Docken earns All-American status

WINNER — Jayd Docken’s journey to earning All-American status was “bitter sweet.”

The Augustana College sophomore went 2-0 on the first day of NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, which was last weekend in Birmingham, Ala., before finishing the tournament 2-3 and in sixth place.

“The first day I did well and fell off the next day,” Docken said. “It feels good to be an All-American but it’s not how you want to end the year.”

The Winner native is Augustana College’s 110th All-American and the 42nd wrestler to earn All-American status under head coach Jason Reitmeier.

Docken, who was ranked fifth in the nation at 197 pounds, finished the year with an overall record of 25-11.

Docken defeated fourth-ranked Joseph Brandt, of Ashland University, in a 3-1 overtime victory to open his tournament, and followed with a 5-0 decision over Kutztown’s Vinny Campanile, allowing him to reach the semifinals.

Docken suffered an 8-4 loss to eighth-ranked Romero Cotton, of University of Nebraska-Kearney, in the semis Saturday. In the consolation semifinal match, he lost a 9-1 major decision to Upper Iowa’s Carl Broghammer, putting him in the fifth-place match.

In his final outing at the championships, Docken suffered a 5-3 overtime defeat to Davion Willis, of University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Docken said he’s made big strides since coming to Augustana three years ago. He redshirted his first year with the Vikings and has qualified for nationals the past two years.

“I knew what to expect and wasn’t intimidated this time,” he said, referring to his second appearance on the big stage. “You know coming in the second time around that every match is going to be a grind and you have to be prepared to go battle.”

In high school, Docken was a two-time state champion with the Winner Warriors, winning both titles at 189 pounds. He won the 189-pound crown in Class B his senior year by pinning his opponent Zane Nightingale, of Kimball/White Lake, for his second consecutive state wrestling title.

He won his first as a junior where he defeated Canton’s Charles Fox in the Class A title match at 189 pounds. Docken finished his senior year with a 36-3 record and posted a 45-2 record in his junior year.

“Reitmeier recruited me to be a national champion,” Docken said of Reitmeier’s expectations. “When you come to college, you have to start small and there’s a learning curve. The competition is so much stiffer.”

After reaching All-American status this year, Docken said next year’s goal is obvious.

“I definitely want to be a national champion,” he said. “After making the quarters last year and the semis this year, logically making the finals next year is the next step. I know what it’s going to take, and it’s pretty clear to me what I need to do.”

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