Cougars Place 5th At Nationals With 6 All-Americans; Dillingham Wins It All
The Clackamas Cougars traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa to compete at the NJCAA National Championships this past weekend. The Cougars entered the tournament with all 10 qualifiers and the confidence to produce 10 All-Americans and a top-three team finish.
“Going into the weekend, the vibes and confidence level were at an all-time high for the season,” said Sanchez. “We felt great about our preparation and believed we were peaking at the right time.”
The Cougars started strong in the opening round but hit adversity in the Round of 16, where several wrestlers were pushed to the backside of the bracket. At the same time, 157 Aaron Concepcion, 165 Henry Dillingham, and 197 Elijah Josey punched their tickets to the quarterfinals.
On the consolation side, 125 Jeremy Oani, 133 Kelby Bernard, 141 Cade McCallister, 149 Reggie Raiz, 174 Pablo Hernandez, 184 Lusiano Lopez, and HWT Mark Marin battled back, needing multiple wins to reach the Round of 12 and keep their All-American hopes alive.
“The Round of 16 was tough for us—definitely not where we expected seven of our guys to be,” said Sanchez. “But it’s the national tournament. Our guys responded the right way, fought back, and gave themselves a chance in the bloodrounds.”
Friday night proved to be the defining session of the tournament, with all 10 Cougars competing for a spot on day two.
Aaron Concepcion delivered one of the most dominant performances of the night, pinning Greyson Zellers (Cowley) in just 53 seconds to advance to the semifinals and secure All-American status. Henry Dillingham followed suit, pinning Kley Krause (Rochester) in the quarterfinals to earn his second All-American honor and a spot in the semifinals.
At 197, Elijah Josey dropped a tight 8-6 decision to Tony Palmer (Iowa Western), sending him to the backside in pursuit of All-American status.
In the consolation rounds, several Cougars rose to the occasion. Reggie Raiz (149) secured his second All-American finish with a win over Kyron Zoet (Muskegon). Lusiano Lopez (184) defeated Alex Hicks (Muskegon) 4-1 to earn All-American honors, and Mark Marin (HWT) dominated Brodie Daughtery (Lackawanna) 14-6 to join them.
Despite strong efforts, Jeremy Oani, Kelby Bernard, Cade McCallister, and Pablo Hernandez fell just short in the bloodrounds.
“Friday night makes or breaks you,” said Sanchez. “Aaron and Henry were on another level all day. Elijah wrestled extremely well and just came up short against the eventual champion. Our backside guys showed heart and grit. My heart goes out to the ones who fell short—those matches stick with you—but I’m proud of every one of them.”
Day two began with the semifinals and placement rounds. At 157, Concepcion fell to Keith Smith (Southeastern) 11-4 before battling back to claim 5th place with a dominant 21-5 win over Colton Tucker (North Idaho).
At 165, Henry Dillingham continued his impressive run, defeating Mohamed Tarek Abdelhandy (Indian Hills) 8-5 to advance to the national finals for the second consecutive year.
On the backside, Reggie Raiz placed 6th, Lusiano Lopez finished 7th with a 1-0 win over Mateo Monteiro (Umpqua), and Elijah Josey secured 5th place with a 20-3 victory over Preston Hagel (Pratt).
In the championship finals, Dillingham delivered a statement performance, defeating Banks Norby (Western Wyoming) by fall at 6:48 to claim the NJCAA National Championship at 165 pounds. He finished the tournament 6-0, recording four pins, one technical fall, and one decision.
“We’re so happy for Henry,” said Sanchez. “Last year he fell just short, but the work he put in this offseason made the difference. Watching him get it done was special for all of us.”
The Cougars finished the tournament with six All-Americans and a 5th-place team finish.
Final Results:
125 – Jeremy Oani (2-2), Round of 12
133 – Kelby Bernard (4-2), Round of 12
141 – Cade McCallister (3-2), Round of 12
149 – Reggie Raiz (5-3), 6th Place
157 – Aaron Concepcion (5-2), 5th Place
165 – Henry Dillingham (6-0), National Champion
174 – Pablo Hernandez (2-2), Round of 12
184 – Lusiano Lopez (5-2), 7th Place
197 – Elijah Josey (6-2), 5th Place
HWT – Mark Marin (5-2), 7th Place
“We fell short of our ultimate goal as a team, but a top-five finish is something to be proud of,” Sanchez added. “We’ll enjoy it briefly, then get back to work. Our goal is to come back next year with more All-Americans and compete for a team title.”
Full brackets to look at here.
https://www.flowrestling.org/nextgen/events/2gY98pk2pDIVG1Gl/brackets?bracket=32DRQ0T4lfAxwb9jrY