2009-10 Wrestling schedule/results
NOVEMBER | |||
Nov. 5 | Intrasquad Dual | Seward, Neb. | 7 pm |
Nov. 7 | Loras College Open | Dubuque, Iowa | Results |
Nov. 14 | Dakota Wesleyan Open | Huron, S.D. | Results |
Nov. 17 | Baker University Dual | Baldwin City, Kan. | Results |
Nov. 21 | Concordia Wisc. Open | Mequon, Wisc. | Results |
DECEMBER | |||
Dec. 3 | York College Dual | Seward, Neb. | Results |
Dec. 5 | Dragon Open | Moorhead, Minn. | Results |
Dec. 10 | Hastings College Dual | Seward, Neb. | Results |
JANUARY | |||
Jan. 9 | Quality Inn Open | Hastings, Neb. | Results |
Jan. 14 | York College Dual | York, Neb. | Results |
Jan. 15 | Minnesota West CC Dual | Worthington, Minn. | Results |
Jan. 16 | Worthington Open | Worthington, Minn. | Results |
Jan. 19 | Northwestern College Dual | Seward, Neb. | 7 pm |
Jan. 23 | York College Open | York, Neb. | Results |
Jan. 30 | *GPAC Championships* | Sioux City, Iowa | TBD |
FEBRUARY | |||
Feb. 6 | DuHawk Open | Dubuque, Iowa | Results |
Feb. 11 | Hastings College Dual | Hastings, Neb. | Results |
Feb. 20 | NAIA North Regional | Sioux Falls, S.D. | TBD |
MARCH | |||
Mar. 4-6 | NAIA National Championship | Oklahoma City, Okla. | TBD |
All Home Matches in BOLD
2009-2010 Wrestling roster
| Wt.. | Name | Yr. | Hometown | Previous School | |||||
| 197 | Brooks Bowthorpe | Fr. | Shoshoni, Wyo. | Shoshoni | |||||
| 141 | Jordan Brooks | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Southwest | |||||
| 197 | Gabriel Brown | Fr. | Marion, Iowa | Xavier | |||||
| 133 | Brady Chancellor | Fr. | Curtis, Neb. | Medicine Valley | |||||
| 133 | Alain Espinosa | Fr. | Hialeah, Fla. | Monsignor Pace | |||||
| 125 | Jordan Fowlkes | Fr. | Newman Grove, Neb. | Newman Grove | |||||
| 149 | Peter Greimann | Fr. | Columbia, Mo. | Hickman | |||||
| HWT | Barry Hubbard | Fr. | Roanoke, Virg. | Wm Fleming | |||||
| 174 | Benjamin Lierman | Fr.-RS | Syracuse, Neb. | Syracuse | |||||
| 165 | James Marcum | Fr. | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue East | |||||
| 165 | Brian O'Shaughnessy | Fr. | Amarillo, Texas | Amarillo | |||||
| 165 | Keith Polson | Fr. | Apopka, Fla. | Apopka | |||||
| 141 | Alex Rostvet | Fr. | Hastings, Neb. | Adams Central | |||||
| 157 | Zach Schnell | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Northeast | |||||
| 149 | Jacob Scott | Fr. | St. Peter, Mo. | Lutheran | |||||
| HWT | John Sennet | Fr. | Miami Lakes, Fla. | Monsignor Pace | |||||
| 125 | Logan Shanks | Fr. | Hersey, Mich. | Big Rapids | |||||
| 133 | Tyvell Smith | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Northwest | |||||
| 141 | Brandon Starkey | Fr. | St. Paul, Neb. | St. Paul | |||||
| HWT | Tyler Walker | Fr.-RS | Houston, Texas | Cy-Ridge | |||||
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Doug Reese
Bulldog wrestlers test abilities off the mat and in the woods
20 OCT 2009
Sixteen Concordia wrestlers spent a brisk weekend away from the mat Oct. 9-11 and fulfilled commitments to train for the Army ROTC in the Hastings area. The field training exercise included time on the firing range, a hand-grenade assault course, a 10-12 mile road march and the navigation of a land course.
“I am excited for the training and the great experiences our guys are getting through the U.S. Army ROTC program,” said Doug Reese, head wrestling coach at Concordia. “I love to see them stretched physically and mentally beyond the mat. I love the training the U.S. Army is providing for our student-athletes.”
Starkey qualifies for nationals in first outing for the Bulldogs
7 NOV 2009
Results from the Loras College Open - Silver
Results from the Loras College Open - Gold
The Concordia University wrestling team opened up the 2009-10 season at the Loras College Open in Dubuque, Iowa. In their premiere event, the Bulldogs wrestlers came away with six place-finishers including their first NAIA National Wrestling Championship qualifier.
The marathon tournament lasted over 16 hours and featured collegiate programs from five states. The competition included NCAA Division I programs from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Northern Iowa, and Illinois State University.
Brandon Starkey took second place and went 3-1 on the day. Starkey defeated Nicholas Samaro of Culver-Stockton by fall in four minutes, 48 seconds, and then downed Dan Ige of Wartburg College by major decision 12-3. In the semi-finals, Starkey won by injury default when Matt Boggess of Harper College could not continue in the tournament. In the finals, Starkey dropped a 21-9 major decision to Derek Allen of Coe College. The second-place finish qualified Starkey for the NAIA National Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., in March 2010.
“We are really excited for Brandon,” said head coach Doug Reese. “He wrestled very well all day. Brandon was able to stay focused and wrestle his style. That contributed a lot to his success today.”
