Five Bulldogs earn GPAC wrestling honors

A total of five Concordia University wrestlers were recognized by the GPAC on Monday.  A trio of Bulldogs was named to the 2011 GPAC Wrestling All-Conference Second Team, while two Bulldogs earned honorable mention All-GPAC recognition.   

Brandon Starkey, Adam Joseph and Julian Silva were all Second Team All-Conference selections. 

Starkey (St. Paul, Neb.) placed second at 149 pounds in the GPAC Championships over the weekend.  Starkey will be making his second trip to the national tournament and has a 25-15 record this season.

Joseph (Hastings, Neb.) placed third at 133 pounds at the GPAC Championships.  He has qualified for the national tournament and has posted a 20-7 record so far this season. 

Silva, a junior college transfer from Covina, California, placed third at 197 pounds at the GPAC Championships.  He is 27-8 on the year and has qualified for the national tournament. 

Alex Rostvet and Frank Ayala were honorable mention selections. 

Rostvet (Hastings, Neb.) has a 17-10 record on the season and will be making his first trip to the national tournament.  He finished third at 141 pounds at the Conference Championships. 

Ayala (West Covina, Calif.) finished fifth in the heavyweight division at the GPAC Championships.  He is a national qualifier with a 10-4 record on the year.  

The 2011 NAIA North Qualifier Tournament is set for Saturday, February 19, at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. The 2011 NAIA National Championships are March 3-5 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the US Cellular Center.