KJCCC Announces 2025-26 All-KJCCC Wrestling Teams
2025-26 All-KJCCC Wrestling Teams
COLBY, Kan. – Led by Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Wrestler of the Year and Newcomer of the Year Preston Hagel and Coach of the Year Justice Circle, 30 KJCCC wrestlers from seven different programs have earned the distinction of All-Conference with the release of the 2025-26 KJCCC Wrestling All-Conference teams.
Wrestlers who represented their respective institution at the 2026 NJCAA South Central District Wrestling Tournament on February 14th in Pratt, Kansas were nominated for the All-Conference teams with all eight head coaches in the league submitting their ballots at each of the 10 weight classes to make up the all-conference teams. Additionally, all eight coaches were able to nominate a Wrestler of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, followed by voting for the top honors to be given out.
Preston Hagel (Pratt – 197 Pounds) – KJCCC Wrestler of the Year, Newcomer of the Year
Hagel made his presence known in his first year with the Beavers, going 40-3 at the 197-pound weight class and winning the 2026 NJCAA South Central District Title by going 4-0 with all four wins coming by fall to claim the district crown. Two of Hagel’s three defeats came to top-ranked NJCAA wrestler Samuel Montoya of Southeast Community College who won the NJCAA Plains District Tournament title at 197 pounds and carries a 38-2 overall record into the National Tournament. In contested matches against KJCCC opponents this year, Hagel went a perfect 15-0 which included a perfect 5-0 mark in KJCCC dual matches with four of the wins earning bonus points for the Beavers.
Justice Circle (Cowley) – KJCCC Coach of the Year
Leading Cowley to their first KJCCC regular season title since 2020, Circle and the Tigers went 7-0 in KJCCC duals this season before earning the first NJCAA South Central District Tournament team title in program history while having all 10 wrestlers entered in the district tournament qualify for the 2026 NJCAA Wrestling National Championship tournament. Cowley’s closest conference dual was a 26-19 win over Pratt, with no other dual being contested by fewer than 16 points as the Tigers outscored KJCCC opponents 262-92.
Both Cowley and Pratt led the conference with four first-team All-KJCCC selections to account for eight of the 10 first-team honorees as the Tigers had two additional second-team All-KJCCC selections and a third team All-KJCCC selection while Pratt added four additional All-KJCCC honorees (two second-team, two third team). Other schools to have a first-team All-KJCCC selection were Labette (Kyler Tabor, 149 pounds) and Fort Hays Tech Northwest (Braxton McAvey, 165 pounds) as the Cardinals had five wrestlers earning all-conference accolades while Fort Hays Tech Northwest had one additional honoree. Also having wrestlers on the All-Conference teams were Cloud County (four), Colby (two), and Barton (two) to account for the 30 award winners.
