SEWARD, Neb. – Members of the Concordia University wrestling team departed Thursday morning, bound for Chandler, Ariz., site of Sunday’s GPAC/Cascade Collegiate Conference Duals. The event will include a total of 16 duals with conference rivals Hastings, Midland and Morningside also slated to appear in Arizona. Head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad will take on four opponents from the CCC as part of a busy Sunday in the desert.
Each of the duals will take place at Chandler High School Gymnasium, 350 N Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ, 85225. Results for the event can be followed live via TrackWrestling.com.
Sunday, Dec. 16
vs. No. 20 Eastern Oregon University, 12 p.m. MST / 1 p.m. CST
vs. No. 8 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.), 1:30 p.m. MST / 2:30 p.m. CST
vs. Life Pacific College (Calif.), 3 p.m. MST / 4 p.m. CST
vs. No. 5 University of Providence (Mont.), 4:30 p.m. MST / 5:30 p.m. CST
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 3-0 dual mark that includes conference victories over Dakota Wesleyan, 58-0, and then 13th-ranked Midland, 21-17, and a nonconference win over Benedictine College (Kan.), 51-6. Over the season’s first three duals, Concordia has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 130-23 and has won 24 of the 30 individual matches. The hope is for the program to return to the type of dominance it displayed from the 2014-15 through 2016-17 seasons when it went 21-0 in conference duals.
In NAIA national rankings released on Wednesday, four Bulldogs appeared in the top 20 in their respective weights: Alberto Garcia (No. 10 at 133), Deandre Chery (No. 4 at 174), Josh Nelsen (No. 18 at 184) and Michael Stann (No. 19 at 285). The 174-pound 2018 GPAC champion, Chery is off to an impressive start in his junior season. He was named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday after placing as a runner up at the Doane. He is 20-4 with nine pins.
Chery and Stann (20-5) share the team lead for victories. A redshirt freshman from Temecula, Calif., Stann has solidified the heavyweight spot in the lineup. He has already racked up a team best 11 pins. Two other Bulldogs have reached double figures in wins: 125-pounder Mario Ybarra (14-4) and Nelsen (10-8).
Concordia will be tested significantly in Arizona on Sunday. The slate features three teams ranked in the top 20 of the NAIA coaches’ poll and another listed as receiving votes. Fifth-ranked Providence finished ninth at the 2018 NAIA national championships and boasts five wrestlers with top-five individual national rankings. Other 2018 national championships for this weekend’s opponents were 19th by Eastern Oregon and 26th by Embry-Riddle.
During their stay in the Phoenix area, the Bulldogs plan to visit Echo Canyon Recreation Area and go bowling at Brunswick Zone Mesa Lanes, among other activities.
Following the GPAC/CCC Duals, the next event on the Concordia wrestling schedule is the Midland University Open on Saturday, Dec. 29.
Nationally-ranked wrestlers
Concordia (3-0)
133 – No. 10 Alberto Garcia
174 – No. 4 Deandre Chery
184 – No. 18 Josh Nelsen
285 – No. 19 Michael Stann
Eastern Oregon (6-4)
125 – No. 4 Mhar Caballa
133 – No. 8 Blake McNall
165 – No. 4 Drake Randall
Embry-Riddle (4-0)
125 – No. 18 Joshua Nira
149 – No. 10 David Salazar
157 – No. 3 James Williams
165 – No. 14 Taylor Owens
174 – No. 6 Daniel Butler
174 – No. 10 Kody Davis
197 – No. 7 Elias Mason
Life Pacific (0-4)
133 – No. 20 Anthony Vargas
141 – No. 19 Elijah Palacio
285 – No. 17 Brandon Sotomayor
Providence (4-2)
149 – No. 5 Shonn Roberts
157 – No. 5 Casey Dobson
165 – No. 2 Adrian Lyons-Lopez
197 – No. 5 John Hensley
285 – No. 4 Mathew Hopkins