(Editor's note: University of Providence press releases)
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Jordan Komac of the University of Providence men's wrestling team has been named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week, the NAIA announced on Wednesday.
Komac, a redshirt-sophomore from Great Falls, went 3-0 in three conference duals this past weekend for the Argos, leading the team to three victories. He defeated #5 Frederick Padilla (Vanguard) via decision his first match before defeating #11 Keller Rock (Embry-Riddle). He ended the weekend by defeating Josiah Opp of Arizona Christian with a 14-3 major decision. For his efforts over the weekend he was named the CCC Wrestler of the Week.
"It's a great award," head coach Steve Komac said. "It's an earned accomplishment for the weekend he had last weekend. We knew going into the weekend that we were going to see two, very, very high-quality opponents on the same day in back to back duals. It's really a testament to him mentally and the fact that he's come around physically quite a bit that he could knock off two higher-ranked opponents an hour apart. You have to credit his mental focus and the fact that he's starting to feel real good."
The award shows that Komac, the 14th ranked 165-lb. wrestler in the nation, hasn't missed a beat since returning from an injury that kept him out of the lineup for two months. He has amassed a 14-5 record on the season and recorded a total of three pins on the year. In his first week back from injury two weeks ago, Komac won the Tyler Plummer Classic in Dickinson, N.D.
"As far as the award goes it's definitely something he feels good about," Komac said. "It's one of those small measuring sticks along the way. He's always known that he can wrestle with the best kids in the country and this last weekend was an example of that. He wants to continue to compete all the way up until the ending of the season."
Komac isn't the only Argo wrestler to receive national recognition this week – Ivy Navarro of the Argo women's wrestling team was also named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week this week. It is the first time all season that two wrestlers from the same school have received NAIA Wrestler of the Week honors in the same week.
"It's really incredible that both our programs earned that recognition this week," Komac said. "Both of our programs have a lot of really talented competitors in the room and this recognition shows it."
Komac and the Argos will host No. 8 MSU-Northern Thursday night in the final dual of the regular season. The dual will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center.
NAVARRO
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Ivy Navarro of the University of Providence women's wrestling team was named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week, the NAIA announced on Wednesday.
Navarro, a senior from Lahaina, Hawaii, won the 101-lb. weight class at the Grand View Open last Saturday, one of the bigger NAIA tournaments on the entire season. Navarro, who has been the top-ranked 101-lb. wrestler all season, took down the #2, #4 and #6-ranked wrestlers en route to capturing the crown. For her performance, she was also named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week.
"If anyone has deserved this honor, it's been Ivy," head coach Matt Atwood said. "She's been a dominant wrestler all year. She does all the right things and takes care of business, both academically and on the mat. It's been a long-time coming. She's been deserving for quite awhile. It's a huge honor for her. It should be a huge confidence-builder for her that other people are taking recognition of what she's doing."
By winning the Grand View Open, Navarro has now won three tournaments on the year. She had previously won the Battle of the Rockies and the Maverick Open and finished 2nd at the Missouri Valley Invite, losing to ranked NCAA-wrestler Olive Shore in her only loss of the season.
"The scary part is I don't think she wrestled her best this past weekend, and she was still a dominant force," Atwood said. "Her opponents were ranked high so she was a little more cautious and a little more calculated than what she usually is. Now that she saw how dominant she was in those matches, I expect her to be even more impressive going forward."
Navarro isn't the only Argo wrestler to receive national recognition this week – Jordan Komac of the Argo men's wrestling team was also named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week. It is the first time all season that two wrestlers from the same school have received NAIA Wrestler of the Week honors.
Navarro is also the second Argo women's wrestler to be named the NAIA National Wrestler of the Week this season – Ashley Goomanreceived the award on Nov. 17.
"It's a good week for Argo wrestling," Atwood said. "This is the second time we've got a National Wrestler of the Week award in our program this season and it happened the same week the men's program got the award as well. There's a lot of buzz going around our building and both programs are excited about what's next."
The Argos will next compete at the CCC Tournament, which will take place Feb. 27 in the McLaughlin Center in Great Falls, Mont.
