NIACC Cracks Top Five

Full NJCAA Rankings

By Craig Pinley

North Iowa Area Community College

Sports Information Director

MASON CITY (January 16, 2008) - Strong recent performances against highly-ranked community college competition has helped the North Iowa Area Community College wrestling team move up to fifth in the most recent NJCAA rankings.

The Trojans were tied for seventh a week ago, but head coach Richard Fergola's team started January with a bang over the course of 10 days. On January 5, NIACC finished second behind Colby Community College of Kansas in Colby's Tournament of Champions, beating Colby wrestlers in five of seven bouts.

Six days later, the Trojans shut out visiting Minnesota West Technical Community College last Friday in a dual meet, then followed it up the following with its best overall team performance at a meet this season. They had five wrestlers win individual titles at an open meet at Central College, including top-ranked 149-pounder Albert White, nationally-ranked teammates T.J. Moen (141), DaVaughn Perkins (157), and Glenn Rhees (174) and 133-pounder Cody Hogan.

On Monday, NIACC lost to fourth-rated Labette Community College of Kansas in a dual meet, but White won by fall in just 39 seconds, Perkins defeated top-ranked Joe Cornejo 2-1 and Rhees beat nationally-rated Joe Yust 10-4 in individual matches.

Meanwhile, three others were decided by four points or less.

White, who is now 22-3 this season, continues to be number one in the NJCAA rankings at 149 while Perkins (26-5) has moved up to second at 157. Moen (21-8) is now fourth at 141 and Rhees (12-2) is sixth at 174. On January 23, NIACC will take on two-time national champion and number one rated, Iowa Central Community College in Ft. Dodge.

NIACC reinstituted its wrestling program after a 32-year absence in November 2006 and hired Fergola as its head coach four months later. The Trojans had the top-rated recruiting class among non-Division I wrestling programs and all but one of Fergola's starters at the 10 weight classes are freshmen.