Photo by Camryn Wilson | Jamestown CC Athletics Fredonia graduate Alex Christy is one of eight Jamestown Community College wrestlers who will arrive in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Monday for the NJCAA Wrestling Championships.

Eight Jamestown Community College wrestlers, along with their coaching staff, will arrive in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Monday evening, taking to the mat for the National Junior College Athletic Association National Wrestling Championships.

A season marred by cancellations and few available opponents appears to finally be in the rear-view mirror.

“I said before this is the least stressful team I have ever coached and the most stressful season,” Jayhawks head coach Kris Schimek said. “That statement still holds true.

“I’m excited. I’m really happy for them. These guys have all worked hard. They are all coachable, which is nice. I’m just really looking forward to seeing them have the opportunity to compete on the big stage,” Schimek added. “Some of these guys may have been really close, but didn’t make it to states in high school. So now they get to go to an even bigger tournament and, after a season of just dual meets, I think everyone is going to be pretty amped up.”

In a normal year wrestlers would have to finish in the top 70% of their regional matches to qualify for nationals. This year, those qualifications have been changed to a points system that takes into account all of the matches teams were able to schedule during the pandemic.

With only Niagara County CC opting into regional matches this season with Jamestown CC, the Jayhawks filled their schedule with bouts against Thiel College, Gannon University, Lackawanna College and Garrett College.

“It was tough to find matches,” Schimek said. “I think we had a little bit more luck than Niagara, but it was tough.”

Jamestown CC will send three seeded wrestlers to Iowa, including No. 7 Trenton Donahue (DuBois/DuBois) at 141, No. 7 Ross Abram (Eden, N.Y./Eden) at 174 and No. 8 Alex Christy (Fredonia, N.Y./Fredonia) at heavyweight.

Joining them will be unseeded grapplers Marcus Evans (Randolph, N.Y./Randolph) at 125, Taige Jones (Bemus Point, N.Y./Maple Grove) at 133, Dom Rodriguez (Gowanda, N.Y./Gowanda) at 149, Otto Davidson (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown) at 157 and Andrew Bungar (Hermitage/Hickory) at 165.

Jones and Davidson will return for their second trip to nationals as sophomores.

“Ross Abram has a really good chance to make some noise out there,” Schimek said. “He is my veteran, he is 28 years old and just got out of the service.”

Abram has seen plenty of success this season. The Eden native took to the mat for the first time as a college athlete after spending time in the armed forces.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him, especially since everything he has had to go through this year,” Schimek said. “He hasn’t lost to anyone in his weight class, and he works 50 to 60 hours a week and then comes to workouts and practices when he can. It is a struggle for him.”

Donahue and Christy will enter with seeds as well after strong performances at the NJCAA Eastern District tournament.

“Trenton wrestled really well,” Schimek said. “Alex Christy had a good performance. He has been practicing really hard and hasn’t missed a single workout since he decided he was coming here in June. A little bit of a shaky season, I think just first-year jitters. He got over that and pulled out a really good performance at regionals. The good thing is if you win regionals you get seeded, so that puts him in the best possible position to have a chance to get on the podium at nationals.”

Jones would likely have entered nationals with a seed at 133, but was held out of the district tournament in an effort to preserve his health for the end of the year.

The sophomore’s progress since his time at Maple Grove High School has been a marvel.

“I think he’s given everything he has left this season, and hope nothing but the best for him,” Schimek said of Jones. “He’s kind of our Cinderella story. He had a losing record in high school, was just under .500 last year, but showed a ton of improvement. He is 10-2 on the year. He is just night and day, a completely full turnaround. I think one of the biggest turnarounds I’ve ever had with someone I’ve coached.”

Aiding the Jayhawks on the westward journey will be two things — the size of the group and the experience.

Wrestling under the bright lights of a national tournament can be a challenge for any competitor, especially at the end of season that was held without most major tournaments.

Thinking about the impact of the grand stage, Schimek recalled the difference one year of experience made for his now assistant coach Dan Torres.

“It does make a difference, and it is one of those things as a coach that you just can’t predict. Who is and who is not going to get sucked into those lights,” Schimek said. “Having the big group is nice because it saves my back. I probably don’t have to get on the mat and practice while we are out there. You never know, maybe I will.”