Wrestling offers reward for show of team spirit at Thursday home dual

SEWARD, Neb. – The 10th-ranked Concordia University wrestling will play host for the first time this season when No. 15 Midland invades Walz Arena on Thursday for a GPAC dual. The Bulldog wrestling program is offering $250 for the Concordia organization, club, sports team or dorm floor that shows the most team spirit at the match, which is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Participating fans are encouraged to show their team spirit through cheers, costumes and/or choreography. Judges will award the best team at the conclusion of Thursday’s dual – one of five at home this season for head coach Dana Vote’s nationally-ranked squad.

Concordia (2-1, 1-0 GPAC), ranked as the No. 1 team in the NAIA North qualifying group, seeks a second-straight win over Midland after defeating the Warriors 25-13 in Mitchell, S.D., last season. Midland, guided by fifth-year head coach Beau Vest, lost its only dual, 25-18, to Briar Cliff on Nov. 25. The Warriors, who check in at No. 5 in the North rankings, finished 18th at the 2014 NAIA Wrestling National Championships.

The Bulldogs lead all 13 NAIA North Group teams with 12 regionally-ranked wrestlers. Concordia also possesses seven nationally-ranked grapplers, four of whom qualified for the national championships last season. Meanwhile, Midland has four individuals who are ranked both on the regional and national level. No. 2 Josh Heinzer (125) and No. 8 Tyler McMichael (174) earned All-America honors last season. Heinzer finished as the national runner up at 125 pounds.

Concordia regionally-ranked wrestlers (12)
125 – No. 6 Dmitri Smith (1-5)
133 – No. 2 Eric Franklin (7-3)
133 – No. 3 Emilio Rivera (9-3)
141 – No. 3 Foster Bunce (4-5)
149 – No. 1 Enrique Barajas (10-5)
157 – No. 3 Austin Starkey (5-5)
174 – No. 1 Austin Fehlhafer (1-2)
184 – No. 4 Noel Richardson (7-5)
184 – No. 5 Kale Hintz (3-5)
197 – No. 2 Ken Burkhardt Jr. (6-7)
285 – No. 5 Ceron Francisco (9-6)
285 – No. 6 DJ McIntyre (4-6)

Concordia nationally-ranked wrestlers
133 – No. 5 Eric Franklin (7-3)
133 – No. 6 Emilio Rivera (9-3)
141 – No. 11 Foster Bunce (4-5)
149 – No. 6 Enrique Barajas (10-5)
157 – No. 16 Austin Starkey (5-5)
174 – No. 6 Austin Fehlhafer (1-2)
197 – No. 11 Ken Burkhardt Jr. (6-7)

Midland regionally-ranked wrestlers
125 – No. 1 Josh Heinzer
174 – No. 2 Tyler McMichael
184 – No. 3 Sterling Terry
197 – No. 1 Kolton Kersten 

Midland nationally-ranked wrestlers
125 – No. 2 Josh Heinzer
174 – No. 8 Tyler McMichael
184 – No. 12 Sterling Terry
197 – No. 5 Kolton Kersten