By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Former Osceola High wrestling state champion Niko Brown earned an at large berth to the NCAA wrestling championships at Philadelphia today.

Brown, a red-shirt sophomore at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, received one of 50 at large invitations nationwide by the NCAA wrestling committee.

Brown, 19-9, was the Southern Conference runner-up at 197 pounds.

He is one of six Mocs wrestlers who will compete at the NCAA championships which will continue through Saturday.

“This great for Niko. He had beaten the guy he lost to in the conference finals earlier in the year,” UTC Coach Heath Eslinger said. “He had a great record and he has earned the opportunity. It’s great to see the system work for him.”

Other Mocs at the NCAA tournament are Cody Cleveland (141), Demetrius Johnson (133), Brandon Wright (174), Josh Condon (157) and Jason McCroskey (184).

The Mocs won the Southern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Brown graduated from OHS in 2008 after winning the 171-pound state championship.