SEWARD, Neb. – A victory over a nationally-ranked opponent has led to junior Issiah Burks being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Wrestler of the Week, as announced on Wednesday (Dec. 16). Burks has earned the award for the first time in his career. As a program, Concordia University Wrestling collected four GPAC Wrestler of the Week honors during the 2019-20 season.
A leader and team captain, Burks came through with one of the more significant wins of his career as part of the dual with Morningside on Dec. 10. At 157 pounds, Burks edged NAIA 13th-ranked John Diener, 3-2. A late takedown put Burks in front of Diener, who had pinned Burks at the Doane Open on Dec. 5. A native of Hemet, Calif., Burks ran his season record to 12-5. He owns a career overall record of 32-26. Burks placed fifth in the GPAC at 165 pounds last season.
The Bulldogs are preparing to host the Concordia Bulldog Duals on Saturday. The event will feature eight teams and a total of 16 duals. The action is set to get underway inside Friedrich Arena at 10 a.m. CT.