SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off a dominant 55-0 GPAC home dual win over Dakota Wesleyan last week, the 17th-ranked Concordia University wrestling team will be back at home on Friday to host Northwest Kansas Technical College. Friday’s dual will get underway at 7 p.m. CT inside Walz Arena. The two sides also dualed last season in what resulted in a 38-8 Bulldog victory in Seward.
Concordia has won each of its last 13 home duals, a string that dates back to the start of the 2014-15 season. The program’s most recent home loss came back on Jan. 16, 2014. The victory over Dakota Wesleyan also moved the Bulldogs’ GPAC dual win streak to 22. Since the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign, Concordia owns a combined dual mark of 34-12 overall.
In fresh ratings released this week, second-year head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad regained its perch atop the GPAC, which is now nine members strong. Five Bulldogs are ranked in the top two of their respective weight classes on the conference level. Six Concordia representatives possess national rankings: No. 7 Josh Nelsen (184), No. 9 Jon Lado (165), No. 10 Giovanni Castillo (133), No. 10 Alexander Reimers (197), No. 19 Keanu Tom (157) and No. 19 Walker Fisher (174). The Bulldogs moved up from 20th to 17th in the latest national team rankings.
Northwest Tech competes as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Mavericks’ projected lineup includes nationally-ranked wrestlers in No. 5 Munhbat Baterdene (133) and top-ranked heavyweight Odgerek Batkhishig. As a team, Northwest Kansas Tech is ranked 13th at the NJCAA level. The Mavericks are coached by Michael Sebaaly, who is in his fourth season leading the program.
Then on Saturday, Concordia will be at the Doane University Open in Crete. Action is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT.
Probable lineups
Concordia (1-0)
125 – Jerry Stepps III (2-6)
133 – Giovanni Castillo (5-2)
141 – Cameron Devers (9-1)
149 – Cody Lambert (12-8)
157 – Victor Haro (4-6)
165 – Kirk Kaliszewski (5-8)
174 – Walker Fisher (4-3)
184 – Josh Nelsen (8-5)
197 – Alexander Reimers (4-6)
285 – Michael Duffy (3-2)
Northwest Kansas Tech
125 – Tate Withington
133 – Munhbat Baterdene
141 – Tristan Cooper
149 – Sam Colvin
157 – Caleb Mendez
165 – Nartorian Lee
174 – Tsogtbayar Tserendagua
184 – Joseph White
197 – Casey Hand
285 – Odgerel Batkhishig