CRETE, Neb. – Thirteen Bulldogs represented the Concordia University Wrestling program on Saturday (Dec. 2) in action at the Conner/Oppenheim Open hosted by Doane. The yields for the Bulldogs included 15 combined wins and fourth-place finishes for both Creighton Baughman and Hunter Weimer. Competitors from 31 institutions made up the large field at Fuhrer Field House in Crete, Neb.
The event marked the fourth tournament this season for Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad. Concordia was fresh off a 55-0 home dual win over Bethany College (Kan.) on Friday night. As Clasen remarked, “For the most part, we all wrestled tough.”
A senior from Papillion, Neb., Baughman continues to set the pace in the room for the Bulldogs. He was one of four Concordia grapplers to appear in the quarterfinals of their respective brackets at the Conner/Oppenheim Open. Baughman (12-4) claimed three wins in the tournament (one pin) and both of his defeats came against NCAA Division I opponents. Most notably, Baughman earned a 10-1 major decision over Graceland University (Iowa)’s Jackson Wenberg, ranked No. 11 nationally at 141 pounds.
Weimer (184) and Garret Moser (184) both appeared in the quarterfinals of the open brackets while Bryson Bussinger did the same in the 125-pound amateur bracket of the tournament. Weimer actually defeated Moser, 7-0, in a quarterfinal bout. Weimer also picked up a pin over Jackson King of Dickinson State (N.D.) before falling in the third-place match. Moser went 2-2 with a pin of his own on the day while Bussinger dominated (pin and major decision) over his first two rounds.
Two additional Bulldogs seized multiple wins in Crete: Jeremiah Vasquez (open 285) and Grant Wells (amateur 133). After a loss in his first match, the Lincoln Lutheran alum Wells rebounded with three-straight victories, the last one coming via fall over Benedictine College (Kan.)’s Charles Easterling. As for Vasquez, he collected two pins, including a fall of Bethany’s Rocky Whitehead, a preseason nationally ranked heavyweight.
Lastly, two Concordia competitors notched one win apiece at Doane: Aidan Trowbridge (125) and Cervando Tapia II (133). Other Bulldogs in action on Saturday were TJ Allen (149), Mason Garcia (197), Dontario Norwood (149) and Teegan Tschampel (197).
The Bulldogs will take next week off from competition while gearing up for the Avila University Duals on Saturday, Dec. 16. That particular duals event is slated to take place at Mabee Fieldhouse in Kansas City, Mo. The schedule of duals for that date is expected to be announced soon and will be publicized on the Concordia Wrestling schedule page.