Disappointing Day Still Nets Four National Qualifiers
William Penn University Athletics
York, Neb.–The day did not go as swimmingly as many had hoped, but the William Penn wrestling team will still have four representatives on the big stage after competing at the NAIA North National Qualifier Saturday.
The Statesmen placed ninth out of 14 teams with 47 points, while Concordia (Neb.) won the title with 165 points.
125-pounder Angel Villa (Fr., Deming, N.M., General Accounting) and 141-pounder Scottie Bonds (So., Chicago, Ill., Physical Education) both earned automatic berths by finishing in the top four, while 174-pounder Ishmael Rempson (Sr., Olympia Fields, Ill., Industrial Technology) and 197-pounder Kyle Soderblom (Sr., Newton, Iowa, Biology) each received wild cards at the coaches’ meeting that followed the tourney.
Bonds paced the navy and gold by reaching the finals, but eventually falling to #3 nationally-ranked Andrew Schulte of Concordia by a 6-2 decision. He finished 3-1 with two falls and one major decision. It is his second-straight national tournament appearance after finishing third last year.
Villa, who will be making his first trip, was 3-2 to finish fourth. The freshman pinned two foes on the day.
Rempson, now a three-time national qualifier, took home fifth place with a 3-2 mark (one fall), while Soderblom really earned a gift on Saturday. The senior, who was an All-American in 2013 (making third trip to nationals), was winless on Saturday but still garnered a spot due to his previous successes.
Marshawn Lacy (Sr., Chicago Heights, Ill., Computer Science) was the lone other Statesmen with multiple victories, going 2-2 at 149 pounds.
Fellow 149-pounder Lane Colwell (Jr., Knoxville, Iowa, Computer Science), with a major decision, joined 141-pounder Angelo Kelly (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Physical Education) and 165-pounders Jay Fresh (Jr., Knoxville, Iowa, Sociology) and Johnny Hopper (Fr., Basehor, Kan., Psychology) with one win each.