Redshirt freshman George Gulesian and Ben Lierman both wrestled unattached placed in the tournament. Gulesian earned a third place finish that would have qualified him for the NAIA national tournament at 141 pounds. Gulesian had two falls and a major decision on the day. His only loss came in the semi-finals on a controversial call that decided the match. Leirman wrestled in a number of physical matches all day. He dropped a tough 3-1 decision in the semifinals to Nathan Dawns of Hannibal-LaGrange College, then lost a consolation championship match to Scott King of Coe College to place fourth.
Freshman heavyweight Gabe Brown placed third. Brown shined in the consolation finals winning a 5-2 decision over Jose Medina of Harper College. After a scoreless first period Brown scored a reversal and scored on a late third period takedown to secure the bronze medal win.
Brooks Bowthorpe looked impressive in his collegiate debut at 197 pounds. Bowthorpe recorded a couple of quick pins off of throws to defeat Jose Hizarez of Harper College in just 29 seconds, then followed that up with a 52 second fall over Dan Hartney of Triton College. Bowthorpe place sixth in the event.
Gordie Fowles withdrew from the competition at 125 pounds after defeating Alex Tsakanikas of Triton College in an 11-2 major decision. Fowlkes was removed from the tournament after suffering an injury during the win.
Logan Shanks wrestled to a pair of wins at 133 pounds. Shanks recorded Concordia’s first win in the new era with a fall in 3:58 over Zach Fish of Hannibal-LaGrange College, then downed Nathan Vaske of Wartburg College with a solid 3-1 decision. Brian O’Shaughnessy earned his first collegiate win with a fall at 165 pounds pinning Brad Miller of Harper College in 2:22.
The young Bulldog squad posted a 14-21 record in a double elimination tournament with seven falls.
“This was a tough, physical tournament, that is the difference between high school and college wrestling,” noted Reese. Our guys looked like college wrestlers today. They came to battle and fight today. I was very happy with their efforts. We have a lot to learn yet, but I get excited when I see the potential. These guys can be something special.”
The next event for the Bulldogs will be the Dakota Wesleyan Open in Huron, S.D., on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Bulldogs compete at Dakota Wesleyan Open
14 NOV 2009
Results from the Dakota Wesleyan Open
The Concordia University Bulldog wrestling team competed in their second tournament of the season in the DWU Open in Mitchell, SD. Three hundred and two wrestlers from 16 colleges and universities from five states and Canada participated event.
The Bulldogs were led by an outstanding effort from freshman Brooks Bowthorpe who went 3-2 in the tournament at 197 pounds. Bowthorpe fell just one win short of placing in the tournament. Bowthorpe won his first match of the day by earning a fall over Fernando Pedrozza of Jamestown College in 1:24 of the first period. After dropping a match to Jimmy Levesque of the University of Regina. Bowthorpe bounced back capturing a fall versus Shawn Howard of York College in 1:23, then winning a 12-4 major decision versus Clint Whitley of the University of Sioux Falls.
Redshirt freshman George Gulesian went 3-2 at 141 pounds. Gulesian dropped his first match of the day, then won three matches in a row. Gulesian downed Joe Goolsby of the University of Sioux Falls by a 4-1 decision, then won a 15-0 technical fall versus Jeremiah Hays of Dickinson State University. Gulesian's last win came over Justin Ferguson of Hastings College by fall in 2:37 of the first period. Gulesion is now 6-3 in the young season wrestling unattached.
Alex Rostvet went 2-2 in the highly competitive 141-pound weight class. Rostvet won his first two matches of the day. Rostvet opened up a 7-1 led over Zach Reeb of Baker University before ending the bout with a fall at 4:55 in the second period. Rostvet then defeated Jeremiah Hayes of Dickinson State University by technical fall 17-2, executing strong mat skills with five near falls in the match.
Heavyweight Barry Hubbard made his collegiate debut on Saturday wrestling to a 2-2 record. Hubbard defeated Andy Harmoney of the University of Sioux Falls 8-2, then downed Minnesota West's James Bannister 9-4.
Heavyweight Gabe Brown, coming off a third place finish at the Loras College Open, posted a victory versus Michael Faison of Baker University 4-2, and 149-pound wrestler, Brandon Starkey, recorded a fall over Chris Atlakson of Baker University in 4:26. Jordan Brooks won his first college match with a 17-6 major decision over Jordan Packard of Dakota Wesleyan University at 157 pounds.
"It was a challenge tournament," noted head coach Doug Reese. "It was a great learning experience for us. We lost some matches today that we will win in January. Losing is a great teacher. Losing helps us prepare and lets us know where the chinks are in our armor.
"It is also good to see our GPAC competitors for the first time," noted Reese. "We will be seeing a lot of them in the upcoming weeks. We went 14-23 overall on Saturday. We are starting to get the taste of college wrestling: the speed, the intensity, the physicality is all different than high school. Overall the team is adapting quite well and looks like a collegiate team."
Concordia wrestlers compete at Baker University Dual
17 NOV 2009
The Concordia University wrestling team took part in the Baker University Dual on Tuesday evening in Baldwin City, Kan. Results from the meet are listed below.
