FREMONT, Neb. – The Bulldog debut for Head Coach Chase Clasen could not have started any better as freshman Grant Wells came through with a pin in the very first match of the season for Concordia University Wrestling. The Bulldogs went on to take six matches, including four with bonus points, while defeating Midland, 28-17, in GPAC dual action in Fremont, Neb., on Tuesday (Nov. 1). Wells, Creighton Baughman and Stephen Duffy each emerged with pins.
Concordia placed sixth in the GPAC last season, but last season’s results mean little to a team with so many new faces, including Clasen, a former All-American at Chadron State College. The season opening dual provided Clasen with an early barometer.
“I could tell our cardio is good. It’s about the little things right now – we have to open guys up,” Clasen said. “That just comes from nervousness and it being the first dual. For some of these guys it was their first time in varsity action. We just wanted to shake the nerves out and wrestle through positions. Otherwise, our shape and cardio looked pretty good. Nobody got overly exhausted.
“We had some huge wins. Our 125-pounder Grant Wells goes out there as a true freshman and pins a California JUCO state placer and gets the ball rolling for us.”
A fourth-place Nebraska state finisher as a senior at Lincoln Lutheran High School, Wells made a statement while wearing the Concordia singlet for the first time. Wells pinned Austin Pimentel in 3:38 in a moment that energized his teammates. Two matches later, the highly touted transfer Baughman (ranked No. 12 in the NAIA at 141), a two-time JUCO All-American, needed only 46 seconds to wipe out Orlando Estrada. In helping put a cherry on top, Duffy nailed Connor Rinn to the mat after 6:19 had elapsed in the 184-pound tussle.
Of the ten Bulldogs to appear in the dual, four wrestled for Concordia for the first time. Duffy of Kenesaw, Neb., has a unique story in that he was on the program’s roster in 2018-19 and has made his return. The other newcomers in the lineup were two York College transfers: Tommy Wentz, who was defeated by major decision at 157, and Garret Moser, who was edged, 10-6, at 197.
A sixth-year member of the program, Issiah Burks notched the 56th win of his collegiate career when he took a 12-2 major decision over Kody Hahn at 165 pounds. In addition, two Bulldog veterans grinded out victories by decision, Jeaven Scdoris (8-4 at 149) and Jose Sanchez (3-1 at 174). Their leadership will be a key to potentially pushing Concordia back up the conference ladder.
Said Clasen, “We had guys going out there and doing what we talked about in terms of scoring from every position. I think a good example of that was Jose Sanchez. He had to dig deep and win a gutsy match. He found a way to win. That guy was in on his legs a few times and he was in on his legs a few times. At the end of the day, he gutted on out.”
Elsewhere, Concordia’s Thomas Ivey fell by major decision at 133, 11-3, and Jack Hedke was pinned right at the close of the third period at 285. Overall, the dynamics were different from the Bulldog-Warrior dual from the 2021-22 season when Midland forfeited four weights.
A select number of Bulldogs will be in action again on Sunday for the Dan Harris Open hosted by Baker University. Wrestling is slated to get started at 9 a.m. CT from Baldwin City, Kan. It will mark the first of seven tournaments/invites on Concordia’s 2022-23 schedule.