MITCHELL, S.D. – The 2019-20 Concordia University wrestling season got underway on Saturday (Nov. 9) with a group of 20 Bulldogs representing the program at the Dakota Wesleyan University Open in Mitchell, S.D. The result was three place finishes and 29 overall victories. Thirteen different institutions were represented at the event.
Second-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad is coming off a 2018-19 campaign that saw it share the GPAC dual title. In the official preseason polls released by the NAIA, Concordia is ranked No. 1 in the GPAC and 18th in the NAIA to begin the season.
The place finishers for the Bulldogs over the weekend were 14th-ranked sophomore Maria Ybarra at 125 (third), 10th-ranked senior Zack Moistner at 133 (fifth) and 10th-ranked senior Chris Kimball at 141 (fourth). Kimball and Ybarra led the way by claiming five wins apiece. Ybarra picked up a notable 2-1 win over No. 12 Braedon Clopton of Briar Cliff while Kimball and Moistner earned multiple triumphs apiece over NCAA Division II foes.
Calhoun’s squad currently features seven nationally-ranked wrestlers. The others are No. 15 Gad Huseman at 141, No. 19 Cam Devers at 149, No. 12 Deandre Chery at 174 and No. 12 Michael Stann at heavyweight. A two-time GPAC champion, Chery produced a win by both pin and major decision on Saturday. His two losses came against NCAA D-II opponents. One of five national qualifiers in 2019, Stann did not compete at Dakota Wesleyan.
In the first set of GPAC ratings, Moistner and Chery are both rated No. 1 in their respective classes. Five are ranked second at their weights: Blake Castillo (174), Kimball, Darrin Miller (184), Stann and Ybarra.
The schedule will continue this coming week with the Bulldogs set to appear at home for the first time this season. Concordia will welcome Northwestern on Friday (Nov. 15) for a GPAC dual at 7 p.m. CT inside Walz Arena. Calhoun led his team to a 7-1 conference dual mark in 2018-19.