By Corey Meints
Ten Ellsworth Community College grapplers wrestled and two Panthers placed in the Luther Hill Invite, including runner-up Jean Ngoma at 197.
Ngoma opened with an 8-5 sudden victory win over Benedictine's Doug Blaha. He then handed Indian Hills' Tuff Johnston a 14-4 major decision loss in the quarterfinals. He beat Tyler Pankey, wrestling unattached for Cloud County, 6-1 to reach the title bout. There he was stopped by Southeast CC's Samuel Montoya by fall in 1:37.
Tafari Parker finished fifth for the Panthers at 285. He started with a 4-1 win over Buena Vista's Braden Petersen. He followed with a 10-9 loss to Grayson Robinson of Southeast before pinning Donovan Mann of Nebraska Wesleyan in 6:01. His backside march continued with a 6-2 win over Simpson's Clayton Clark before suffering a 2-1 loss to IHCC's Justin Brown in the consolation semifinals. He met Robinson again in the fifth-place match, winning with a 10-1 major.
Returning national qualifier Nicholas Fischer finished just out of the placings at 157, going 3-2 and reaching the consolation semifinals. He started with pins over McMurray's Jeremiah Alexander in 3:00 and IHCC's Griffin Willis in 1:42 before getting pinned by Quincy's Isaiah Nichols. Fischer bounced by with a 4-1 decision over St. Ambrose's Jayden Marloff before being stopped by a technical fall by SECC's Mavrick Hagemann.
For more on ECC Athletics, visit https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.timescitizen.com%2fsports%2f&c=E,1,rq_J4FHGHGqKg73osVOfOr76tC2I4w8-KlfsoDjpTELjP0Teav4PRs-QgretQTls-AlWDewUgMlvtfM1IibnHvO6i7uBt305zPrMUuWwOD4,&typo=1
Luther Hill Invitational
Saturday at Indianola
ECC Results
125: Jacob Portman (DNP)- pin by CJ Davis (Central) 3:58; pin Vontarius Hunter (IHCC) 3:46; dec. by Aiden Bastian (IWCC) 12-11.
133: Gabe Brazzel (DNP)- Bye; pin by Miles Anderson (SECC) 1:09; Bye; TF by Davion Wilson (Graceland) 17-1.
141: Tyler Orzechowski (DNP)- TF by Carlos Gonzalez (GVU) 20-4; TF by Nicolas Trujillo (Central) 17-2.
149: Germain Ngoma (DNP)- dec. by Daniel Lantz (Benedictine) 4-1; Bye; pin Alex Schroeder (Neb. Wesleyan) 2:40; MD by Henry Figueroa (GVU) 15-3.
157: Nicholas Fischer (DNP)- pin Jeremiah Alexander (McMurry) 3:00; pin Griffin Willis (IHCC) 1:42; pin by Isaiah Nichols (Quincy) 2:09; dec. Kayden Marolf (St. Ambrose) 4-1; TF by Mavrick Hagemann (SECC) 17-0.
165: Luka Govedarica (DNP)- Bye; pin by Jackson Jones (Quincy) 4:22; Bye; MD Kendall Taylor (IHCC) 17-7; pin by Eli Roberts (IHCC) 1:56.
184: Jiraiya Fonseca (DNP)- pin by Jackson Sweetman (Benedictine) 0:33; pin Thomas Olivarez (McMurry) 3:25; pin by Cole Martin (Central) 1:56.
197: Jean Ngoma (2nd Place)- dec. Doug Blaha (Benedictine) 8-5 SV1; MD Tuff Johnston (IHCC) 14-4; dec. Tyler Pankey (UA) 6-1; pin by Samual Montoya (SECC) 1:37.
285: Tafari Parker (5th)- dec. Braden Petersen (BVU) 4-1; dec. by Grayson Robinson (SECC) 10-9; pin Donovan Mann (Neb. Wesleyan) 6:01; dec. Clayton Clark (Simpson) 6-2; dec. by Justin Brown (IHCC) 2-1; MD Grayson Robinson (SECC) 10-1.