Men's Wrestling

WARRIORS, SIX INDIVIDUALS NATIONALLY RANKED

WARRIORS, SIX INDIVIDUALS NATIONALLY RANKED
Posted: Nov 02, 2021

Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Men's Wrestling team has been named the No. 5 team in the nation in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll. The Warriors are entering just its second year of competition.

The Warriors made a statement in its first year of existence last season, claiming the NJCAA North Central District Championship in the highly-competitive Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). Indian Hills enters the 2021-22 season as the top-ranked team in the ICCAC.

Along with the No. 5 team ranking, the Warriors also placed six student-athletes in the individual national rankings. Returning NJCAA All-American and NJCAA North Central District Champion Caleb Meekins (Livonia, MI/John Glenn) enters the year ranked No. 1 overall in the 133lb weight class. Deron Pulliam (Columbus, OH/Dublin Scioto), the NJCAA North Central District Champion and third-place finisher at the national tournament last season is ranked No. 1 overall in the 184lb weight class.

Sophomore Chris Busutil (Homestead, FL/South Ridge), the NJCAA North Central District Champion in the 125lb weight class a year ago is ranked No. 3 overall this season. Busutil placed fifth overall at last season's national championship to earn All-America honors.

Returning All-American Khris Walton (Merrillville, IN/Merrillville) enters the year ranked No. 6 overall in the 197lb weight class while Victor Guzman (Rock Island, IL/Rock Island) is ranked No. 7 in the 141lb weight class. Guzman earned All-America honors last season for the Warriors.

The lone newcomer to earn preseason recognition for the Warriors is Cameron Nesbitt (Champaign, IL/Centennial) who is ranked No. 7 overall in the 165lb weight class. Nesbitt joins the Warrior program after a year at Ellsworth Community College.

The Warriors are joined by five other ICCAC programs in the top-24. NIACC enters the season ranked No. 7 followed by No. 9 Iowa Western Community College, No. 10 Iowa Central Community College, No. 16 Iowa Lakes Community College, and No. 20 Ellsworth.

Clackamas Community College (OR), the three-time defending national champions, is ranked No. 1 overall in the poll.

Indian Hills is set to open the 2021-22 campaign this Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Falcon Invitational in Park City, KS, hosted by Friends University (KS).