Concordia University 6 – Baker University 37
Baldwin City, KS
November 17, 2009
125 – Alan Callahan (BU) 15-2 major decision vs. Logan Shanks (CU)
133 – Robb Water (BU) 13-2 major decision vs. Brady Chancellor (CU)
141 – Alex Rostvet (CU) 6-1 decision vs. Robb Waters (BU)
149 – Brett Delich (BU) 7-6 decision vs. Brandon Starkey (CU)
157 – Nathan Sommers (BU) 18-10 major decision vs. Jordan Brooks (CU)
165 – Jake Price (BU) wbf 5:38 vs. Keith Polson (CU)
174 – Clarence Jordan (BU) 11-2 major decision vs. Brian O’Shaughnessy (CU)
184 – Jacob Nowak (BU) wb forfeit
197 – Brandon Gebhardt (BU) wbf 1:08 vs. Brooks Bowthorpe (CU)
285 – Barry Hubbard (CU) 4-2 decision vs. Michael Faison (BU)
Bulldog wrestling team turns in impressive performance at Concordia Wisconsin Open
21 NOV 2009
Concordia University Wrestling
Concordia University, Wisconsin Open
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
The young Bulldog wrestling team put on its finest performance of the season at the 17th Annual Concordia University, Wisconsin Open on Nov. 21. The outstanding tournament brought together over 30 schools from Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Michigan; including defending NCAA Division III National Champions Wartburg College (IA).
Freshman Logan Shanks (Big Rapids, MI) put together an outstanding performance at 125 pounds. Shanks wrestled to a 4-1 record and qualified for the NAIA National Wrestling Championships. With his performance, Shanks is the second Bulldog wrestler to qualify for nationals along with 149-pound teammate Brandon Starkey.
Shanks opened the tournament with an upset of the #4 seed, Sergio Figueroa of Wartburg College. Shanks won by fall in the second period in 3:08. In the round of 16, Shanks defeated Jordan Poirer of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 8-6 to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, he dropped a hard fought match 6-0 to Allen Fish of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Shanks then pinned Wabash College's Josh Boyer in 2:42 and then won a second physical match by the score of 8-3 over Sergio Figueroa of Wartburg. After suffering an injury, Shanks defaulted out of the tournament and placed 6th.
"Logan wrestled an exceptional tournament," noted head wrestling coach Doug Reese. "He wrestled a tactical tournament. He did not look like a freshman, but a seasoned veteran."
Brooks Bowthorpe placed 6th at 197 pounds. After dropping his opening match to the #1 seed at 197 pounds, Bowthorpe bounced back with a physical win over Alex Schwerdtgefer of Wartburg College, who withdrew due to injury. He then defeated Matt Regnier of Augustana College (IL) by major decision 13-5. Bowthorpe pinned Brandon Johnson of UW-Stevens Point by fall in 3:47, and claimed his second fall of the tournament versus Jon Nelson of Elmhurst College (IL) in just 54 seconds.
Alex Rostvet won three consecutive matches in the championship side of the bracket at 141 pounds. Rostvet opened the tournament with a 5-2 decision versus Spencer Peterson of UW-Platteville. He then won a solid 2-0 decision versus Mark Puckhabler of UW-Stevens Point on an escape and riding time. In his third match, Rostvet won a 5-2 decision over Chris Gansen of Loras College (IA) to advance to the quarterfinals.
George Gulesian, wrestling at 141 pounds, defeated Johanson Armin of the University of Chicago 9-4 and then upset Andy Casper of UW-Platteville 8-6. Gulesian lost a 7-3 decision to Austin Bautista of UW-Whitewater, but bounced back with a 3-2 decision versus Ryan Earley of Elmhurst College.
Brandon Starkey went 2-2 at 149 pounds. Starkey won his first match by fall in 3:54 over Quinn McCullough of Loras College. He then lost a 15-10 shoot out versus Jesse Freohner of Wartburg College. In the wrestle backs, Starkey downed Colin Hagerty of Loras College by fall in 3:30.
Heavyweight Barry Hubbard and 141-pounder Tyvell Smith also posted wins on the day. Hubbard opened the tournament with a 3-2 decision over Ralph Loftin of Concordia, Wisconsin, and Smith won a 3-1 overtime decision versus Tony Porn of Milwaukee School of Engineering.
The young Bulldog squad posted an 18-16 record, the best showing in their first season of competition.
"This is traditionally a tough event. That's why we are here - to be tested," commented Coach Reese. "I am very excited with how we wrestled. We pinned opponents and we won tight, close matches against seated wrestlers. We wrestled better than I had hoped for today. It was a great day for Bulldog wrestling."
"The kids responded well to tough travel, to making weight, and to competing in a challenging event where every match gets more physical. I like their character and toughness," said Reese.
The Bulldogs are off for Thanksgiving break training with their high school teams and will be back on campus to compete in their first home dual meet on Thursday, Dec. 3 versus York College. Wrestling begins at 7 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.
Concordia suffers 24-18 dual loss to York College
3 DEC 2009
The Concordia University wrestling team hosted York College in a dual on Thursday evening in Seward. The visiting Panthers pulled out a 24-18 win. Results of the dual are listed below.
York College Dual
York College 24, Concordia University 18
Dec. 3, 2009
Seward, Neb.
125 - Gordie Fowlkes (CU) won by decision 7-5 vs. Andrew Simpson (YC)
133 - Logan Shanks (CU) won by decision 7-5 vs. Matt Banta (YC)
141 - Alex Rostvet (CU) won by decision 6-2 vs. Ricky Creek (YC)
149 - Kyle Wichman (YC) won by decision 15-9 vs. Brandon Starkey (CU)
157 - Peter Greimann (CU) won by forfeit
165 - Trevor Goodie (YC) won by major decision 11-3 vs. Jordan Brooks (CU)
174 - Tom Brown (YC) won by fall 1:36 vs. Brian O'Shaughnessy (CU)
184 - Bryan Irsik (YC) won by forfeit
197 - Brooks Bowthorpe (CU) won by decision 13-10 vs. Shaun Howard (YC)
285 - Jason Lloyd (YC) won by technical fall 20-5 vs. Barry Hubbard (CU)
Six Bulldog wrestlers place at Dragon Open
5 DEC 2009
The Concordia Bulldog wrestling team continued to improve in tournament competition placing six wrestlers in the Dragon Open hosted by Minnesota State University – Moorhead.
