Chris Pendleton competing at the 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial. Pendleton earned a spot in the World Team Trials with his win at 84 kg at the Northern Plains Senior Regionals. Larry Slater photo

WATERLOO, Iowa – A pair of past NCAA champions were among the champions in freestyle at the Northern Plains Senior Regionals on Saturday.

Called the “Last Chance Qualifier,” it is the final opportunity for Senior level competitors to qualify for the U.S. World Team Trials in Oklahoma City, Okla., June 9-11.

Two-time NCAA champion Chris Pendleton, who won his titles for Oklahoma State in 2004 and 2005, captured the gold medal at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Gregor Gillespie, a 2007 NCAA champion for Edinboro, won the title at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Pendleton (Laramie, Wyo./Gator WC) defeated 2011 NCAA champion Jon Reader (Davison, Mich/(Iowa State), 3-2, 5-1 in the finals. Pendleton, a past Freestyle Team USA member, is currently an assistant coach at the Univ. of Wyoming.

Gillespie (Edinboro, Pa./New York AC) earned a technical fall in the finals over Braden Schrupp (Becker, Minn./Minnesota Storm), 6-0, 7-0.

Winning the Northern Plains title for the second straight year was Dylan Ness (Bloomington, Minn./Minnesota Storm), the champion at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Ness, who is taking a redshirt as a freshman at Minnesota, pinned veteran Joe Johnston (Columbia, Mo./Gator WC), 2-1, 0:47 in the finals. Ness won this event last year as a high school senior.

At 55 kg/121 lbs., Daniel Dennis (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) defeated 2010 Junior World Team member Ryak Finch (Safford, Ariz./Iowa State), 0-6, 3-3, 2-0 in the finals. Dennis is a former star for the Univ. of Iowa.

The other three champions were college wrestlers this past season: Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./Badger WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Luke Lofthouse (Avon, Utah/Hawkeye WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Blayne Beale (Davenport, Iowa/Panther WC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Graf competed for the Univ. of Wisconsin, Lofthouse for the Univ. of Iowa and Beale for the Univ. of Northern Iowa.

Three women freestyle wrestlers qualified for the World Team Trials with victories: Rachel Bernardes (Colorado Springs, Colo./unattached) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Alicia Hubbard (Colorado Springs, Colo./unattached) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Vanessa Oswalt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

The Northern Plains Junior Regionals in freestyle were also held. Claiming the Outstanding Wrestler in the Junior division was Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota at 140 pounds. 

Eight wrestlers won double titles in the Northern Plains Junior Regionals by winning both the freestyle and Greco-Roman titles: Zillmer, plus Sam Phillips of Iowa (98), Jarred Oftedahl of Minnesota (105), Andrew Crone of Wisconsin (112), Dylan Peters of Iowa (119), Zane Richards of Illinois (130), Ben Morgan of Minnesota (135), Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota and Michael Sojka of Illinois (215).

NORTHERN PLAINS SENIOR REGIONALS
At Waterloo, Iowa, May 14, 2011

Men’s Freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st- Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) dec. Ryak Finch, Safford, Ariz.  (Iowa State), 0-6, 3-3, 2-0
3rd - Michael Dunkum, Colorado Springs, Colo. (OTC) dec. Tyler Mumbulo, Fayette, Iowa (Elite Takedown Club), 0-1,4-0,6-4

60 kg/132 lbs.
1st - Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (Badger WC) dec. Bernard Futrell, Park Forrest, Ill. (Illini WC), 1-3, 3-0, 6-0
3rd - Chris Dardanes, Oak River, Ill. (Minnesota Storm) pin Cody Garcia, Omaha, Neb. (Maverick WC), 2-6, 4-3, 0:58

66 kg/145.5 lbs. 
1st - Dylan Ness, Bloomington, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) pin Joe Johnston, Columbia, Mo. (Gator WC), 2-1, 0:47
3rd - RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (Readyrp National) dec. Brett Robbins, Bloomington, Ill. (Panther WC), 6-0, 5-0

74 kg/163 lbs.
1st - Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro, Pa. (New York AC) tech. fall Braden Schrupp, Becker, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 6-0, 7-0
3rd - Nate Carr, Jr., Gray, Ga. (Cyclone WC) dec. Josh Terrell, Plainfield, Ill. (Gator WC), 3-1, 1-1

