Honorary coaches named for
Collegiate All-Star Challenge
December 28, 2006
SIOUX CITY, IOWA -- Five honorary coaches have been selected to for the
Collegiate All-Star Challenge in Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday, December
30, 2006. The list includes: Richard
Fergola - Dana College, Luke Moffitt - Iowa Central, Joe Parisi -
Lindenwood University, Jason Reitmeier - Augustana Collge and Mark
Schwab - Buena Vista University.
Wrestlers from across the country will represent their institutions in
13 matches between some of the finest wrestlers in NCAA Division II and
Division III, the NAIA and the nation’s Junior Colleges.
Fergola is in his third year at Dana College and his first as head
coach. Since his arrival at Dana College, the Vikings have produced the
No. 4 and No. 1 Non-Division I recruiting classes in the country as
reported by Wrestling USA magazine as well as completed their highest
finishes at the NAIA National Tournament with a 5th place finish in
2005 and a national championship in 2006. 2006 also brought a
NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Championship as well. In his two years
at Dana, the Vikings posted a 29-6-1 dual record.
Moffitt returned to his alma mater and led the Tritons to the NJCAA
National Team Title in 2006. Iowa Central finished the season 13-0 and
ranked #1 nationally. The Tritons qualified all 10 wrestlers and 7 of
them gained All American status. In his collegiate wrestling career,
Moffitt was an NJCAA National Champ for and a Big 10 Champion for the
University of Iowa.
Entering his 13th year as a coach, Parisi has garnered National
Championships in 2002 and 2005 and runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2006
at Lindenwood. He was named the 2002 and 2005 NAIA Coach of the Year
and serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the NAIA National
Wrestling Coaching Association.
Reitmeier is in his fourth season as head coach of the Augustana
wrestling team. Prior to being named head coach, he spent six seasons
as an assistant coach with the Vikings. In 2004-2005, Reitmeier guided
the Vikings to one of their best seasons in school history - a
school-record 14 dual victories, a runner-up finish at the prestigious
NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals and a school-record 101 points and
runner-up finish at the DII National Tournament. For his efforts, he
was named NWCA Division II National Coach of the Year awards.
Schwab is in his second season coaching Buena Vista after joining the
staff in 2004. During his first season, he led Buena Vista to a 7-8
dual record. Prior to moving to Storm Lake, Schwab had been a member of
the University of Minnesota coaching staff for nine seasons. During
that time the Gophers won back-to-back NCAA Division I National
Championships, along with placing second in the nation three times and
third two times.
Returning national champions scheduled to compete include: Mark Dickman
(149) and Jake Dieffenbach (165) of Lindenwood University and Jesse
Laber (197) of the University of Mary. Athletes who have earned a No. 1
ranking this season are: Andrew Lacroix (141) of Roger Williams
University, Joe Soto (141) of Iowa Central, Mikel Delk (149) of Ft.
Hays State, Hayden Harrison (157) of Embry-Riddle, Jasper Lockett (184)
of Missouri Valley College and Sam Sand (285) of Jamestown.
Also competing are four wrestlers ranked No. 2 in the country: Richard
Byrd (125) of Embry-Riddle, Jestin Hulegaard (133) of Buena Vista,
Joffre Lander (184) of Embry-Riddle and Nate Buys (197) of Augustana
(SD).
Wrestling gets under way at 7:00 p.m. at the Long Lines Center
(adjacent to the Tyson Events Center) in Sioux City.
Final
match assignments (individual ranking in parentheses):
125 pounds: (2) Richard Byrd - Embry-Riddle vs. (6) Anthony
Nicolicchia - Roger Williams
133 pounds: (2) Jestin Hulegaard - Buena Vista vs. (3) Burke
Barnes - Dana
141 pounds: (1) Andrew Lacroix - Roger Williams vs. (1) Joe Soto
- Iowa Central and
(3) Terrance Almond - Dana vs. (4)
Chris Frejie - Western State
149 pounds: (1) Mark Dickman - Lindenwood vs. (1) Mikel Delk -
Ft. Hays State
157 pounds: (1) Hayden Harrison - Embry-Riddle vs. (3) Austin
Scarset - Augustana
165 pounds: (1) Jake Dieffenbach - Lindenwood vs. (6) Blake
Peterson - Truman State
174 pounds: (5) Cody Henriksen - Augustana vs. (7) Enoch Francois
- Northwestern
184 pounds: (1) Jasper Lockett - Missouri Valley vs. (2) Joffre
Lander - Embry-Riddle and
(6) Mike Howell - Ft. Hays State vs.
(8) Jay Figgins - Loras
197 pounds: (2) Nate Buys - Augustana vs. (’05 NAIA Champion)
Jesse Laber - Mary and
(4) Ben Strandberg - Buena Vista vs.
(5) Andrew Lundgren - Northwestern
285 pounds: (1) Sam Sand - Jamestown vs. (3) Andrew Ubben - Ft.
Hays State
All tickets are general admission and will be available only at the
door. Adult tickets are $10 and children under age 12 are $5.