The tournament field was extremely talented with NCAA I opponents from the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University. The tournament also included a strong field of NCAA II schools along with NCAA III powerhouse Augsburg College.
The Bulldogs were led by NAIA national qualifier Brandon Starkey at 149 pounds. Starkey became the first finalist this season for the Bulldogs in tournament competition. Starkey opened the tournament with a fall over NCAA I Brian Ham of North Dakota State University in 5:59. It was the first-ever win over an NCAA I opponent for the first year wrestling program.
Starkey then upset Jake Horn of St. Cloud State University win a solid 8-3 decision on the strength of two takedowns and riding time. In the championship finals, Starkey dropped a 6-1 decision to Wade Forde of Minnesota State – Mankato to place second at 149 pounds.
“Brandon came to wrestle today,” commented Bulldog head coach Doug Reese. “His win over North Dakota State was huge. Brandon was trailing after the first period, and he just continued to pressure his opponent. Brandon’s relentless attack opened the opportunity for a fall and an impressive victory.”
Three Bulldog wrestlers advanced into the consolation finals for third place. Logan Shanks placed fourth at 125 pounds. Shanks, who earned two falls on the day over North Dakota State and Concordia College – Moorhead, dropped a 5-2 decision in the bronze medal match to Sim Kenea of Southwest Minnesota State University.
Alex Rostvet placed 4th at 141 pounds. Rosvet recorded two impressive wins on the day with a 17-0 technical fall over Connor MacGregor of Minnesota State – Moorhead and a 2-0 decision versus Justin Koob of Augsburg College. Rostvet lost an 11-1 major decision in the consolation finals to Justin Reinsma of Southwest Minnesota State.
Redshirt Ben Lierman, wrestling unattached at 174 pounds, placed fourth. Lierman had a pair of victories over NCAA II opponents. Lierman pinned Bryce Flaherty of Augustana College (SD) in 6:40 while leading 11-2, then downed Aaron Hyde of Southwest Minnesota State with an 11-3 major decision. In the bronze medal match, Lierman lost by fall to Matt Jeska of Concordia College – Moorhead.
A pair of Bulldog wrestlers placed fifth in the tournament. Gordie Fowlkes finished 5th with a fall in 4:12 versus Adam Sommer of Concordia College – Moorhead, and Keith Polson won his fifth place match with a fall over Brennan Novacek of Minnesota State – Moorhead in 1:45.
Brooks Bowthorpe lost his fifth place match to Baker Haar of Northern State University 13-5 to earn a 6th place finish in the tournament.
“It was nice to see six of our wrestlers place in a tournament,” noted Coach Reese. “To have success against quality NCAA II competition is a good sign of our continuing development. Technically and tactically we are getting much better. When you see guys like Alex Rostvet winning a match 2-0 on one escape and two minutes of riding time – that is dominating wrestling position. Those are the kind of matches you need to win to become an All-American. I am happy with where we are headed,” said Reese.
The Bulldogs finish off the 2009 part of the season with a home dual against GPAC foe Hastings College on Dec. 10 at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. Wrestling will begin at 7 p.m.
Hastings sneaks past Concordia 27-24 in GPAC dual
10 DEC 2009
Hastings College earned a 27-24 win over Concordia in a GPAC wrestling dual at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center on Thursday evening. Results of the evening's matches are below.
Hastings College 27 – Concordia University 24
Seward, NE
Thursday, December 10, 2009
125 – Gordie Fowlkes (CU) wins by Forfeit
133 – Kris Stenhaug (HS) wins by fall 1:35 vs. Logan Shanks (CU)
141 – Alex Rostvet (CU) wins by forfeit
149 – Brandon Starkey (CU) wins by decision 10-7 vs. Brad Cusatis (HC)
157 – Nick Howell (HC) wins by decision 8-6 OT vs. Jordan Brooks (CU)
165 – Keith Polson (CU) wins by decision 7-4 vs. William Vincent (HC)
174 – Jameon Rush (HC) wins by fall 5:40 vs. Brian O’Shaughnessy (CU)
184 – Derek Miller (HC) wins by forfeit
197 – Brooks Bowthorpe (CU) wins by fall 1:40 vs. Andrew Sorenson (HC)
285 – Justin Boyce (HC) wins by forfeit
Two Bulldog wrestlers place at Quality Inn Open
9 JAN 2010
Two Bulldog wrestlers placed at the Quality Inn Open on January 9 at Hastings College. Logan Shanks placed fourth at 125 pounds, and Brandon Starkey placed sixth at 149 pounds.
The first tournament of the new year brought together 18 college wrestling programs and over 175 wrestlers from Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Iowa.
Logan Shanks shined once again in the 125-pound weight class. Shanks continued his string of three straight tournament place finishes with a strong showing at the Quality Inn Open. In his opening match, Shanks defeated No. 1 seed Alan Callahan of Baker College (KS) with a 7-4 decision. Six of his points came in the third period. Shanks also won a decision over Kory Kistner of Morningside College, while his two losses were by one point to Jerrod Weins of Hastings College (7-6) and to Billy Benz of Baker College (8-7).
“Shanks looked tough all day,” noted head coach Doug Reese. “There is no reason why he can’t be a finalist in the future. We just have to focus on a few key points in his takedown attack. Logan is really coming on.”
