Two returning champions headline the 2012 National Championships Qualifiers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the qualifiers for the 2012 NAIA Wrestling National Championships on Wednesday. The 55th annual event will take place March 1 – 3 at the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. The first of six sessions is set to get underway at 11 a.m. CST on March 1. Brackets will be posted Feb. 29 by 9 p.m. CST. 

Among the 320 qualifiers are 24 returning All-Americans, including two defending national champions and two runner-up finishers. Searching for a second-consecutive title will be Great Falls' (Mont.) Anthony Varnell at 141 pounds and Evan Hinebauch of Montana State-Northern at 184 pounds. Hinebauch, along with Campbellsville’s Tommy Pretty, enter the championships as the only three-time All-Americans. Pretty claimed the 133 pound individual title in 2010, before moving up to the 141 pound class in 2011. 

Each weight class will have at least one returning All-American in action in Des Moines, with both 141 and 165 pounds featuring four All-Americans. 

Grand View (Iowa) enters the tournament as the team favorite. The Vikings qualified 13 individuals and have held the top spot in the NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll for four consecutive weeks. 

NeuLion will stream live all 10 individual weight class championship bouts on March 3 and will be available to view starting at approximately 6:45 p.m. CST. A fee of $9.95 is set to view the finals. Click here for more information. 

Complete List by school

Complete List by weight class