Central hosts state championship
February 11, 2016
This Sunday, Central’s wrestling club will hit the mats when it hosts the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Washington State Championships.
The NCWA is the governing organization of club wrestling across the country, just like the NCAA governs varsity sports.
Central wrestlers have been wrestling in the NCWA since the team lost its varsity status in 2004.
Wrestling did well as a varsity sport and is finding the same success as a club team in the NCWA.
After a strong finish in tournaments in 2015, Central was elevated from NCWA Division II to Division I.
The club had also done well in 2013, when the team won the Northwest Conference Regional Championship, finishing in second the following year.
Both of the finishes were followed with the team placing fifth the NCWA National Championships.
The Washington State Championships will bring teams from across the state that will be competing for spots in the NCWA Northwest Conference Championship and NCWA National Championship.
This Northwest Conference Championships represents teams in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The tournament is in Butte, Mont. on Feb. 27.
Grays Harbor College is one of the favorite schools attending the meet.
They are ranked 15 in NCWA Division I and are the only other Washington school besides Central in Division I.
However, Wrestling Club President Andrew Vulliet isn’t ready to give in to the rankings.
“I think we have a chance to probably do really well,” Vulliet said.
Vulliet, senior geography major, acknowledges that Central’s team is very young and inexperienced with many freshmen, but he believes that the team can get some wins.
Vulliet believes the team will be anchored by Jake Ferris, a junior recognized as an NCWA All-American last year.
“We lost a lot of the guys we had the last two years or so that were doing pretty well,” Vulliet said. “We lost two All-Americans. We have a lot of newcomers, and they’re pretty solid…but I’m expecting a few [weight class] championships.”
The end of season tournaments serve as a platform for improvement for the younger competitors.
Vulliet does point out that, regardless of the results, the enjoyment comes from competing together as a team.
“We’re just a close group of guys who… become a family as the season goes on. That’s what I go for with the club,” Vulliet said. “Plus, [we] have kids who maybe could’ve gone and wrestled at an actual program, but decided they’d rather go in-state.”
Jim Giunta • Feb 12, 2016 at 7:42 am
As the Executive Director of the NCWA, may I first say this was a well done news piece, and I applaud both the reporter and the paper for their coverage. I would like to add to the accuracy of your article if I may. The University of Central Washington is indeed a valued member of the NCWA and we applaud their success in building a wrestling program outside the Athletic Department. The NCWA is a Nationally recognized collegiate governing body for both Athletic Department Charted Teams as well as Sport Club or Student Government charted programs. Our Teams are recognized to participate against NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA as well as other NCWA teams. So regardless of what department the program reports to they are on the mat against some of the best teams in the country. I clarify this because true University “Club” programs are Not able to compete against their NCAA Counterparts… Central Washington is. “Clubs” are not normally competing against Athletic Department Programs, Central Washington is. Even the team at Grays Harbor you reference in your article is an Athletic department funded, and coached program. I just don’t want to sell short the fine athletes at Central Washington that work as hard as any other athletic program on campus.