DALLAS - The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) renew their first-of-its-kind wrestling event Saturday at the American Airlines Champions Challenge in Orlando, Fla. The AA Champions Challenge, in its second year, is a dual match between the returning NCWA and NAIA national champions and/or the top-ranked wrestlers from each association. The NCWA will have two of its defending national champions and three runners-up within its lineup, while the NAIA has six returning All-Americans in its lineup. Combined, there are 13 of each association’s finest programs represented at the Challenge, and the competing student-athletes hail from 11 different states. The NAIA topped the NCWA, 39-3, in the inaugural event last year held in conjunction with the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas. Each association has one wrestler back for the 2011 Challenge, as the NCWA’s Kevin Bacci, a senior from West Chester University and the defending NCWA champion at 174 pounds, takes on Jameon Rush, a junior from Hastings College (Neb.) who is currently ranked sixth in the NAIA at 165 pounds and placed 5th in the nation at 174 last year. In the highlight match of last year’s Challenge, Rush held on to defeat Bacci 4-3 in triple overtime to win the 174 match. The coaches for both squads also represent the best the associations have to offer. Coaching the NCWA are Jason Balma of NCWA defending champion Central Florida, Jovon Butler of 2009 champion The Apprentice School and John Petty of new NCWA program and former NAIA program California Baptist. Guiding the NAIA team will be Brian Jackson of Missouri Baptist, Jake Stevenson of Morningside (Iowa) and Patrick Giangrasso of Missouri Valley. The AA Champions Challenge will be at The Venue at UCF, a unique 2,000-seat facility that was completely renovated and re-opened in 2008 as an 87,000-square foot multi-purpose facility. It was formerly called UCF Arena. Here are the American Airlines Champions Challenge lineups, along with briefs on each wrestler’s rankings and accomplishments to date: 125 lbs. Grant Kadokura, Mass. Inst. of Technology Senior from Cupertino, Calif. NCWA Rank: 4th at 133 with a 9-7 record 2010 National Finish: Champion Update: The MIT captain led the Engineers to the NCWA Div. II national title last season. Most recently, he placed second at 133 pounds at Southern Maine’s Ted Reese Invitational. His 9 wins include 3 by fall. Paulie Hansen III, Missouri Valley Junior from Kansas City, Kan. NAIA Rank: 3rd with a 15-7 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Hansen is a two-time national qualifier. His top two finishes this season are a 4th-place showing at the Central Missouri Open, and tying for fifth at the Battle of the Rockies Open last month. 133 lbs. Steve DeAugustino, Central Florida Senior from Palm Coast, Fla. NCWA Rank: 2nd with a 19-2 record 2010 National Finish: 4th place Update: DeAugustino has been one of UCF’s leaders during his career with three consecutive All-American finishes, and helped lead UCF to the NCWA Div. I national title last year. He placed fourth at The Citadel Open earlier this season. Anton Prater, Missouri Baptist Senior from Atlanta, Ga. NAIA Rank: 9th with a 15-6 record 2010 National Finish: 5th place Update: Prater, a returning All-American, has a high finish this season of third at the Northern Iowa Area CC Open. He also took fourth at the Simpson Invitational and fourth at the Loras College Open. NCWA Alternate: Jimmy Martinez, California Baptist Junior from Anaheim, Calif. NCWA Rank: 4th with an 11-7 record 2010 National Finish: Did not compete. Martinez was a two-time JC All-American at Santa Ana College, which won the California JC state title last season. 141 lbs. Kendall Albert, Kennesaw State Junior from Suwannee, Ga. NCWA Rank: 4th with a 6-1 record 2010 National Finish: 3rd place Update: Albert became the only All-American in the Owls’ NCWA history with last year’s third-place finish. Albert took second at the UCF Open last month and won the Mercer Bear Invitational on Oct. 30. Drew Smith, Morningside (Iowa) Senior from Milburn, Neb. NAIA Rank: 4th with a 16-4 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Smith topped 100 career victories with the Mustangs this season. He won the Buena Vista Open earlier this season. 149 lbs. Chrstopher Santana, California Baptist Sophomore from Brawley, Calif. NCWA Rank: 1st with a 24-5 record 2010 National Finish: Did not compete. Update: Santana has placed in 4 out of 5 tournaments this season, winning two along with a win over the defending NAIA champion. He redshirted the 2009-2010 season after transferring from Sierra College where he compiled a 42-8 two-year record. Danny Hutcheson, Dakota Wesleyan Senior from Elk Point, S.D. NAIA Rank: Unranked with a 2-2 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Hutcheson rejoins DWU’s team after serving in the National Guard during the fall semester. He is a redshirt senior who went 23-10 last year and is fourth on DWU’s all-time wins list with 73 and holds career records in tech falls, near falls and reversals. 157 lbs. Ricky Anderson, The Apprentice School Junior from Chesapeake, Va. NCWA Rank: 1st with a 27-4 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Anderson has 21 pins on the season and another two wins by major decision. He has 79 career wins, and is 15-0 in dual matches this year. Brad Cusatis, Hastings College Junior from Beatrice, Neb. NAIA Rank: 9th with an 18-4 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Cusatis is a three-time national qualifier. He won the Baker Open and Hastings Open earlier this season, and placed fourth at the Dakota Wesleyan Open and six at the Neb.