CRETE, Neb. – It was an all-day affair at Saturday’s (Dec. 9) Doane University Open for the 17th-ranked Concordia University wrestling team. Twenty-three Bulldogs represented the program in Crete. Together they combined for 57 victories and 10 place finishes on the busiest day of the season to date for second-year head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad.
The showings on Saturday were a positive response to Friday’s home dual loss to Northwest Kansas Technical College. Each of Concordia’s place finishers are listed below.
- Deandre Chery – 2nd (174)
- Chucky Hedrick – 2nd (165)
- Walker Fisher – 3rd (174)
- Darrin Miller – 3rd (184)
- Jon Lado – 4th (165)
- Alexander Reimers – 4th (197)
- Victor Haro – 5th (157)
- Chris Kimball – 6th (141)
- Josh Nelsen – 6th (184)
- Jerry Stepps III – 6th (125)
Both Chery and Hedrick advanced to championship matches. Chery extended his team season high pin total to seven by taking care of Baker University’s Lucas Lovvorn in 5:19 in the second round. Chery won his first four bouts of the day before falling to Beau Breske of the University of Nebraska in the title match. Meanwhile, Hedrick toppled a pair of GPAC opponents on his way to the 165-pound championship tussle.
At 141 pounds, sophomore Cameron Devers keeps on winning. A victor by major decision in Friday’s dual, Devers came back the next day with five more wins, including two by fall at the Doane Open. He pushed his Bulldog best win total to 15 on the year. His five victories on the day were just behind Darrin Miller (6-1) for a team high on Saturday. A third-place finisher at 174 pounds, Walker Fisher also picked up five wins in Crete. Fourteen Bulldogs triumphed multiple times in the tournament.
Concordia got solid performances out of some of its highest rated grapplers. No. 7 Josh Nelsen (184) went 4-2 and took sixth place. No. 9 Jon Lado notched three wins and placed fourth at 165 pounds. Tenth-ranked Alexander Reimers posted three victories and finished fourth at 197 pounds.
The next date on the schedule is Dec. 17 when the Bulldogs will take part in the Oklahoma City University Duals. Concordia will go head-to-head with four NAIA foes on that day: No. 15 Baker University (10 a.m.), Bethany College (11:30 a.m.), Oklahoma City (1 p.m.) and Lyon College (2:30 p.m.). The Bulldogs own a dual record of 1-1 with the victory coming over Dakota Wesleyan.