Brandon Starkey placed in his third tournament of the season at Hastings. He opened up the tournament with an exciting come-from-behind victory over Jewell Jackson of Bacone College (OK). Trailing in the third period by the score of 14-10, Starkey opened up his offense by scoring an escape, two takedowns and a three point nearfall to win the match 18-15. Starkey also had a fine technical match versus Nick Howell of Hastings, winning a major decision 11-4.
Both Shanks and Starkey have qualified for the NAIA National Wrestling Championship to be held in early March at Oklahoma City.
A number of other freshman wrestlers posted wins on the day. At 149 pounds, Jake Scott won by fall over David Gerhardus of Hastings. Jordan Brooks won a pair of matches at 157 pounds. Brooks won by fall over Nash Spencer of Baker College in 4:25 and over Colin Herrell of Chadron State in 4:41.
Redshirt freshman George Gulesian won three bouts at 157 pounds. Gulesian won by decision over Ryley Allen of UNK 10-9, pinned Andrew Hurla of Baker College in 2:15 and then downed Ryan Spencer of Newman University (KS) 11-9. Gulesian dropped a 3-2 match to Mike Brown of Colorado School of Mines which kept him from the medal round.
Keith Polson won a pair of matches at 157 pounds. Polson won a 16-1 technical fall over Ethan Baker of Baker College on the strength of two takedowns and four three-point near falls. Polson also defeated teammate Peter Greimann by fall after Greimann built a solid five point lead.
Brooks Bowthorpe won a match at 197 pounds. Bowthorpe defeated Shaun Howard of York for the third time this season. Trailing 9-3, Bowthorpe reversed Howard and pinned him with just 13 seconds remaining in the match.
The Bulldog wrestling team travels to York College on Thursday night for a dual meet. From there, Concordia wrestles at Minnesota West Community College on Friday night in a dual meet. The Bulldogs conclude the week at the Worthington Open wrestling tournament in Worthington, MN on Jan. 16.
Concordia University wins its first collegiate dual meet over York College, 36-12
14 JAN 2010
Concordia University 36 – York College 12
York, NE
Jan. 14, 2010
The Bulldogs won seven of the 10 matches to defeat York College in a dual meet Thursday evening.
The Bulldogs started strong with a first period fall by Gordie Fowlkes at 125 pounds.
Logan Shanks increased the lead to 12-0 with a fall at 133 pounds. Following a two point setback to York at 141 pounds, the Bulldogs came back with a 4-1 decision at 149 pounds by Brandon Starkey and a 15-12 decision by Jordan Brooks at 157 pounds.
Keith Polson was awarded a forfeit at 165 pounds which gave the Bulldogs a 24-3 lead. The Bulldogs dropped a two point decision at 174 pounds and gave up a forfeit at 184 pounds which made the score 24-12 in favor of Concordia.
Brooks Bowthorpe earned a fall at 197 pounds in 1:31 off a throw, and heavyweight John Sennett claimed his first collegiate victory with a fall at 1:25 for the final score of 36-12.
“We looked like a totally different team than we did a month ago,” noted head coach Doug Reese. “We were physical, aggressive, intense and in much better shape. I think we have matured and have turned the corner as a team. It certainly was fun to see the guys win!”
York College dual results
125 Gordie Fowlkes (CU) won by fall in 2:07 over Andrew Simpson (YC)
133 Logan Shanks (CU) won by fall in 2:59 over Matthew Banta (YC)
141 Bryan Williams (YC) won by decision 5-3 over Alex Rostvet (CU)
149 Brandon Starkey (CU) won by decision 4-1 over Travis Clark (YC)
157 Jordan Brooks (CU) won by decision 15-12 over Kyle Wichman (YC)
165 Keith Polson (CU) won by forfeit
174 Nick McGrew (YC) won by decision 5-3 over Brian O’Shaughnessy (CU)
184 Jamel Wheatley (YC) won by forfeit
197 Brooks Bowthorpe (CU) won by fall in 1:31 over Bryan Irsik (YC)
285 John Sennett (CU) won by fall in 1:25 over Shaun Howard (YC)
Concordia earns 41-15 dual win over Minnesota West Community College
15 JAN 2010
Concordia University 41 - Minnesota West Community College 15
Jan. 15, 2010
Worthington, MN
Concordia University earned a 41-15 dual meet win over Minnesota West Community College on Friday evening. Results of the meet are listed below.
125 Gordie Fowlkes (CU) won by forfeit
133 Logan Shanks (CU) won by fall in 6:32 over Danny Cordido (MWCC)
141 Alex Rostvet (CU) won by technical fall 22-6 over Durvan Thompson (MWCC)
149 Ryan Davis (MWCC) won by decision 5-4 over Brandon Starkey (CU)
157 Jordan Brooks (CU) won by forfeit
165 Keith Polson (CU) won by forfeit
174 Brian O'Shaughnessy (CU) won by forfeit
184 Julia Casillas (MWCC) won by forfeit
197 Brooks Bowthorpe (CU) won by fall in 1:02 over Cody Gehrke (MWCC)
285 Jon Musa (MWCC) won by fall in 1:48 over John Sennett (CU)
Concordia concludes busy week with strong showing at Worthington Open
16 JAN 2010
The Concordia University Bulldog wrestlers finished a grueling three-day competition on Saturday. Last week, Concordia won a pair of dual meets over York College and Minnesota West Community College. On Saturday, the Bulldogs turned in a strong showing at the Worthington Open wrestling tournament. The Worthington Open featured 18 schools from Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.
“According to our team, this was the toughest tournament of the season,” noted head coach Doug Reese. “It was a meat grinder, but our kids wrestled tough all day. We even wrestled extremely well against the University of Minnesota wrestlers.”
