By:Patrick Hall Tuesday, 1 May, 2007

After first year Head Coach Chas Thompson qualified six wrestlers for the 2007 NJCAA National Championships and returned with two All Americans, expectations will be high for a repeat performance. The Beaver Wrestling program's current crop of recruits should ensure that the 2006-07 team's fortunes were not beginner's luck.

It did not take long for first year Thompson to reestablish PCC Wrestling as a national caliber program. With Beavers Colby Crawford and Jason Nichols returning from Nationals as All Americans and the team finishing 10th, they immediately established credentials on the national level. Those credentials should become even more solid with this year's signees.

Thompson's "I am very proud of who I signed. I am pretty excited," said Thompson. "I think they are going to push the guys who are already here and possibly fill in some spots. They all have great shots to make an impact in their first season."
He will bring three Kansas State High School Athletic Association champions on campus in 2007-08. Maize's Zach Hentzen and Michael Maley of WaKeeney-Trego are blue chippers. Hentzen won the 2007 145-pound 6A title and finished his senior season 36-4. In 2005, he claimed the 135-pound championship. He is a four-time top-two finisher. Maley claimed the 3-2-1A 189-pound titles in 2006 and 2007. He earned the 2007 title with a 35-0 record. Matt McGinty of Gypsum-Southeast-Saline fell to Maley in the 2007 state final. Now, they will be PCC teammates. McGinty ended 2007 at 32-3. Thompson's third state champion is Jared Brown of Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights. Brown wrestled his way to a 35-5 record and the 160-pound 5A 2007 title. The coach considers Hentzen, Maley, and Brown major signees

Thompson has also signed Jacup Richey of Wichita South and Pittsburg's Brandon Wise. Richey completed 2007 with a 31-9 record and the 215-pound runner-up at 6A states. Wise, a transfer from Central Missouri State University, was the 2005 4A 160-pound runner-up.

Thompson's first out-of-state signee is 152-pound runner-up Nick Felix of Newkirk, Okla. Thompson expects to sign additional out-of-staters.
"I just wanted to make sure I got in some people who wanted to come in and win," said Thompson. "All these kids have great attitudes and are excited about becoming Pratt Beavers. I have high confidence in them and they had enough confidence in me to sign on the dotted line."

Aaron Ely of Leavenworth, the 2006 6A champion at 125 and 2007 champion at 130, is being pursued by Thompson. His commitment would be a jewel in Thompson's recruiting crown.