CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Oklahoma City University will bring nine individuals in a quest for titles in the NAIA wrestling championships on Thursday through Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center.
Three Stars were ranked at their weights in the final NAIA rankings. Derek Peperas holds the No. 4 ranking at 174 pounds, Kidd Gomez enters rated sixth at 125 and Mark Meyer is ranked 12th at 157.
OCU’s other competitors are Hunter Muskrat at 141, Will Shelton-Delk at 149, Cameron Ream at 157, Tyson Campbell at 165, James Brigance at 184 and Jake Mabry at 197.
The tournament features some of the nation’s finest college wrestlers. Competition will start 11 a.m. Thursday. Live results will be posted here.
The championship finals are set for 7 p.m. Saturday. The finals will be available to view via live video stream.
“The tournament has gotten so tough, you have to beat everybody to be a champion,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “It’s tough all the way through.”
Gomez, a sophomore from Noble, Okla., has gone 23-11 this season. Gomez finished as runner-up in the NAIA Central Qualifying Group Tournament on Feb. 19 in Marshall, Mo.
Peperas, a junior from Albuequerque, N.M., has posted a 13-1 record since joining the Stars after transferring from the University of Oklahoma. Peperas advanced to the finals of the qualifying group tournament.
Meyer, a junior from Midwest City, Okla., has compiled a 30-11 record in 2010-11. Meyer took third in the qualifying tournament.
Ream, a sophomore from Wentzville, Mo., stands to be seeded in the tournament following his results in the qualifying tournament. Ream finished fourth behind Meyer.
Those four OCU individuals are expected to be seeded in the tournament. The rest of the Stars will likely be unseeded, but could still advance if they draw a favorable matchup.
The bracket will be revealed 9 p.m. Wednesday.
“The four seeded guys are in good shape,” Randall said. “There are guys who are drawn in who have a good chance, too. It’s unpredictable. The first round will have upsets. No. 1 guys got knocked off in regionals.”
Mabry, a senior from Gig Harbor, Wash., will look to make the most of his third and final national-tournament appearance.
Brigance, a freshman from Talihina, Okla., and Muskrat, a freshman from Stilwell, Okla., along with Ream are underclassmen who stand to benefit from the experience of making the national tournament.
Notre Dame (Ohio) is the defending national team champion. OCU was ranked 13th in the final team rankings.
“Next year’s team will be solid,” Randall said.
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