Rochester, Minn -- Iowa Central literally rode their way to National Title at the NCJAA National Wrestling Championships held at the Mayo Civic Center on February 16th.  The Tritons lead by head coach Mark Ostrander, saw his the team title come down to the heavy weight match in which #6 rated Cain Valasquez defeated Neosho Panther Dean Taylor, rated 2nd,  2-1 in the final match of the night to give Iowa Central a 134-130 margin of victory over Neosho.  The defending NJCAA Champions, North Idaho, finished 3rd with 166.5 points.    Having finished 2nd the past 2 season, the third time truly was a charm for the Tritons of Fort Dodge, Iowa.   Coming in to the 2001-2002 season, Iowa Central had the 1# recruiting class in non-Division I schools, however they were battling the returning National Champions from 2001 North Idaho, and the champs from 2000, Neosho, who also boasts the 1# recruiting class from 2 years ago as compiled by Wrestling USA magazine.    In the final NJCAA team ratings, Iowa Central was rated 3# as a team heading into the NJCAA tournament and Neosho and North Idaho were rated 1st and 2nd. Neosho qualified all ten of their wrestlers for the NJCAA tournament as did Iowa Central.  However, the Tritons 7# rated wrestle at 149, Kevin Contos, was left at Ft. Dodge for breaking team rules, leaving Iowa Central with 9 qualifiers.    Following the semi-final round, Iowa Central held a 9 point lead over Neosho, 128-119.  The final round would determine the national championship, as Iowa Central and North Idaho both had 4 finalists and Neosho had 3.    At 125 pounds 1# rated James Rollins from Gloucester use a pair of wins over seeded opponents to reach the finals.  In the second round of preliminaries, Rollins defeated the 2001 National runner-up Nick Voss of Waldorf 7-3, and pinned #6 Andrew Bradbury of William Rainey Harper in the semi-finals to advance to the finals against Nick Vogt of Meremec.  Vogt the 5# rated wrestler at 125 topped the #4 wrestler Derek Jones of Colby, 13-4, in the  semi-finals.  The 1# rating of Rollins held true as he defeated Vogt 8-5. Rollins one of three Gloucester wrestlers in the finals helped his team capture the NJCAA Division III National Title with 101.5 points followed by runner-up Nassau who had 65.5 points.    In the 41 years of the NJCAA Championships, only 40 wrestlers have won titles in both tries at JUCO's and 133# Ozzie Saxon of North Idaho became the 41st wrestler to do so.  It is not an easy task to do, and it was not easy for Saxon.  In the semi-final round Saxon need double over time and the luck of the final flip to score a 2-1 decision over 3# rated Pat Garcia of Western Wyoming.  Saxon then faced Jafari Vanier, one of Iowa Central's four  finalists for the championship.  In what was a matter of dejavu for Saxon, he found himself in the same situation as his semi-final match.  Tied with Vanier of Iowa Central 1-1 after the first over time, Saxon won the flip, chose down and escaped to win the national title at 133#, his 2nd in two years.    At 141# Neosho's Bogdan Ciufulescu was not to be out done by Saxon of NI, as Ciufulescu also had a chance to become a 2 time NJCAA national champion. The Panther won the title in 2000, and made the 2002 finals by defeating 4# rated Nick Holt of North Idaho 14-4 in the quarters, and Paul Collum from Iowa Central 11-4 in the semi-finals.  In the finals at 141#, Ciufulescu faced Peter DeLacruz of Pima.  Delacruz, unrated, downed 5th, 6th, and 7th  rated wrestlers to make the finals.  In the final match Ciufulescu took an early and strong lead, but Delacruz kept battling to the point that the Neosho wrestler was two warning away from disqualification.  In the end, Ciufulescu won the title 18-8.  Ciufulescu, 32, has competed 5 times in the world championships for Romania, placing 4th in the worlds at one point, as well as being a 1996 Olympian.  DeLacruz was awarded the sportsmanship award for his valiant effort against a two time JUCO champion and Olympian. Ciufulescu win helped close the gap between Neosho and Iowa Central.    