Eric Knuutila has laid down the challenge for Niagara County Community College wrestler Troy Keller.

"I told him he has to win," the grandfather of NCCC's program said before the Thunderwolves made their trip to Council Bluffs, Iowa for the NJCAA Championships. "We had Willie Moore in the 70s, Mark Jurek in the 80s, Dan Uhteg in the 90s and Rashad Evans in the 2000s. Now we need a national champion for this decade."

Keller, a sophomore from North Tonawanda who will wrestle for the University at Buffalo next year, enters Friday's preliminary matches seeded second at 165 pounds behind defending national champion Wyatt Jordan of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.