Parsons Sun
LCC clamps down on Neosho
By Mack McClure
Sports Editor
The empty feeling of not winning an NJCAA national championship last season still pries at some of Labette Community College's wrestlers.
Returnees Tim Elliott (125 pounds), Josh Baldridge (133), Tommy McCarty (174) and Willie Weber (heavyweight) all captured All-America honors last season.
But the Cardinals, who won the national title in 2005, fell short of a repeat in 2006 and finished third in the team standings.
"Three of the four are still mad that they didn't win a national championship last season," Labette head coach Joe Renfro said of McCarty and Baldridge (fourth-place national finishers), along with fifth-place finisher Elliott. "They're not happy about it at all.
"Willie Weber (who was a seventh-place finisher) has kind of taken it in stride. He's just going out there with the attitude he has nothing to lose."
Wednesday night in Chanute, the Cardinals used a blue-collar-type of performance to dismantle Neosho County 33-9.
"It was one of those nights where there weren't any individuals that stood out," Renfro said. "I think we came out and wrestled well as a team."
The likes of Weber, Baldridge and McCarty captured victories, while Elliott's weight division was open.
On Saturday, Labette travels to Omaha, Neb., to take part in the Omaha Ryan Kaufman Open. The matches start at 9 a.m.
Neosho County duel
at Chanute
Labette 33, Neosho County 9
Wednesday's results
197 - Ethan Leroy (NCCC) Forfeit OPEN (LCC)
HWT - Willie Weber (LCC) MD 15-5 over Wesley Grant (NCCC)
125 - Tim Elliott (LCC) Forfeit OPEN (NCCC)
133 - Josh Baldridge (LCC) Dec 13-9 over Tanner Dawson (NCCC)
141 - Marcus Bowman (LCC) MD 15-3 over Matt Ward (NCCC)
149 - Willy Pendleton (LCC) MD 14-5 over Keanan Kroetsch (NCCC)157 - Joe Yust (LCC) Dec 3-1 over Cody Sprang (NCCC)
165 - Mikey Morgan (LCC) Fall 1:36 over Jazz Pierce (NCCC)
174 - Tommy McCarty (LCC) Dec 2-0 over Jason Green (NCCC)
184 - Tim Cross (NCCC) Dec 10-9 over Eric Irvin (LCC)
197 - (Exhibition) Elijah Martinez (LCC) Fall 1:43 over Ethan Leroy (NCCC)
11/16/2006; 1:45:23 PM
