CHANDLER, Ariz. – A trip to the Phoenix area provided the opportunity for some fun in the sun and a chance to go up against top notch NAIA competition. As one of eight teams to take part in the GPAC/Cascade Collegiate Conference Duals on Sunday (Dec. 16), the Concordia University wrestling team went 1-3 with the victory coming over Life Pacific College (Calif.). The Bulldogs challenged three teams ranked in the top 20 of the NAIA poll.
December 16 results
No. 20 Eastern Oregon University 24, CUNE 12
No. 8 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) 35, CUNE 12
CUNE 49, Life Pacific College -1
No. 5 University of Providence (Mont.) 26, CUNE 15
First-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad is now 4-3 overall in duals. Concordia had been coming off a 51-6 win over Benedictine College (Kan.) in its most recent dual action.
“We came out of the gate our first dual a little down against Eastern Oregon. We didn’t wrestle our best,” Calhoun said. “I was happier with our effort moving forward in the last three duals. We got after our guys a little after that first dual. I wasn’t expecting to win every match, but we needed to have more pride in the way that we competed. Our effort got much better toward the latter end of the day.”
For the day, the Bulldogs won 19 of the 40 individual matches while seeing a total of 14 nationally-ranked wrestlers. Highlight victories for Concordia came from junior Alberto Garcia (7-5 decision over Eastern Oregon’s eighth-ranked Blake McNall at 133), freshman Mario Ybarra (5-0 decision over Embry-Riddle’s 18th-ranked Joshua Nira at 125) and freshman Michael Stann (4-2 decision over Life Pacific’s 17th-ranked Brandon Sotomayor at 285).
Stann continues to roll at the heavyweight position. He recorded his 12th and 13th pins of the season in addition to notching a victory over a foe ranked two spots above him nationally. As part of his 3-1 day, Stann suffered his only loss in a 12-5 decision to Providence’s fourth-ranked Mathew Hopkins. Stann is now 23-6 overall this season.
“It’s nice to have that heavyweight closer back,” Calhoun said. “He’s that guy we’re going to be able to depend on at the end of duals. He beat a kid ranked ahead of him and then battled really well with the kid ranked fourth in the country. I always have to remember that he’s just a freshman. He has big upside and I expect big things out of him.”
Ybarra has not yet cracked the national rankings, but he has shown an ability to compete with some of the NAIA’s best. He went 3-1 on Sunday with the defeat being a 10-5 decision while up against Eastern Oregon’s Mhar Caballa, ranked fourth at 125. Deandre Chery, Concordia’s highest-rated wrestler (No. 4 in the 174-pound weight class), claimed a pin and a victory by decision in a 2-0 performance in Arizona.
The Bulldogs took care of business against Life Pacific, a first year wrestling program. In the blowout, Concordia triumphed in all seven contested matches – two by pin and another two by technical fall. One of the victories by technical fall was supplied by Zack Moistner, who won both of his Arizona bouts at 133. Moistner and Garcia alternated at the 133 and 141 spots.
The Bulldogs arrived in Arizona on Thursday, which allowed time for team bonding activities prior to Sunday’s action at Chandler High School.
“We went on a hike the first day we got here on Camelback Mountain,” Calhoun said. “It was pretty intense. I was the last one up. It’s like a mile-and-a-half hike. The guys loved it. It was awesome to get on top of that mountain and see the views from up there. Then we went bowling. It was fun to get away and spend some time together.
“We actually had a lot of fans out here. One of the big reasons for us to come out here was so our California families could see their kids wrestle. We’ll definitely try to do it again in the future.”
Next on the docket is the Midland Open coming up on Saturday, Dec. 29. The remaining dual schedule includes conference opponents only. Six GPAC duals are yet to come.