Grand Canyon University Athletics
Jobe beats RMAC's best, qualifies for NCAA Championships
3/1/2008 10:11:57 AM | Wrestling
Jed Jobe is a fighter, a true warrior. One who's now bleeding Antelope Purple.
One who's also a national qualifier.
Jobe, Grand Canyon's 31-year-old heavyweight, qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships, winning four straight matches at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships/West Regionals Saturday in Las Vegas, N.M. He advances to the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
A testicular cancer survivor, dating back three-and-a-half years, Jobe has had his share of injuries to deal with since returning to the mat in the winter after a long layoff. He spent his first two years at Arizona State, but then got married and has since had five kids.
Needless to say, he's had to make sacrifices, but now the results are rearing their head.
"It's definitely rewarding in that aspect," Jobe said after enjoying a celebratory team meal. "It makes it worth it."
After losing to the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler, Tervel Dlagnev of Nebraska-Kearney, by fall in 4:17, Jobe pinned Mesa State's Brandon Alexander, ranked No. 5 in the RMAC, in 6:03. He beat Fort Hays State's Dustin Martin, ranked No. 2 in the league, 6-2. Jobe won by a 10-2 major decision over Adams State's Jeff Schossow, No. 4 in the RMAC, before beating New Mexico Highland's Jesse Boggs, ranked No. 3 in the conference, 8-7 to secure third place.
"It took the nation's best to beat us," Grand Canyon first-year coach R.C. LaHaye said. "He had a phenomenal tournament, just a gutsy performance."
Jobe improved to 7-6 overall. He did not wrestle in the first semester.
"I've come through a lot of trials and tribulations the last few years," Jobe said. "It's do or die. I just had the mindset that I had to do whatever it takes. I just wrestled real aggressive, real smart, and just tried to wrestle as intense as I could."
He has helped GCU's first-year program gain some notoriety, not to mention exorcised some personal demons he had building up after leaving the Sun Devils' mats.
"It means a lot to me personally both ways," Jobe said. "I've always felt that I had the potential. We've had some first-year glitches and what not with some the eligibility issues. For me to be the first one to qualify for nationals and put us on the map a little bit makes me feel great as well."
Jobe will take Sunday and Monday off, and return to the mats Tuesday before picking up the intensity the rest of the week.
"This guy, he's got heart," LaHaye said. "There's no substitute for guts, and he's got mountains of them. He put the heat on his opponents. He attacked. When he attacks, he's pretty tough to beat. For a 31-year-old man to wrestle five of the best wrestlers in the conference and beat 'em, it's pretty remarkable."
