Colon earns National Title; Grand View College claims championship

Clear Lake High School graduate Jacob Colon won an individual title and helped the Grand View College wrestling team to an  unprecedented fifth-straight team national title Saturday at the 2016 NAIA Wrestling National Championships  The 59th annual event took place at the Kansas Expocentre for the third-straight season.

With the win, the Vikings are the first team in NAIA history to win five-consecutive national titles. Additionally, Grand View is only the fifth program in collegiate wrestling history (NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA) to win five-or-more consecutive championships. The other programs to do so are NCAA Division I Iowa (six-straight (1995-2000) and nine-straight (1978-1986)), NCAA Division I Oklahoma State (seven-straight (1937-1949)), NCAA Division II Cal State-Bakersfield (five-straight (1979-1983)) and NCAA Division II Cal Poly (seven-straight (1968-1974).

Grand View set a new standard for team scoring at the NAIA national championships with 210 points. The point total shattered the previous scoring record of 193 points, which was originally set by former member Dana (Neb.) in 2006 and later tied by Grand View in 2014.

The Vikings had seven grapplers in the finals; Colon was one of three to walk away as a national champion.  He won his title at 133-pounds. He won by a 10-0 major decision over Davion Caston, of Campbellsville, Ky.  This was his first career national championship.