PALATINE, Ill. – As a freshman, Cory Pych (/South Elgin) did not wrestle at the Midwest District Championship or at NJCAA Nationals. However, as a sophomore, Pych was a steady force on the Harper wrestling team, posted a 22-9 record leading up to nationals, and earned a spot in the 2016 NJCAA Wrestling Championships in the 149-pound weight class.
Pych made the most of his opportunity at nationals and concluded his Hawks career on a high note, earning All-American distinction with a sixth place finish in his weight class. His sixth place finish at the national meet has earned him the honor of being named the sixth Harper College Athlete of the Week for the 2015-16 school year.
Pych's road to becoming an All-American began on Feb. 14 at the 2016 NJCAA Wrestling Midwest District Championship hosted by Harper College. He won two tough matches over opponents from Triton College and Muskegon Community College to earn a spot in the national meet.
Seeded third at 149, Pych was given a first round bye. In the round of 16, he won 4-2 over Iowa Western CC's Oscar Ramirez to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarters, he pinned Jamestown CC's Nate Skonieczny
to advance to the national semifinals.
Despite losses in the semifinals and next two matches, Pych had already cemented his status as an All-American wrestler, Harper's only All-American this season. The points he earned helped the Hawks finish fourth among non-scholarship schools at NJCAA Nationals.
While Pych closed the year strongly, he consistently performed well on the mat. In his first meet of the year, the Pointer Open at University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point on Nov. 7, he placed fifth at 149. The following week, Pych placed third at the Dan Gable Open at UW–Oshkosh. He placed second at the 26th Art Kraft Memorial Open at Triton College in mid-December.
In the new year, Pych picked up where we left off. The sophomore won four of his five matches at the 2016 NWCA National Duals in early January as the Hawks placed eighth as a team at the meet. The following week, he was a runner-up at the 34th Annual Al Hanke Wrestling Invitational at Elmhurst College.
