The Jamestown Jimmie men kick off their competitive season this weekend when they host the Jimmie Open.  Jamestown is the spot for North Dakota college wrestling this Saturday as Mary and Minot State, plus a selection of wrestlers for North Dakota State, will see their first action of the season.  The Jimmies return NAIA national qualifiers Jesse Barajas at 125 and  Brandon Aragon at 149 pounds, though Aragon will redshirt this season.  Head Coach Dan Lovell is looking forward to the Open as an opportunity to see what he has at this early stage of the year.

“We have a lot of new faces and a lot of guys coming off their redshirt season,” Lovell stated to NDwrestle.  “We are excited to see what they can do out on the mat against the competition”

UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN 2018 LINEUP

125:  Jesse Barajas (SR, Sunnyside, WA)

Barajars was a 2017 NAIA national qualifier and redshirted last season. He should provide a strong opening lineup piece for the Jimmies this season.

133: Josh Garcia (SR, Los Angeles, CA)

Garcia, a natural 125 pounder and transfer from Oakland Community College, will fill the role at 133 for at least the first semester.  Also at 133 are Peter Corona, Antonio Ruiz, and Sam Sisco.  Corona is a two-time California JUCO state place winner that could move into the starting role in the second semester.  Utah state champion Ruiz is currently working through knee rehabilitation and Sisco, a freshman Alaska state champion may redshirt this season.

141: Jesse Murillo (RSFR, El Paso, TX)

Murillo is a wrestler to keep your eye on this year as he had a successful redshirt campaign that included three open tournament placements.  Most impressively, Murillo won the Dragon Open White Division with two pins and a decision.  Behind Murillo are Devon Lyle and Elijah Hackman.  North Dakotans should recognize Eli Hackman as one of Class B’s strongest seniors last season.  The Velva product is likely to redshirt.

149:  Esteban Corona (JR, Bakersfield, CA)

With NAIA national qualifier and round of twelve finisher Brandon Aragon redshirting this season, the Jimmies will turn to Corona, a Bakersfield College California JUCO transfer who was a 2017 state runner-up.

157:  Carson Paynter (RSJR, Livermore, CA)

Paynter comes to Jamestown by way of Chabot College in California and is dropping down from 165.  His cardio is a big strength that the coaching staff is trying to translate to an advantage on the mat.

165: Kade Thompson (JR, Idaho Falls, ID)

Thompson is returning after a nice season for the Jimmies in which he finished fourth in the NAIA regional.  He has now placed at the Regional tournament in back to back seasons and will eye a spot an nationals this year.  Behind Thompson are Theo Robison and Thomas Ingram.  Ingrahm is a former Wyoming state champion and Thompson is on his way down after competing at 174 and 184 in the past.

174:  Tanner Smith (SR, Wilton, CA)

Like Thompson, Smith was fourth in the NAIA regional last season and will look to jump into the national tournament in this his finals season as a Jimmie.

184:  Matt Hernandez (SR, Kenosha, WI)

Hernandez was also fourth in the regional last year.  He was second at Concordia’s Finn-Grinaker Open and third at Dickinson’s Tyler Plummer Classic last season.

197:  Will Parks (JR, Perham, MN)

Will Parks was fourth in the NAIA regional last season and also placed the year before.  Behind Parks are Josh Goeden and Zavion Roberson.  Goeden is a freshman state champion from Alaska, while Roberson comes tot he table a two-time California JUCO state place winner for Bakersfield

285: Chumkaur Dhaliwal (JR, Hayward, CA)

Dhaliwal was a California JUCO state place winner for Chabot College last season. Behind him is Ramiro Macias, a  junior two-time California Juco State Placer from Bakersfield.