The number one and number two ranked wrestlers were beaten at 194# in the semi-finals to set up a finals match between the number 8 and 4 seeds.  Keri Stanley(4#) of North Idaho topped the returning national champion and 2# ranked Bart Mahlert of Ellsworth 5-3 to reach the finals, and Ryan Mauer(8#) of Nassau downed the top seeded Partick Williams(1#) of Neosho 4-3 in the semis.  In the finals, Mauer downed the Cardinal's Stanley by the score of  8-5 securing an individual title while helping his Nassau team to a 2nd place finish in division-III.    157# B.J. Wright rated 3rd of Ricks pinned the number two rated wrestler, Nick Rausenberger of Nassau to advance to the finals against the 1# rated wrestler at this weight in Israel Martinez of North Idaho.  Wright dropped a close 5-4 decision to the Cardinal wrestler, closing the chapter on Ricks wrestling.  Ricks College who qualified 7 wrestlers for the NJCAA tournament has joined forces with BYU to become BYU-Idaho, and will discontinue wrestling at the college.    Long time coach Bob Christensen stated that," I am devastated and disappointed that Ricks is discontinuing the wrestling program.  This is my 34th year of coaching and wrestling has been a large part of my life for many years, I have seen many changes in junior college wrestling in my time. I have made a great number of friends with wrestling, and I will miss the sport.  I guess I will have to find something to do on weekends."    Entering the 2002-2002 season, his 18th season, Christensen has compiled a 202-62 Career Record at Ricks.  In 2000-2001, Christensen's team recorded an 18-5 record, the most dual meet wins ever in a single season for the coach. The 18 wins also pushed Christensen over the 200 win mark for his career.    During his tenure, 40 Viking wrestlers have won Region 18 championships. Sixty four of Coach Christensen's wrestlers have won All-American honors. Eight of Bob's teams have finished in the top four at the NJCAA finals. He won Coach of the Year honors in 1988 and Region 18 Coach of the Year in 1999.   Christensen's career dual meet record at Ricks College now stands at 202-62-2.  Probably the best know wrestler to come out of Ricks is Olympian Rulon Gardner, which is just another example of the importance of junior college programs in developing wrestlers and the sport.    Bob was a state heavyweight wrestling champion at Missoula County High  School in Montana. He won an NJCAA championship as a heavyweight at Ricks College in 1964. He finished third in the Western Athletic Conference in 1967 and 1968 as a heavyweight at Brigham Young University. Christensen first became a head wrestling coach in 1968 at American Falls High School in Idaho. He moved to North Fremont High School in Ashton in  1971 where he won two Idaho state championships in 1978 and 1980. He moved to Ricks College in 1984 Bob is married. He and his wife Marcy have five children.  Coach Christensen will stay on with BYU-Idaho in Ricks as a full-time faculty member.    AT 165# Neosho's 1# rated J.J. Homes gave the Panther followers something to cheer about as he pinned Lassen's David Hilliard in a spladdle at the 5:17 mark giving Neosho a 130-128 lead over Iowa Central. Heading into the 174# finals trailing by 2 points in the team race, Iowa Central had a 1# rated wrestler taking the mat in Kenyatta Carter, who was a national runner-up in 2001.    In the 2002 finals Carter faced 2# rated Brian Brittingham of Gloucester.  Brittingham would take an early lead on take downs and back points, but Carter battled back to tie the score in regulation time at 13-13.  The first period of over-time saw both wrestlers taking good shots, but Brittingham came up with the winning take down for the 15-13 overtime win. Carter finishes as the runner-up for the second year in a row, although Iowa Central still trailed by two points in the team race, the Tritons still had two wrestlers left, but the challenge was great!  At 184# Willie Parks(IC) rated 2# faced the returning national champion Josh Birt from North Idaho, and at heavy weight, the Trit