Redshirt George Gulesian posted the best results of the weekend placing fourth at 149 pounds. Gulesian defeated Alex Folk of Mankato State University in a technical fall, 17-2. He then downed Justin Truckenmiller of Morningside by the score of 10-7 and upset Ryan Davis of Minnesota West by the score of 6-4. His two losses came to Jacob Horn of St. Cloud State University.
Alex Rostvet won a pair of matches at 141 pounds. Rostvet won by fall over Robert Murphy of Itasca Community College in 2:07 and by technical fall (20-4) over Tom Thompson from the University of Sioux Falls.
Keith Polson picked up four wins during the week at 165 pounds. At the Worthington Open, Polson won by fall over Ethan Pierson of Iowa Lakes Community College in 6:07. He also rolled over Michael Cullin of St. Cloud State University with a technical fall, 20-4.
Gordie Fowlkes downed Charlie Wilzcek of Itasca Community College (10-1) for a major decision at 125 pounds. Brandon Starkey posted a fall over Jeremy Loch of Southwest Minnesota State in 2:35. Brooks Bowthorpe pinned Joe Klinkel of Buena Vista University in 3:50 for his 16th win of the season at 197 pounds.
Heavyweight John Sennett won a hard fought 5-3 decision over Jerrod Kuisle of Itasca Community College before withdrawing from the tournament due to injury. Barry Hubbard won an impressive 2-1 decision over Jordan Schroeder of Minnesota West College on riding time.
“No one could expect how challenging this event was going to be,” said Reese. “There were a lot of talented wrestlers in the field today. I was quite happy with our effort. More than a few of our losses came from two–point matches when we made mental and physical positioning mistakes. At times, we tend to get over aggressive, and that gets us in trouble. We are thankful that we are continuing to improve day-to-day.”
The Bulldogs host their last home dual meet of the year on Jan. 19. Concordia takes on Northwestern College at 7 p.m. in the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.
Three Bulldog wrestlers place at York College Open
23 JAN 2010
York College Open
York, NE
Jan. 23, 2010
Three Concordia University wrestlers placed in the York College Open this past weekend.
Brandon Starkey placed second at 149 pounds meeting NAIA wrestling national championship qualifying standards for the third time this season. After a first round bye, Starkey defeated Jake Waterkote of Missouri Baptist University by the score of 6-4 on a third period takedown. In the semi-finals, Starkey battled Evon Russell of Dana College. Early in the match, Russell was penalized for an illegal slam. It was in question whether Starkey could resume wrestling. In a 5-4 brawl, Starkey scored seven third-period points and took Russell to his back for a fall at 6:41 to gain a very important GPAC victory.
“This was a tough, physical match,” commented head coach Doug Reese. “It was a street brawl. Someone had to break mentally or physically. It was going to be us or them. Brandon was relentless in his attack and counter-attack and broke Russell mentally and then poured on the points and dominated him with a pin. That was fun to watch and it was an important step in his wrestling development. It was a big, big GPAC win.”
Starkey advanced to the championship finals at 141 pounds, but it was decided by Reese to injury default out of the match.
“Brandon was hurting after being slammed by Russell,” said Reese. “We did not want to take any chances with his health when we have our conference championships next weekend. We need him to be 100 percent for our post-season tournaments.”
Redshirt George Gulesion placed fifth at 149 pounds. Gulesian advanced to the semi-finals with a win over Chris Wright of Pratt Community College 8-5. After losing a two-point decision in the semi-finals, Gulesian bounced back with a 6-4 decision over David Fuller of Waldorf College and then placed fifth with a 11-6 decision over Evon Russell of Dana College. Gulesian has had an excellent season thus far with a 17-11 record.
Logan Shanks placed sixth at 125 pounds. Shanks was illegally slammed to the mat in his opening match and won by injury default over Vonel Rene of Waldorf College. Shanks came back to defeat Brent Kleinschmidt of Wayne State College with a pin in 28 seconds, but was unable to continue in the tournament due to the lingering effects of his injury. Shanks had to default the rest of his matches and placed sixth.
Alex Rostvet went 2-2 at 141 pounds. Rostvet upped his season record to 16-14 with a pair of wins. Rostvet defeated Ricky Creek of York College by the score of 8-1 and downed Justin Ferguson of Hastings College 8-6 with a dramatic third-period takedown and two-point nearfall for the win.
Redshirt Zach Schnell picked up his first fall of the season with a 27-second effort over Ethan Becker of Baker University. Jake Scott recorded a fall in 2:56 over Allyn Gonsor of Wayne State College. Unfortunately, Scott had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.
Tyvell Smith won a pair of matches at 149 pounds. Smith won by decision over Travis Clark of York College 7-5 and won on injury default versus Jake Lords of Chadron State College.
“It was a physical tournament,” noted Reese. “Starkey, Shanks, Polson and Scott all had to be withdrawn from the meet. We don’t want to take any chances right now with the conference tournament just a week away. We want to be at full-strength and not wounded warriors next weekend.”
The Bulldogs will travel to Morningside for the GPAC Wrestling Championships on Jan. 30. Wrestling action is scheduled to begin at 9 am.
Bulldog wrestlers take part in DuHawk Open
6 FEB 2010
The Concordia University wrestling team closed out the tournament part of the schedule at the DuHawk Open on Saturday, Feb. 6.
The last open tournament of the season just happened to be the toughest tournament of the year with the presence of Big Ten members from the University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota. The tournament also featured wrestlers from Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois University.
