The nation's best junior college wrestlers are arriving in Rochester, Minn. Today to participate at the 2005 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Wrestling Championships. The competition will be held Friday, Feb. 24 and Saturday, Feb. 25 at the University Center Rochester - Regional Sports Center. The event is hosted by the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission and the Rochester Community and Technical College. Returning team and individual champions The defending Div. I champion at the NJCAA Nationals is NW Wyoming, which captured the 2004 National Championships with a dominant team performance. The defending Div. III champion is Nassau Community College (NY). Among the highest ranked teams heading into the NJCAA Nationals in Div. I are Labette, North Idaho, Western Wyoming, Colby and Lincoln. Among the highest ranked teams in the Div. III race this year are Nassau, Ridgewater, Harper, Itasca and Stevens Tech. Earl Jones of Labette, the 125-pound champion last year, returns at 133 pounds. Eric Luedke of Colby, the 157-pound champion last year, returns at 165 pounds. Seven teams have full 10-athlete teams Wrestling is an individual sport, but it sure helps in the team standings to have a full 10-athlete squad at the national championships. Seven teams were able to qualify 10 athletes for this year's NJCAA National Wrestling Championships. Full teams will be entered by Iowa Central, Ellsworth, Gloucester, North Idaho, Harper, Southwest Oregon and Stevens Tech this year. Three teams have nine athletes, and six teams have eight entries. A total of 38 junior colleges have qualified athletes for this year's nationals. Follow the action online Wrestling fans can follow the results from the NJCAA Nationals via the internet at the tournament web page at the following e-mail address: http://www.rochsports.org/eventsf.html Junior Colleges contribute to Olympic success Junior College wrestling is very important to the Olympic program in the United States. Three of the 13 men wrestlers on the 2004 U.S. Olympic wrestling team were past Junior College wrestlers. Two of these men won Olympic medals and the other placed fourth. Winning a silver medal in men's freestyle at 145.5 pounds was Jamill Kelly, who started his college career at Lassen College. Claiming a bronze medal in men's Greco-Roman at 264.5 pounds was the infamous Rulon Gardner, who got his college wrestling start at Ricks College. Placing fourth in men's freestyle at 211.5 pounds was Daniel Cormier, who was a star wrestler for Colby Community College. For Gardner, it was a second career Olympic medal, to go with his gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. Gardner beat the previously unbeaten legend Alexander Kareline of Russia in the finals. Certainly, these athletes have come a long way since their days competing in the NJCAA National Championships. However, all three got their start by attending a two-year college and making a big name for themselves. 2004 NJCAA NATIONAL RESULTS Individual finals 125 - Earl Jones (Labette) dec. Seth Wright (NW Wyoming), 11-7 133 - Charles Lloyd (Lassen) dec. Pat Sharp (NW Wyoming), 10-4 141 - Eric Sabot (NW Wyoming) dec. Dustin May (Labette), 3-1 149 - Mike Rio (Harper) dec. Chris Deluca (Nassau), 11-5 157 - Eric Luedke (Colby) dec. Joshua Medina (Pima), 4-2 165 - Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov (Colby) dec. Carlos Patrick (Nassau), 12-5 174 - Anthony Johnson (Lassen) dec. Travis Birhanzl (Ridgewater), 5-3 184 - Mike Massenzio (Bergen) dec. John Koons (Ridgewater), 8-3 197 - Robert Roszkiewicz (NW Wyoming) dec. Nate Buys (Minnesota West), 8-1 285 - Tyler Rhodes (NW Wyoming) dec. Israel Silva (North Idaho), 4-1 Top 10 teams Div. I 1. NW Wyoming, 155.5 2. Lassen, 89.5 3. Iowa Central, 87.5 4. North Idaho, 82.0 5. Colby CC, 78.5 6. Labette CC, 74.5 7. Lincoln College, 53.5 8. Ellsworth CC, 50 9. Neosho County CC, 48 10. SW Oregon CC, 44.0 Top 10 teams Div. III 1. Nassau CC, 117.5 2. Ridgewater, 62.0 3. Harper, 55.5 4. Itasca CC, 34.5 5. Thaddeus; Stevens Tech., 34 6. Gloucester CC, 33 7. Bergen CC, 24 8. Middlesex County College, 22.5 9. Minnesota West, 16.5 10. Rochester, 8