First Team: Creighton Baughman; Hagen Heistand.
Second Team: Cole Price; Tommy Wentz.
Honorable Mention: Steven Barnes; Hunter Weimer.
SEWARD, Neb. – A group of six Bulldogs from Head Coach Josh Watts’ 18th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Wrestling squad were honored on Wednesday (Feb. 26) with 2024-25 GPAC All-Conference awards. First team honors went to conference champion Creighton Baughman and junior Hagen Heistand while second team accolades were earned by junior Cole Price and senior Tommy Wentz. Meanwhile, junior Steven Barnes and senior Hunter Weimer garnered honorable mention status.
The awards were released after the Bulldogs placed third at the GPAC Championships and qualified eight individuals for the NAIA Wrestling National Championships. Six Concordia wrestlers earned top-three place finishes within their respective weight classes.
After back-to-back GPAC runner-up claims at 141 pounds, Baughman rose to the top of the podium in 2025. The graduate student from Papillion, Neb., went 4-0 with two wins over ranked foes as part of his GPAC tournament run. On the season, Baughman owns a sparkling 22-2 overall record (5-0 in duals) with four pins and five victories by technical fall. In three seasons as a Bulldog, Baughman has compiled 80 wins, fourth most in program history. His overall career collegiate wins total, including two seasons at Iowa Western Community College, has reached 120. Now a three-time NAIA national qualifier, Baughman was named Second Team All-GPAC in both 2023 and 2024.
A Dow City, Iowa, native and transfer from Campbell University, Heistand made an immediate impact once the second semester got started. Heistand qualified for the national championships thanks to his GPAC runner-up placement at 149 pounds. Heistand owns a record of 16-3 with three pins and eight tech falls. Heistand pushed the NAIA’s No. 2-ranked 149-pounder to double overtime in the GPAC championship match. Heistand’s season included a 149-pound title at the Denker Open, resulting in GPAC Wrestler of the Week honors.
A former All-American at Iowa Western, Cole Price joined the Bulldogs this 2024-25 academic year and has qualified for the NAIA Championships. Price earned second place in the GPAC at 157 pounds while going 4-1 at the conference tournament. The La Vista, Neb., native owns a record of 21-9 overall with seven pins. He placed in three tournaments this season. Price is headed to the NAIA national tournament after earning two All-America awards at the NJCAA level.
A senior from Fremont, Neb., Wentz emerged as the GPAC runner up at 165 pounds for the second-straight year. A 2024 NAIA national qualifier, Wentz finished his 2024-25 season with a 14-7 record. He earned the 165-pound title at the Luther Hill Invite. Including one season at York University, Wentz accumulated 68 collegiate wins (44 at Concordia). Wentz has been named Second Team All-GPAC in back-to-back years.
A Pacific Junction, Iowa, native, Steven Barnes has qualified for the national tournament in his first season with the Bulldogs. The junior and former Iowa State University student earned the auto bid to nationals by way of a fourth-place GPAC finish at 149 pounds. Barnes will take a 16-8 record (three pins) onto the national stage.
A Porterville, Calif., native, Weimer has spent his entire collegiate career as a Bulldog. He’s enjoyed a breakout senior season that saw him crack the NAIA national rankings and place at four separate tournaments. Weimer earned an automatic bid to nationals thanks to his third-place GPAC finish at 184 pounds. Weimer carries an overall record of 21-5 into nationals. Eight of his wins came during an impressive run at the Missouri Valley Invite.
The 2024-25 season will continue for the program’s eight national qualifiers. The 2025 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will unfold in Park City, Kan., March 6-8.