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SEWARD, Neb. – After taking its act on the road for the opening three tournaments and first two duals of the 2018-19 season, the Concordia University wrestling team is preparing for its first opportunity to entertain the home fans. The Bulldogs will host Benedictine College (Kan.), a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, at 7 p.m. CT on Friday. Head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad will also be at the Doane University Open on Saturday.
Friday’s dual will be streamed live via the Concordia Sports Network. Aaron Sweazy will call the action.
An extended idle stretch in the schedule will finally come to an end for Concordia, which has not competed since the University of Nebraska-Kearney Open on Nov. 17. The Bulldogs enter the week with a 2-0 dual record having recorded wins over Dakota Wesleyan, 58-0, and then 13th-ranked Midland, 21-17. Concordia owns a combined GPAC dual record of 28-3 since the start of the 2014-15 season.
In the most recent outing, Alberto Garcia stole the show by winning the 133-pound title of the elite division at the UNK Open. He was subsequently named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week. Ranked ninth in the NAIA at 133 pounds, Garcia joined teammates in seventh-ranked Deandre Chery (174) and 12th-ranked Josh Nelsen (184) in the national rankings released on Nov. 21. Chery (15-3) and heavyweight Michael Stann (15-3) share the team lead for victories. Both grapplers have a habit of pinning their foes. Stann has notched nine pins while Chery has six.
The Ravens enter Walz Arena having competed in four tournaments and two duals. They earned a 27-18 victory over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Nov. 8 before dropping a 56-0 decision at top-ranked Grand View University (Iowa) on Nov. 30. Benedictine’s lone nationally-ranked individual, No. 16 Keenan Graef (149), is not listed in the team’s probable lineup for Friday. Head coach Marcus Cobbs’ program placed 25th at the 2018 NAIA National Championships behind All-American Austin Roper. At 141, Alex Gomez is a returning national qualifier.
Coming up on the horizon are the GPAC/Cascade Collegiate Conference Duals in Chandler, Ariz., on Sunday, Dec. 16. The complete dual schedule for that date has not yet been announced.
Probable lineups
Concordia (2-0)
125 – Mario Ybarra (11-2)
133 – No. 9 Alberto Garcia (4-0) / Zack Moistner (4-5)
141 – No. 9 Alberto Garcia (4-0) / Zack Moistner (4-5)
149 – Cameron Devers (5-5)
157 – Jason Watkins (4-7)
165 – Chucky Hedrick (0-0)
174 – No. 7 Deandre Chery (15-3)
184 – Darrin Miller (8-6)
197 – Tyler Jorgensen (5-6)
285 – Michael Stann (15-3)
Benedictine (1-1)
125 – Open
133 – Tyler Westervelt
141 – Alex Gomez
149 – Blake Pursel
157 – Michael Lucas
165 – Jensen McDermott
174 – Franco Camarca
184 – Tyson Albright
197 – James Schafer
285 – Ron Broyles