The Trojans will have 15 regularly scheduled dual meets after hosting the Blue & Gold Grapple on October 27, the team's wrestle-offs that will help Fergola name his initial starting lineup. NIACC's first official meet on November 3 will be a special one, the Kaye Young/NIACC Open, named for the coach that guided the Trojans during NIACC's first period of wrestling, 1967-76. The meet will be held at the NIACC Gymnasium.
A week later, Fergola's squad heads to Ames for the Harold Nichols Open at Iowa State on November 10, giving the Trojans an opportunity to face competitors from the nationally-rated Division I host school and other top small and large-school programs. NIACC will also compete at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE on November 17. The Kaufman-Brand Open is considered the largest, toughest one day college open in the nation. All the top programs from Division I through NAIA will be present. Last year, this open had all five team national champions present. The University of Northern Iowa Open on December 2 and the Dick Walker Invitational at Wartburg College on December 8, all before Christmas break.
NIACC will host their home dual meet opener against Ridgewater Community College of Minnesota at 7 p.m. November 14. This will be considered Alumni Night. The Warriors claimed the NJCAA D-III (non-scholarship) national championship in 2005. Continuing dual action will take place December 5th at 7:00 pm when the Trojans travel to Rochester, MN to take on the Yellow Jackets of Rochester CC in regional competition.
On December 7th, NIACC will host Neosho County Community College of Kansas at 7:00 p.m. on "Pack the House Night." Neosho County, previously won the 2000 NJCAA wrestling title.
Rounding out the month of December will be yet another home dual against in state rival Ellsworth Community College on December 14 at 6:00 pm. This will be "Prep Night" where all kids clubs, Middle School and High School wrestling teams are invited to come and watch the Trojans free of charge.
The Trojans return from Christmas break with a stellar test, the Colby Tournament of Champions in Colby, KS, on January 4-5, 2008. The TOC is a junior college invitational only and will invite many of the nation's top junior college programs.
NIACC will host Minnesota West from Worthington, MN in a dual meet on January 11th at 7 p.m. and face the 2005 NJCAA Division I (scholarship) national champions, the Labette Community College Cardinals at 6 p.m. on January 14.
In between the Minnesota West and Labette duals, the Trojans will travel to Pella, IA for the Central College Open on January 12th.
The Trojans will make another trip to Minnesota on January 19th to Grand Rapids, MN for some dual action against Itasca Community College, NAIA Jamestown College and NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead.
On January 23 at 7 p.m. the Trojans will travel to Fort Dodge to battle the two-time defending NJCAA Division I (scholarship) national champions, Iowa Central Community College.
On Saturday January 26th, Division III St. Olaf College will host the NIACC wrestling program in a dual slated for 2:00 pm. Second year program Pratt Community College in Pratt, KS will mix it up with the Trojans of NIACC in a neutral setting on the campus of Baker University in Baldwin City, KS on Tuesday January 29th at 6:30 pm.
The Trojan's inaugural season will end with a meet at perennial NJCAA standout Harper Community College in Palatine, IL on February 2, followed by the NJCAA Region VIII Championships held at Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, MN on February 10th. This is the national qualifying tournament for the 2008 NJCAA National Championships held at Rochester Community College in Rochester, MN on February 22-23.
"I am very excited and pleased with our first wrestling schedule," Fergola stated. "We have developed a schedule that will allow our athletes to prepare for our region and national championships. I feel that we are in one of the toughest regions in the NJCAA and for sure in one of the toughest areas of the country for college wrestling competition.
"We are fortunate to have some of the nation's best programs right here in the state of Iowa to compete against," Fergola continued. "With the addition of duals against national championship programs like Labette, Iowa Central, Harper, Ridgewater, Neosho County and meets that include NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III and NAIA teams, we will have great schedule strength to prepare us for the national tournament."
NIACC's first recruiting class in 32 years includes 35 wrestlers, including numerous high school state champions and three that received All-America mention.
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