GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The ninth-ranked Concordia wrestling team competed in two different meets on Saturday, Dec. 5. The Battle of the Rockies tournament saw four Bulldogs place among a stiff competition. Thirteen additional Bulldogs competed in the Buena Vista Open in Storm Lake, Iowa.
On the meet head coach Dana Vote said, “Overall we wrestled pretty well. Ken Burkhardt had a great day he took the No. 1 guy in the nation down to the wire. Andrew Schulte is starting to put things together well and I am excited to see what he can do second semester.”
Burkhardt Jr. placed second in the 197 bracket going 3-1 on the day. In the first two matches, the junior won by fall over each of his opponents. In his final match, Burkhardt wrestled the first-ranked wrestler in the nation, Garrett DeMers of MSU—Northern. DeMers took the close 1-0 decision to give Burkhardt second place.
In the 149 class, Schulte placed third. Schulte won by a 5-2 decision in the third place match. The sophomore won his consolation match in over time, 3-1 to advance to the third place match.
Jr. Lule took fourth place in the 157 bracket. Lule went 3-2 during the tournament, defeating his first two opponents by fall and by a tech fall. In the consolation match, the California native won by a major 11-1 decision to go onto the third place match.
Concordia’s heavyweight, Ceron Francisco placed fourth. Francisco lost in overtime in his semifinal match and then defeated his opponent by a major decision (12-4) to wrestle in the third place match.
Closer to home in Storm Lake, Iowa, 13 grapplers competed for Concordia. In the 133 weight class, Kyle Carey went 3-2 during the tournament. Carey pinned two of his opponents and won by a 4-2 decision in his three victories. Daniel Melcher wrestled through the consolation bracket and came up just shy of placing. Melcher owned a 5-2 record for the day, pinning three opponents in a row.
The No. 9 Bulldogs will be back on the mat in nearly a month on Jan. 2 as the team travels to Fremont, Neb. for the Viking Warrior Open.