84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - Chris Pendleton, Laramie, Wyo. (Gator WC) dec. Jon Reader, Davison, Mich. (Iowa State), 3-2, 5-1
3rd - Benjamin Wissel, W. Lafayette, Ind. (W. Lafayette) dec. Evan Brown, Dubuque, Iowa (Gator WC), 1-0,1-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1st - Luke Lofthouse, Avon, Utah (Hawkeye WC) dec. Kamarudeen Usman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (GRIT Athletics), Dec 1-1,1-4,1-0
3rd -Austin Boehm, Omaha, Neb. (Maverick WC) pin Mike Schmidt, Milwaukee, Wis. (Ringers), 1:13

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st - Blayne Beale, Davenport, Iowa (Panther WC) dec. Jake Glore, Imperial, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation), 4-1, 1-0
3rd - Spencer George, Lombard, Ill. (Whitewater)

Women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1st- Rachel Bernardes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (unattached)

59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Alicia Hubbard, Colorado Springs, Colo. (unattached) 

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1st - Vanessa Oswalt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Moriah Fernandez, Morgan Hill, Calif. (USOEC), 2-0, 2-2, 7-0

NORTHERN PLAINS JUNIOR REGIONALS
At Waterloo, Iowa, May 14, 2011

Freestyle results

98 lbs 
1st - Sam Phillips of Iowa

105 lbs 
1st - Jarred Oftedahl (Minnesota) over Alec Vogel (Iowa) Fall 2-0,1:12

112 lbs 
1st - Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) over Nate Jozsa (Illinois) Dec 2-6,8-0,2-1
3rd - Billy Underhill (Minnesota) over Erik Olson (Minnesota) TF 6-0,7-0

119 lbs 
1st - Dylan Peters (Iowa) over Chad Bartschenfeld (Wisconsin) Dec 2-1,6-2
3rd - Colby Knight (Iowa) over Morgan Engbrecht (South Dakota) Dec 2-0,4-0

125 lbs 
1st - Cory Clark (Iowa) over Sam Brancale (Minnesota) Dec 4-3,4-3
3rd - Eric DeVos (Iowa) over Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota) Dec 2-0,3-3

130 lbs 
1st - Zane Richards (Illinois) over Kyle Larson (Iowa) Dec 1-0,1-0
3rd - Joe Munos (Minnesota) over Jimmy Carpenter (Missouri) Dec 3-1,4-0

135 lbs 
1st - Ben Morgan (Minnesota) over Tanner Werner (Iowa) TF 7-0,6-0
3rd - Austin Roper (Missouri) over Mitch Friedman (Wisconsin) Dec 4-2,5-0

140 lbs 
1st - Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota) over Jake Kadel (Iowa) Dec 1-0,3-1
3rd - Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) over Colton Gladwell (Illinois) Dec 5-3,2-0

145 lbs 
1st - Gabriel Moreno (Iowa) over Kolton Rottink (Iowa) TF 8-0,8-0
3rd - Garret Hoffner (Minnesota) over Null (Unattached) Dec 0-4,6-0,3-1

152 lbs 
1st - Jordon Rothers (Minnesota) over Trey Hable (Minnesota) Dec 0-5,5-0,5-1
3rd - Jason Fugiel (Illinois) over Ben Cousins (Minnesota) Dec 6-0,2-1

160 lbs 
1st - Alex Meyer (Iowa) over Kyle Begin (Minnesota) Fall 0-7,1:49
3rd - Dylan Reel (Illinois) over Dylan Blackford (Iowa) Dec 1-5,6-0,5-0

171 lbs 
1st - Cody Caldwell (Iowa) over Dusty Jentz (Wisconsin) TF 6-0,6-0
3rd - Logan Molina (Nebraska) over Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin) Dec 4-0,3-1

189 lbs 
1st - Travis Mallo (Iowa) over Willie Miklus (Iowa) Dec 3-0,5-1
3rd - Shane Hughes (Wisconsin) over Jack Dechow (Illinois) Dec 6-0,0-4,4-4

215 lbs 
1st - Michael Sojka (Illinois) over Josh Marchok (Illinois) Fall 2-0,1:36
3rd - Blaize Cabell (Iowa) over Kane Seeley (Iowa) Dec 5-1,5-3

285 lbs 
1st - Cody Krumwiede (Iowa) over Jordan Rouse (Iowa) Fall 1:34
3rd - Joe Scanlan (Iowa) over Kaleb Staack (Iowa) Dec 7-0,4-0