Campbellsville, Kentucky - The Campbellsville University Wrestling team begins the quest for it's first National Championship team title today in Sioux City, Iowa at the NAIA National Wrestling Championships.

The Tigers, ranked 7th nationally, have a dozen wrestlers participating in the event which runs through Saturday at the Tyson Events Center.

In the 125# weight class, James Hicks (SR/Belle Glade, FL), ranked 7th in the class, will face off against Montana State University-Northern's Cory Borges.  Borges is the top rated wrestler in the class with a 24-5 season mark while Hicks is 9-11 on the year.

 

In the 133# weight class, Kaci Payne (SR/Pulaski, VA) received a first round bye and will take on either 5th ranked John Gerhold of Missouri Valley or Brandon Goodwin from Dakota Wesleyan University.

 

In the 141# weight class, Campbellsville's two entries both received first round byes.  Zach Flake (JR/West Chester, OH) is the defending NAIA Champion in the 149# class but moved down to 141# this season.  He will face Spencer Griffiths of the University of Great Falls in the second round.  Griffiths is ranked second in the class while Flake is unranked after a season filled with injuries and only a 3-1 record.   Kyle Norred (SR/Kennesaw, GA) will face Travis Kirby of Bacone College in the second round.

 

In the 149# weight class, Josh Mason (FR/Franklin, KY) received a first round bye and will face off against Brandon Palmer of William Penn University.  Neither wrestler is ranked in the class.

 

In the 157# weight class, both Tiger entries received first round byes.  David Clemens (JR/Dayton, OH) is ranked 2nd in the class and will meet either Dan Pray of Dana College or Nik Turner of Oklahoma City in the second round.    George Sheppard (FR/Newport News, VA) will square off against either Timothy Paige of King College or Nick Burgey of William Penn in the second round.

 

In the 165# weight class, Chris Branam (SR/Bloomington, IN) recieved a first round bye and will meet either Robert Davis of Menlo College or Mike Mahon of Notre Dame College in the second round.  Davis is ranked 3rd in the class.    Bryan Wells (SO/Virgnia Beach, VA) will wrestle Chris Nelson of William Penn in the first roudn.

 

In the 174# weight class, Johnny Sinchok (FR/Akron, OH) will battle Gary Nelson of Menlo College in the first round.    Sinchok is ranked 5th in the class.

 

In the 197# class, Glen Jackson (JR/Chesapeake, VA) received a first round bye and will battle either Alex Calvi  of Great Falls or Martin Beeler of Northwestern College.  Jackson is ranked 5th in the class, while Calvi of Great Falls is ranked 6th.

 

In the 285# class, Chad Brown (JR/Kernersville, GA) will face Shawn Meyer of Morningside College.

 

Updates can be found throughout the tournament at the following links:

 

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