Council Bluffs, Ia. – Garrett College qualified 10 wrestlers – nine of them freshmen – for the NJCAA national championship tournament, which takes place Wednesday and Thursday.

Four Lakers are seeded in the top half of their respective draws.  Trey Weinell (149 pounds) and Damon Lemin (285) are each seeded seventh, while Brady Villa (141) and Noah Korenoski (157) are eighth in their 16-wrestler draws.

Weinell, a red-shirt freshman transfer from Edinboro University, has an impressive regular-season win over Lackawanna College's returning national qualifier, Rodney Driscoll.

"Trey comes from a wrestling family," said GC head coach John Chambers, who has now qualified 21 Lakers for nationals in the program's first three seasons.  "His dad is head coach at Derry Area High School in Pennsylvania."

Chambers said Lemin "has put together quite a resume when he hasn't been away on National Guard weekends." The freshman has notched two pins, each in under a minute, and lost a tight, 3-1 match to Waynesburg University's Rocky McGeary, who had a 38-3 record last year.

"I expect big things out of Damon in the future," said Chambers.  "I think he has a great shot to do well in the national tournament."

Villa, another red-shirt freshman who transferred to GC from Shippensburg University, has the opportunity to make a long run in his draw, according to Chambers.

"Brady's had some big wins for us this year," noted Chambers.  "I really think he has a chance to finish in the top eight and become an all-American."

Chambers said Korenoski "has probably had the best year for our program."  The freshman's 5-1 record includes five straight victories.

Freshman Declan McCann, a Southern Garrett High grad, is seeded ninth at 184 pounds.  His 4-4 record includes impressive pins versus Jesse Storch of Jamestown Community College and Casey Cooper of Niagara Community College.

"I feel Declan had a great year for us," said Chambers.

Sophomore Loic Tueguo, a 197-pound national qualifier in 2020, returns to nationals in the same weight class this year.

"Loic is our leader – he leads by example, does the right things," said Chambers of Tueguo, who becomes the fourth Laker to qualify for nationals twice. 

Freshman Brandan Myers, ranked second in the district, is the No. 13 seed at 125 pounds.

"Brandan's also got an opportunity to win some matches at nationals," said Chambers.

Freshman Justice Hefley will be wrestling up a weight class at nationals, competing at 165 pounds, and freshman Esdras Castillo – "One of the hardest workers we had in the wrestling room," according to Chambers – will wrestle at 133 pounds.

Freshman Nickolas Kelbaugh was the Lakers' 10^th qualifier at 174 pounds, but will be unable to wrestle due to an injury.

Chambers said dealing with all the COVID requirements and protocols has been "challenging and stressful" for his wrestlers, but feels the Lakers will find the 2021 campaign "gratifying when all is said and done."

"I think it brought the guys closer as a team," said Chambers, noting, "This season needs to be dedicated to the student athletes who worked through everything, did the right things, wore their masks, and accepted all of the protocols.  I appreciate all that they did to make this season happen."

The most up-to-date information on Garrett College's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), can be found online at https://www.garrettcollege.edu/corona-virus.php.