Campus News

March 20th, 2026

Lakers tie for 25th at wrestling nationals

Cannaday, Boston, and Gavin each go 3-2 for Garrett College

Council Bluffs, IA – Cameron Cannaday (157 pounds), Elijah Boston (285), and Keon Gavin (133) each went 3-2 in their respective weight classes last Friday as Garrett College produced its best-ever finish at the NJCAA national wrestling tournament.

The Lakers and Labette (KS) Community College each totaled 25 team points to tie for 25th place. Indian Hills claimed its second consecutive men's wrestling national championship, winning three weight classes and amassing 201.5 points to 188 for runner-up Western Wyoming College.

"Every year we've gotten better, and this year we made a huge jump," said GC head coach David Wingate, whose program finished 39th at last year's national tournament. "We just have to keep making that climb."

Cannaday nearly reached the quarterfinals of the main draw, dropping a 4-3 decision to Northern Idaho College's Colton Tucker in the round of 16.

Cannaday used a reversal with 55 seconds remaining to take a 2-1 lead, but he was called for an illegal cutback four seconds later as Tucker executed a reverse. Cannaday escaped with 34 seconds left, but couldn't get a match-winning takedown in the time remaining.

"He [the referee] should have stopped it there [when the illegal cutback was called], but he also gave him [Tucker] the reverse during that exchange," lamented Wingate.

Boston lost in the round of 32 before pulling off two come-from-behind victories in the consolation bracket. He used an overtime takedown to defeat Nassau Community College's Domonick Albertilli and topped Niagara Community College's Hamza Merrick, 3-2 on riding time, before getting pinned by Western Wyoming's Kort Wilkinson.

"Elijah worked hard and really wrestled well," said Wingate, noting Boston lost earlier in the season to Albertilli.

Gavin's best performance came in the second consolation round, where he defeated Itasca's Kody Fleck, 13-4.

Four other Lakers – Camden Hull (141), Kollin Sullivan (174), Nick Anderson (125), and Noah Obinna (149) – each went 1-2.

The Lakers, who finished with a 4-18 match record at last year's nationals, were 13-20 this season.

"This is the most competitive that we've been at the national tournament," said Wingate. "I'm really proud of everyone, including our back-ups, for working hard throughout the season. We're making progress. We're getting better and better every year."

Brooks Smith (165), Sundiata Chavis (184), and Liam Debaugh (197) were all 0-2. Debaugh lost to Iowa Central's Umair Ahmad, 6-4, on a third-period takedown that broke a 3-3 tie before Iowa Lakes' Damien Spears erased an 8-1 deficit in a 10-9 consolation bracket win over Debaugh.

Wingate is ready to keep the Lakers' momentum moving at the national level.

"We have 363 days until the next national tournament," said Wingate on Monday. "We've just got to start preparing now."