-Kearney Open. 165 lbs. Dustin Tancredi, West Chester Junior from Holland, Pa. NCWA Rank: 1st with a 12-5 record 2010 National Finish: Runner-up Update: Tancredi returns following his first All-American season. He placed fourth at the Ursinus Fall Brawl, and reached the third consolation round at the East Stroudsburg Open, one match short of the quarterfinals. Joe Sievert, Morningside (Iowa) Sophomore from Akron, Iowa NAIA Rank: 2nd with a 13-3 record 2010 National Finish: 3rd place Update: Sievert is a returning All-American and most recently earned two dual wins at the Cliff Keen National Duals, including a 9-5 decision over fifth-ranked Preston McKinney of Missouri Valley. 174 lbs. Kevin Bacci, West Chester Univ. Senior from Berwyn, Pa. NCWA Rank: 1st with a 12-4 record 2010 National Finish: Champion Update: Bacci looks to avenge a 4-3, triple overtime loss to Rush at this event last year. Of his 12 wins, 7 have come by fall. His 101-point total in the NCWA rankings is the 12th highest of any weight class. Jameon Rush, Hastings Univ. Senior from Clay Center, Kan. NAIA Rank: 6th at 165 with a 23-6 record 2010 National Finish: 5th place Update: Rush, a four-time national qualifier and returning All-American, defeated Bacci in the 174 match in this event last year, 4-3 in triple overtime. He won the Baker Open and was runner-up at the DWU Open and third at the Kearney Open and Hastings Open. 184 lbs. Ben Brummel, South Carolina Sophomore from Middleton, Wis. NCWA Rank: 5th at 174 with a 6-1 record 2010 National Finish: Runner-up Update: South Carolina’s first NCWA All-American placed third at the UNC-Pembroke Open and won the Mercer Open earlier this season. Of his six wins, three have come by fall. Jesse Alter, Missouri Valley Junior from Kirkville, Mo. NAIA Rank: 4th with a 16-9 record 2010 National Finish: 7th place Update: The 2009 All-American at 184 placed as the runner-up at the Central Missouri Open and tied for fifth at the Battle of the Rockies Open earlier this season. 197 lbs. Caleb Gerl, California Baptist Junior from Long Beach, Calif. NCWA Rank: 2nd at 197 with a 17-8 record 2010 National Finish: Did not compete. Update: Gerl won his bracket at the Embry-Riddle Open and second at the CBU Open. He is a transfer from Cerritos College, where he was the 197 state JC champion with a 32-2 record last year and a JC All-American. Charles Gibbs, Missouri Valley Senior from Moberly, Mo. NAIA Rank: 3rd with a 15-7 record 2010 National Finish: 7th place Update: Gibbs was a 197-lb. All-American in 2010, and was a former state champion in Missouri with a 47-0 record from 2006. He was the runner-up at the Battle for the Rockies Open earlier this season, and placed fourth at the Central Missouri Open. 285 lbs. Brian Milford, Texas A&M Senior from San Bernadino, Calif. NCWA Rank: 4th at 235 with a 7-0 record 2010 National Finish: Runner-up at 235 Update: Milford became the Aggies’ eighth NCWA All-American last year. He won the Southwest Open and the Aggieland Open earlier this season wrestling at 235 pounds. Of his seven wins, five have been by fall. Travis Ewart, Missouri Valley Senior from Riverside, Calif. NAIA Rank: 2nd with a 17-4 record 2010 National Finish: Did not place Update: Ewart, an All-American in 2009, won the Battle of the Rockies Open as the top seed earlier this season and also placed second at the Central Missouri Open. NCWA Coaches Jason Balma, Central Florida Jovon Butler, Apprentice John Petty, California Baptist NAIA Coaches Brian Jackson, Missouri Baptist Jake Stevenson, Morningside Patrick Giangrasso, Missouri Valley ABOUT THE NCWA Founded in 1997 as a 501c3 non-profit association, the Dallas-based NCWA was created to fill gaps in today’s wrestling community. The NCWA is committed to a goal of increasing leadership opportunities for student-athletes using wrestling as a platform to teach and promote hands-on leadership skills. Volunteer coaching mentors and university staff guide them in the development of a successful business model, in this case a wrestling team, by assisting in budgeting, time management, fundraising, scheduling, bargaining and negotiation, motivation, discipline and work ethics. The NCWA functions to provide a spawning ground for these new wrestling teams across the country. A college can add an NCWA program to its athletic department or charter it through their student government or sports club department. Universities currently sponsoring NCWA programs are as large as The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Central Florida, or as small as community colleges and collegiate prep schools. There are 172 programs in the NCWA, including nine new members for the 2010-2011 season. Last year, the NCWA welcomed Wagner and MIT to its ranks. Wagner is a former NCAA Division I program that was disbanded by its athletic department, but recognized it could keep wrestling on campus through NCWA membership. MIT is a former NCAA Division III program, and won the NCWA Division II national championship in its first season in addition to keeping wrestling alive on its campus. Two campuses within the Penn State University system at New Kensington and Dubois added NCWA programs to their athletic department offerings this season as well. Through athletic endeavor, team leadership responsibilities and community involvement, NCWA student athletes leave college life ready to meet a competitive world head on.