“It wasn’t the qualifying tournament we had hoped for,” noted head coach Doug Reese, “but it was a growth experience we needed. To be the best, you have to wrestle the best. We got to experience the best of the best today. At least half our team had matches with Big Ten opponents. Hopefully we will learn a lot from those matches.”
Gordie Fowlkes placed sixth in the tournament at 125 pounds.
“In the last couple of weeks, Fowlkes has really come on strong,” said Reese. “He is a warrior who battles in tight, physical matches. He is just starting to peak right now.”
Brandon Starkey dropped an 8-1 match to the University of Wisconsin and a 9-6 decision to the University of Minnesota at 149 pounds. Starkey posted a 4:59 fall versus Cornell College for his 19th win of the season.
“Brandon had a great opportunity to defeat Enoch of Minnesota,” said Reese, “but he made a position mistake that cost him four points and the match. He had Enoch broken physically, but just couldn’t put him away. This is a great learning experience and will help him win those types of matches in the future.”
George Gulesian put on the performance of the tournament with a 2-1 overtime win over Ruban Chavez of the University of Iowa at 157 pounds. The match was scoreless until the third period when Chavez earned an escape point. Gulesian tied up the match when Chavez was hit with a penalty point for stalling. In overtime, after a scoreless first period, Gulesian escaped in the second period for a 2-1 lead. In the third period, Gulesian rode out Chavez for 30 seconds to win the match.
“You gain so much confidence winning tight matches with a good opponent,” said Reese. “This win over Iowa will help George win even more tight matches in the future. “
The last event of the regular season is scheduled for Feb. 11. The Bulldogs travel to Hastings for a dual meet with Hastings College at 7 p.m.
High school All-American signs with Concordia wrestling
9 FEB 2010
2009 High School All-American and Nebraska state wrestling champion Breckin Coffey signed with the Concordia University wrestling program this week.
Coffey won the state title in 2009 for Centennial High School in Utica, posting a 42-0 record at
152 pounds. Coffey was nationally ranked by Wrestling USA magazine as a senior and was named a High School All-American by the magazine last spring. Coffey amassed an impressive 120-33 prep record.
Coffey signed with NJCAA powerhouse Iowa Central Community College last summer.
“I have been recruiting Breckin before I moved to Nebraska,” said Bulldog head coach Doug Reese. “Fourteen months of effort has gone into this moment. I learned in this sport that you never give up or quit. We stayed after Breckin, and we finally got him to commit to our program. He was well worth the time and effort. He is an All-American in waiting.”
Coffey is expected to compete at 174 or 184 pounds for the Bulldogs next season.
“Coffey is a great addition to our program,” said Reese. “We are going after the best Nebraska wrestlers. To sign a local state champion and high school All-American like Coffey is a big boost for us. Breckin will fit in nicely with our veterans Gordie Fowlkes, Brandon Starkey, and Alex Rostvet, who are all Husker wrestlers - they are the foundation of our program.”
Concordia falls to Hastings College in dual meet, 34-11
11 FEB 2010
Hastings College defeated Concordia 34-11 in a GPAC wrestling dual on Thursday. Results of the meet are listed below.
125 Jarrod Wiens (H) Dec Gordie Fowlkes 13-7 HC 3 CU 0
133 Kris Stenhaug (H) Maj Dec Logan Shanks 13-1 HC 7 CU 0
141 Alex Rosvet (C) Maj Dec Justin Ferguson 9-0 HC 7 CU 4
149 Brandon Starky (C) Maj Dec Brad Cusatis 10-0 HC 7 CU 8
157 Justin Narduzzo (H) Maj Dec James Marcum 14-5 HC 11 CU 8
165 Jordan Brooks (C) Dec (OT) Jairin Potter 17-15 HC 11 CU 11
174 Jameon Rush For HC 17 CU 11
184 Drew Sorensen FOR HC 23 CU 11
197 Justin Boyce FOR HC 29 CU 11
285 Michael Byrd (H) Tec Fall Brooks Bowthorpe 20-5 HC 34 CU 11
Bulldogs headed to Nationals
1 MAR 2010
The Concordia University wrestling team, in its first collegiate season, is making a trip this week to the NAIA National Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City. Wrestling begins on March 4 at the Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of Oklahoma City University and continues through March 6.
Two true freshman wrestlers will be vying for All-American honors for the Bulldogs.
Brandon Starkey has had an outstanding freshman season. Starkey qualified for the national tournament at 149 pounds. He placed second in the Loras College Open, second in the Dragon Open at Minnesota-State Moorhead, second in the York College Open and fifth in the NAIA North Region Championships. Starkey has wrestled to a 22-20 record with 40 takedowns, 28 near falls and a team leading 34 reversals and 102 team points.
“Brandon is peaking,” said head wrestling coach Doug Reese. “Brandon is scoring from all positions and his performance at the NAIA North Region Championships, where he defeated the No. 8 ranked wrestler in the NAIA, speaks of his determination and readiness.”
Joining Starkey at Nationals is Logan Shanks. Shanks, who did not qualify in high school for the Michigan state tournament, qualified for the National tournament at 125 pounds. Despite battling injuries all season, Shanks posted a 17-17 record. He qualified with an outstanding performance at the Concordia University, Wisconsin Open, where he placed sixth after injury defaulting out of his last two matches. Shanks also placed fourth in the Quality Inn Open hosted by Hastings College and sixth in the York College Open.
Shanks is extremely tough and physical from the top position. He has scored 17 takedowns, 21 near falls, 20 reversals and 81 team points this season.
“The key for Shanks is to be totally focused on the job at hand,” noted Coach Reese. “When Logan is focused and healthy, he can be very dominating. Our goal is to have him focused and in the zone for the tournament.”
