CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Little Rock Wrestling secured 3rd place at the NWCA National Duals after splitting duals on Saturday. The Trojans outscored their opponents 104-62 across the tournament, including two dominant double-digit wins.
How It Happened
Little Rock 13, South Dakota State 23
The Trojans fell just short in the morning semifinal dual against South Dakota State. The first half of the dual was closely contested, with Little Rock jumping to a 10-8 lead thanks to victories from Nasir Bailey (MD, 11-1), Jordan Williams (DEC, 9-5), and Matty Bianchi (SV-1, 4-1).
The Jackrabbits responded by winning three consecutive matches, regaining the lead at 17-10. Stephen Little kept Little Rock in the hunt with a 7-3 decision to narrow the gap to 13-17, but South Dakota State held firm, closing out the dual with a 23-13 victory.
Little Rock 30, Northern Colorado 14
In the third-place match, Little Rock overcame an early setback to defeat Northern Colorado 30-14. After conceding a tech fall in the opening bout and falling behind 5-0, Nasir Bailey responded with a first-period tech fall of his own, tying the score at 5-5. Brennan Van Hoecke reignited his strong form from Friday, pinning his opponent in just over a minute to give the Trojans an 11-5 lead. Jordan Williams extended the advantage with a dominant 20-5 tech fall, making it 16-5.
The Bears fought back, taking the 157, 165, and 174 bouts to close the gap to 16-14. Brock DelSignore turned the tide for Little Rock with a 5-1 decision at 184, pushing the lead to 19-14. Stephen Little secured the dual victory with an injury forfeit at 197, bringing the score to 25-14. KJ Miley added a 22-4 tech fall win to seal a commanding 30-14 victory for the Trojans, clinching 3rd place.
Up Next
The Trojans face a quick turnaround as they travel to Davidson, North Carolina, for the Davidson Duals. They are set to compete against Lock Haven, Brown, Hofstra, and host Davidson.
