Triton takes home Great Lakes District title to end 25-year drought
PALATINE, ILL. & COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA - The 2023 NJCAA Great Lakes District Wrestling Championships was a two horse race between rivals Triton College and Harper College, and in the end, the Trojans snapped a 25-year drought with their first district title since 1998. Triton College finished with 151.0 points to best the Hawks by five (146.0) on their home mats on Saturday, February 18. Both team's entered the meet ranked in the top ten of the NJCAA Wrestling Poll. Triton College registered five individual champions, while Harper College stood atop the podium in two classes and Bryant & Stratton College in one. Tim Duggan of Triton College was awarded the Great Lakes District Coach of the Year and NWCA Coach of the Year.
At the 2023 NJCAA Wrestling Championships (FloWrestling Results), Triton College tallied 56.5 points to place 13th overall, three spots ahead of Harper College in 16th place with 44.5 points. Bryant & Stratton College (16.5) sat one spot better than Joliet Junior College (15.5) in 28th and 29th places, respectively. And Morton College closed out the Region 4 representation with 3.0 points to tie for 45th place overall. Harper College finished third among non-scholarship schools. Harper's Jake Stiles wrestled his way to the title match at #174, but the sophomore settled for a runner-up finish. The Trojans' Elon Rodriguez (#133) and Anthony Schickel (#125), both sophomores, placed in the top five of their weight classes to earn NJCAA All-American accolades. Additional All-American honors with to Luqman Masud of JJC, Tuvsin Zunnbayan of Harper, Conner Svantner from Triton, and Bryant & Stratton's Jalin Conner.
2023 NJCAA Great Lakes District Wrestling Championships (TrackWrestling)
Final Team Results
- Triton College - 151.0
- Harper College - 146.0
- Southwestern Michigan Community College - 104.5
- Muskegon Community College - 89.5
- St. Clair Community College - 61.0
- Joliet Junior College - 60.0
- Bryant & Stratton College - 45.5
- Mott Community College - 33.5
- Henry Ford College - 30.0
- Morton College - 22.0
- Ancilla College - 19.5
Final Individual Results (featuring a Region 4 wrestler)
125 - Anthony Schickel (Triton College) def. Luqman Masud (Joliet Junior College)
133 - Elon Rodriguez (Triton College) def. Tuvsin Zunnbayan (Harper College)
149 - Jalin Conner (Bryant & Stratton College) def. Zam Thompson (Southwestern Michigan Community College)
157 - Connor Svantner (Triton College) def. Gage Ensign (Southwestern Michigan Community College)
165 - Alonzo Smiley (Triton College) def. Brendan Parks (Harper College)
174 - Jake Stiles (Harper College) def. Sherman Dixon (Triton College)
197 - Curtis Ruff II (Triton College) def. Manny Mejia (Harper College
285 - Jose Ramos (Harper College) def. Shane Edwards of Southwestern Michigan Community College)