with the NWCA-NAIA Outstanding Wrestler-of-the-Year award.
Dana coach Steve Costanzo who recruited the No. 1 non-Division I recruiting class in the nation this year, then coached the team to the NWCA National Duals championship, a school record 17 dual wins, and the NAIA National Championship was named 2006 NAIA Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Anthony Haukenberry (Buckley, Wash.) was the national runner-up at 149 pounds. Brad Cooper of the University of the Cumberlands defeated Haukenberry in the finals 3-2.
A strong start in the tournament gave Dana the edge. Dana won all but 2 of their first 15 matches to put ten of twelve wrestlers in the championship bracket.
Scott Taylor’s (Arapahoe, Neb.) mild upset in the 157-pound quarterfinal jumpstarted the Vikings during Friday night’s second session. With that victory, Taylor, a senior and returning national-qualifier, achieved All-American status for the first time.
Just like Taylor, Trent Leichleiter (Harvard, Neb.) was a senior and returning national qualifier. Leichleiter’s 165-pound quarterfinal match began just as Taylor’s match ended. Hyped from Taylor’s victory, a sea of red-clothed Dana fans cheered “Trent, Trent, Trent” as Leichleiter pulled out a 1-point escape in overtime to win the match. Leichleiter fell to his knees then jumped up and hugged Coach Steve Costanzo in celebration- he had earned the title ‘All-American’ for the first time.
By the end of day one, seven Vikings remained undefeated, none were eliminated.
Saturday morning the Vikings scored 6 more falls in the semifinals.
Burke Barnes (Lake Stevens, Wash.) scored two of the falls on his way to third place at 125 pounds.
Terrence Almond also scored two falls. Almond wrestled Gordo Villaescusa of Embry Riddle in the third place match. Villaescusa pulled out an 11-10 victory in the final seconds giving Dana’s Almond fourth place.
The other two pins were recorded by Parks, who advanced to the finals, and Leichleiter at 165 pounds. Leichlieter pinned Southern Oregan’s James Mannenbach in 3:59 and finished 4th in the tournament.
Dana’s other placers were: Craig Trampe (125 Ord, Neb.) 7th, Jason Lozier (141 Omaha, Neb.) 6th, Taylor 4th, Ben Henderson (Federal Way, Wash.) 5th, Marshall Marquardt (174 Altoona, Iowa) 7th and Blair Alderman (197 Spokane, Wash.) 4th.
Dana emerged from Saturday’s morning session with enough points to clinch the national championship. No team would be able to catch the Vikings no matter what happened in the finals.
With or without the National Championship the Dana wrestlers are successful. The title, however, could not have gone to a more deserving group of young men.
Link to Complete Brackets:
http://naia.collegesports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/022406aaa.html 125- Burke Barnes(Lake Stevens, Wash) 3rd
125-Craig Trampe (Ord, Neb.) 7th
133- Jimmy Rollins (Woodbury, N.J.) 1st
141-Terrence Almond (Pelham, Ga.) 4th
141-Jason Lozier (Omaha, Neb.) 6th
149-Anthony Haukenberry (Buckley, Wash) 2nd
157-Scott Taylor (Arapahoe, Neb.) 4th
157 Ben Henderson (Federal Way, Wash)5th
165- Trent Leichleiter (Harvard, Neb.)4th
174-Marshall Marquardt (Altoona, Iowa)7th
184-Willie Parks (Garden Grove, Calif.) 1st
197-Blair Alderman (Spokane, Wash) 4th
