COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Each of the five Barton wrestlers were able to win a match at the NJCAA Championships over the weekend in Iowa.
Three of those five won their opening round match, moving into the final 16 wrestlers.
The reward for two of them was a first and second seed, where they gave battle before being sent to the consolation bracket.
The closest any Cougar came to the quarterfinals was Joey Ewalt at 184.
Ewalt rode a second period escape and take down to beat Josh Thibeault of Niagara, 3-1. That pitted him against the weight’s second seed, Rozell Baker of Ellsworth.
Ewalt nearly made it to the quarterfinals as he battled Baker into extra time. Ewalt got a late take down to force the extra time, but lost 8-6 to the second seed on a take down.
In the consolation bracket, Ewalt’s tournament would end when in another close match. Ewalt fell behind to Josh McFarland of Iowa Western, 2-0, 21 seconds into the first period. That would be all the scoring as Ewalt’s season came to an end.
Awaiting Andrew DeArmond after his opening round win at 165 was the bracket’s top seed.
DeArmond opened with a 4-0 win over Jate Frost of Northwest, earning him a shot the bracket’s top seed Christian Minto of North Iowa Area.
DeArmond gave Minto a battle, trailing just 4-2 in the third period, before losing, 10-4. The Oklahoma sophomore would lose another close battle in his consolation match, 9-6, to Izaiah Duran of North Idaho.
Kolby Droegemeier won his opener Friday with an upset of the fifth seed at 149. Droegemeier won by a major decision over Ben Lamp of Harper, 10-2.
After the upset win, Droegemeier, battling an injury, wasn’t able to keep his momentum, losing by a technical fall in the second round and getting pinned in his consolation match.
Two more Cougars lost their first match, but picked up a win in the consolation bracket.
In what was perhaps the most exciting finish of the weekend, Drew Burgoon picked up a win the first round of the consolation bracket at 141. Burgoon was trailing 12-0 late in the third period to Brandon Judge of Lackawanna. Burgoon scored a reversal then a pin at 6:44 to score the win.
Gable Howerton won his first consolation match at 157 as well. Howerton scored a late fall over Noah Wusstig of Southwest Oregon. Howerton was leading 8-0 at the time of his pin at 6:35.
The Silver Lake sophomore nearly kept going in the consolation bracket but lost a 3-2 decision to Todd Perry of Ellsworth.

Barton results
141 – Drew Burgoon, 1-2
1st round – 3 Coonis, W Wyom, def Burgoon, 7-0
Cons 16.1 – Burgoon won by fall over Judge, Lackawanna, 6:44
Cons 16.2 – Gray, Niagara, won by fall over Burgoon, 4:42

149 – Kolby Droegemeier, 1-2
1st round – Droegemeier won by major dec over 5 Lamp, Harper, 10-2
2nd round – Wilson, Ellsworth, won by tech fall over Droegemeier, 17-2
Cons 16.2 – Johnston, Iowa Central, won by fall over Drogemeier, 6:17

157 – Gable Howerton, 1-2
1st round – Zeman, Triton, won by major dec over Howerton, 18-6
Cons 16.1 – Howerton won by fall over Wusstig, SW Oregon, 6:35
Cons 16.2 – Perry, Ellsworth, def Howerton, 3-2

165 – Andrew DeArmond, D1-2
1st round – DeArmond def Frost, Northwest, 4-0
2nd round – 1 Minto, N Iowa, def DeArmond, 10-4
Cons 16.2 – Duran, N Idaho, def DeArmond, 9-6

184 – Joey Ewalt, 1-2
1st round – Ewalt def Thibeault, Niagara, 3-1
2nd round – 2 Baker, Ellsworth, def Ewalt, 8-6
Cons 16.2 – McFarland, Iowa Western, def Ewalt, 2-0