Wartburg 2017 Preview

Team: Wartburg College
Head Coach: Eric Keller
Years at School as Head Coach: 7
Career Record at Current School: 132-3
Assistant Coaches: Chris Ortner, Chris Smith, Elard Coello, Fan Zang, Mark Pinero

Facebook | Twitter

2016-2017 Dual Meet Record: 20-0

2017 NCAA Qualifiers:
Arnulfo Olea 5th at 125
Connor Campo NQ at 133
Cross Cannone 2nd at 141
Kenny Martin 3rd at 149
Logan Thomsen 2nd at 157
Andrew Steiert 7th at 165
Eric Devos National Champion at 174
Bryan Levsen 5th at 184
Kyle Fank 5th at 197
Lance Evans 4th at HWT.

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Cross Cannone(141, 2nd), Logan Thomsen(157, 2nd), Eric Devos (174, National Champion), Kyle Fank (197, 5th), Lance Evans (285, 4th)

Top Returning Starters:
141 Cross Cannone – 2nd NCAA
157 Logan Thomsen – 2nd NCAA
174 Eric DeVos – 1st NCAA (2017), 2nd NCAA (2016)
197 Kyle Fank – 5th NCAA
285 Lance Evans – 4th NCAA (2017), 3rd NCAA (2016)

Top Incoming Wrestlers:
Wartburg’s recruiting class was ranked #2 in the Nation by Wrestling USA for all Non-Division 1 schools.

Brenden Baker: 3X Iowa H.S. State place winner
Omar Begic: 2X Iowa H.S. State place winner
Beau Bush: 4X Louisana H.S. State place winner
Cobi Cline: 3X Iowa H.S. District Qualifier
Brennen Doebel: Jr. College All-American and Iowa H.S. State Champion
Jared Ellingwood: 2X Illinois H.S. State qualifier
Kendrick Jones: Jr. College All-American and 2X Louisiana H.S. State Champion
Jacob Krakow: 4X Iowa H.S. State place winner and 2X finalist
Brady Kyner: 4X Iowa H.S. State place winner, 2X finalist, and USA Wrestling Folkstyle All-American
Ethan Lape: 2X Iowa H.S. State place winner
Derek Leeloy: Jr. College National Champion
Nick Meling: Iowa H.S. State place winner
Noah Padilla: 2X California H.S. CIF Placer
Brock Rathbun: 3X Iowa H.S. State Champion and 4X finalist
Mike Ross: 3X Connecticut H.S. State Champion, New Engand Champion and 2X NHSCA All-American
Martine Sandoval: Jr. College National Champion
Slade Sifuentes: 2X Iowa H.S. State Champion, 4X place winner, and USA
Wrestling Folkstyle All-American
Trevor Walton: 2X Nebraska H.S. State Finalist and 4X place winner
Zion Vasquez: Missouri H.S. State qualifier

Season Outlook:
Wartburg returns five All-Americans from it’s history making 13th 2017 NCAA championship team: Cross Cannone(141, 2nd), Logan Thomsen(157, 2nd), Eric Devos (174, National Champion), Kyle Fank (197, 5th), Lance Evans (285, 4th).

The Knights will have some new faces in the lineup replacing two time All-American’s Arnulfo Olea at 125, Connor Campo at 133, Andrew Steiert at 165, two time National Champion and three time All-American Kenny Martin at 149, and All-American Bryan Levsen at 184.

Some major milestones on the table this season for Wartburg are the opportunity to win its unprecedented 26th consecutive (and 36th overall) Iowa Conference Championship, a record eighth-straight NWCA national dual title and 12th overall, a sixth-straight NCAA Central Regional title and the programs 14th NCAA Championship, which would be its 9th in the last 11 years. Wartburg has also won 196 consecutive duals against IIAC opponents, a streak that dates back to 1994.