SEWARD, Neb. – The final three GPAC duals of the 2024-25 season for Concordia University, Nebraska Wrestling are on the docket for Saturday when GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 will take place. Dakota Wesleyan will host a total of 12 conference duals in Mitchell, S.D., as part of the event that will help decide the GPAC regular season championship. Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad sits at 3-2 in GPAC duals with a realistic chance of climbing into the top two or three of the final standings. The opposition on Saturday will include Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Waldorf.
GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 – Saturday, Feb. 8
--DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Complex (Mitchell, S.D.)
--Live Webcast: GPAC Network
--Live Results: TrackWrestling
Round 1 | 11 a.m. CT
Mat 1 – Concordia vs. Northwestern
Mat 2 – Hastings vs. Morningside
Mat 3 – Midland vs. Dakota Wesleyan
Round 2 | 12:30 p.m. CT
Mat 1 – Concordia vs. Briar Cliff
Mat 2 – Hastings vs. Northwestern
Mat 3 – Doane vs. Waldorf
Round 3 | 2 p.m. CT
Mat 1 – Concordia vs. Waldorf
Mat 2 – Midland vs. Morningside
Mat 3 – Doane vs. Dakota Wesleyan
Round 4 | 3:30 p.m. CT
Mat 1 – Hastings vs. Briar Cliff
Mat 2 – Midland vs. Northwestern
Mat 3 – Doane vs. Morningside
Overview
The Bulldogs will carry an NAIA national ranking of No. 19 into the GPAC Day of Duals No. 2. Concordia rose to that position following a sixth-place finish (out of 53 NAIA squads) at the Missouri Valley Invitational on Jan. 24-25. The Bulldogs have cracked the official NAIA top 25 for the first time since the close of the 2019-20 season when they landed at No. 15 behind NAIA heavyweight national runner up Tanner Farmer. The current team ranking is a result of Concordia putting eight individuals into the NAIA top 25 of their respective weight classes (full list below).
Papillion, Neb., native Creighton Baughman has vaulted to No. 6 in the national rankings at 141 pounds. Baughman owns a sparkling 17-2 overall record (4-0 in duals) on the season. Baughman placed second at the Missouri Valley Invite as one of four Bulldog place finishers. The others were Hagen Heistand (sixth at 149), Hunter Weimer (fifth at 184) and Torrance Keehn (seventh at 197). A transfer from NCAA Division I Campbell University, Heistand has been on a tear since beginning his Concordia career along with the start of the second semester. Heistand owns a 14-2 record and was the 157-pound champion at the Denker Open.
With two GPAC dual losses, the Bulldogs are likely out of contention for a conference regular season title. In the program’s history, Concordia has won five GPAC regular season and four GPAC/NAIA Qualifier postseason championships. The frontrunner to win the 2024-25 regular season title is Doane, which owns a 5-0 GPAC dual record. The Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the NAIA. The Bulldogs are the only other GPAC team ranked in the NAIA top 25. Potential ranked individual matchups in Concordia duals on Saturday include No. 12 Torrance Keehn vs. Northwestern’s No. 22 Kaleb Lind at 197 and No. 12 Hagen Heistand or No. 19 Steven Barnes vs. Waldorf’s No. 22 Tyler Okada at 149.
GPAC Wrestling Programs
Briar Cliff
Head Coach: Donaco Watts, 1st season
2024-25 Dual Record: 2-6 overall, 2-3 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Dante Rigal (24th at 125).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 6th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Concordia
Head Coach: Josh Watts, 1st season
2024-25 Dual Record: 3-2 overall, 3-2 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Creighton Baughman (6th at 141); Cal Price (25th at 141); Hagen Heistand (12th at 149); Steven Barnes (19th at 149); Cole Price (23rd at 157); Tommy Wentz (23rd at 165); Hunter Weimer (23rd at 184); Torrance Keehn (12th at 197).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 2nd
GPAC Postseason Championships: 4 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020)
Dakota Wesleyan
Head Coach: Martin Mueller, 2nd season
2024-25 Dual Record: 5-3 overall, 4-2 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Zach Zitek (19th at 141); Kaleb Bigelow (25th at 174); Temuujin Mendbileg (16th at 184).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 4th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Doane
Head Coach: Dana Vote, 6th season
2024-25 Dual Record: 8-2 overall, 5-0 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Hunter Bennett (13th at 125); Matthew Terrence (10th at 133); Devin Avedissian (16th at 141); Nathan Lendt (2nd at 149); Ben Miller (10th at 157); Edward Ramirez (18th at 165); Benjamin Dobler (19th at 174); Tyson Beauperthuy (4th at 184); Kolton Kammeyer (18th at 184); Bradley Antesberger (2nd at 197); Kasten Grape (6th at 197); Eli Criblez (23rd at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 1st
GPAC Postseason Championships: 2 (2022, 2024)
Hastings
Head Coach: Trey Heckadon, 2nd season
2024-25 Dual Record: 2-4 overall, 2-3 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Koen Mattern (14th at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 5th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Midland
Head Coach: Doyle Trout, 2nd season
2024-25 Dual Record: 0-5 overall, 0-5 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Burton Brandt (9th at 197); Zeph Sivels (20th at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 8th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 1 (2018)
Morningside
Head Coach: Rulin Pederson, 2nd season
2024-25 Dual Record: 4-4 overall, 3-1 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Abraham Dirkx (25th at 157); Jakob Jerabek (8th at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 3rd
GPAC Postseason Championships: 5 (2011, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2023)
Northwestern
Head Coach: Rik Dahl, 17th season
2024-25 Dual Record: 4-2 overall, 2-2 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Kaleb Lind (22nd at 197).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 7th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Waldorf
Head Coach: Ryan Dickinson, 6th season
2024-25 Dual Record: 1-5 overall, 1-4 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Tyler Okada (22nd at 149).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 9th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 1st season as GPAC member
2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships
The 2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships will be hosted by Hastings and are scheduled to take place the weekend of Feb. 21-22. The conference tournament is headed back to Hastings for the first time since the 2017-18 season.