Wrestling action begins at 1 p.m. on March 4. The tournament finals will be streamed live via the NAIA website beginning at 6:15 pm CT on March 6. For more information, go to www.watchNAIA.com.
Shanks and Starkey compete at National Wrestling Tournament
4-6 MAR 2010
The Concordia University wrestling team finished their first season on the mat since 1978 at the 53rd Annual NAIA National Wrestling Championships over the weekend in Oklahoma City.
Two Bulldog wrestlers qualified for the national tournament which was hosted by Oklahoma City University.
Brandon Starkey competed at 149 pounds. Starkey, who was 22-18 on the season, opened the tournament versus the No. 15 seed, Ryan Jahn, of McKendree College (IL). Jahn scored on a single leg takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Starkey, who has scored 42 reversals this season, was neutralized by Jahn and forced to his back for a fall at 1:36.
“Brandon was very tight and very nervous coming into this match,” said Coach Doug Reese. “He was not himself. The pressure of the moment really got to him. Jahn happened to be stronger in the top position than Brandon’s strength in the bottom position. This match up was not in our favor.”
In the consolation round, Starkey met the No. 2 seed David Fuller of Waldorf College (IL), who was upset in the opening round. Starkey, who was much more relaxed, gave the No. 2 seed a battle for over six minutes in a high scoring back and forth bout. At the end of the first period, Fuller led 9-5. Starkey dominated the second period and outscored Fuller 5-2.
Trailing in the third period 11-10, the scoring continued on both sides. Trailing 17-15 with 30 seconds left, Starkey attacked and was called for a head butt and penalized for one point. Fuller then countered the next takedown attempt for a 20-15 win.
“Starkey wrestled Fuller extremely well,” said Reese. “The match came down to defending against a leg attack and scoring a takedown when we needed it. Scoring 15 points against the No. 2 seed is impressive. It just proves that Starkey belongs here. All that is stopping him from being an All-American is getting that first takedown in a match.”
Logan Shanks opened the tournament versus No. 16 Venel Rene of Waldorf College at 125 pounds.
Rene built an early 8-3 lead after the second period scoring mainly from the neutral position. In the third period, Rene chose the bottom position and Shanks went to work with his leg ride offense. Twice, Shanks came very close to getting near fall points, but he could not maintain the scoring position. After a stalemate, Shanks went for a big play move. He looked for a fall and was reversed for two points.
“I think if Logan would have stayed to his attack, he would have worn down Rene and scored on him,” noted Reese. “Sometimes you need to stay patient and grind down and break your opponent. Logan made a freshman tactical mistake, and he realizes that now. It is just part of the learning curve.”
Shanks then faced GPAC champion Aaron Wilcox of Dana College in the consolation bracket. Wilcox scored a takedown and ran a deep half-nelson that was beyond the typical range of motion for a wrestler. The Concordia coaches yelled for the referees to stop the action since it was potentially dangerous, but Shanks was turned and pinned at 1:53.
“Shanks’ right elbow was behind his head and his hand was below his left lat,” said Reese. “I don’t know how he didn’t separate his shoulder on that technique. The match should have been stopped. It is a tough and painful way to lose a match.”
The Bulldogs finished in 36th place in their first appearance in the NAIA National Wrestling Tournament in 32 years.
Concordia wrestling announces recruiting class
4 MAY 2010
Concordia University head wrestling Coach Doug Reese has released the names of 21 wrestlers that will join the Bulldogs for the 2010-2011 season.
Ten of the committed recruits come from Nebraska.
“We are very excited to announce the commitments of a great recruiting class. After our first full season on the mat, we found the type of student-athlete who we feel are good fit for our university in the areas of academics, character, and toughness in competition,” said Bulldog head coach Doug Reese.
The recruiting class boasts six state champions, six state finalists, and 30 state medalists. In addition, Bulldog recruits have earned four high school All-American titles, and five recruits are members of their state’s USA Wrestling Junior National Teams.
“We went out and found the prototype collegiate wrestlers we needed to raise the level of this program,“ noted Reese. “The goal is not to compete just in the GPAC, but nationally. With talent and good depth in the practice room, this combination will give us an advantage when we battle on the weekend in competition. It will only make us tougher. We need wrestlers who are committed, who know how to win big matches and who wrestle in the international styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in the off-season. We found what we were searching for.”
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-6 season that saw two freshman (Logan Shanks and Brandon Starkey) qualify for the national championships.
“We addressed the needs we had,” commented Reese. Although we were 2-6 this past season, we forfeited 184-pounds all season and we only won one match at 174 pounds during the entire year. Every match went down to the heavyweight bout, and we were not very talented there last season. That has now changed. We are deep and talented at heavyweight. Just watching practice will be fun next season.”
“We are not even close to being done with recruiting,” added Reese. “We hope to add another 10-12 wrestlers to the roster primarily in the middle to upper weight classes. We are still pursuing some very talented wrestlers here in Nebraska and across the nation. We have a vision for what Concordia wrestling can be, and our recruiting class has caught a hold of that as well. It is an exciting time to be a part of something real special."
125 Pounds
Jeff Green West Point, NE
Brandon Roath Palmyra HS - Lincoln, NE
Jake Williams Rio Rancho, NE
133 Pounds
Adam Joseph Adams Central HS - Hastings, NE
Travis Patrick Castle Rock, WA
141 Pounds
Logan Owens Wayne, NE
Alex Stepanek St. Paul, NE
149 Pounds
Michael Burton Friends, NE
Paul Cheyney Stanton, NE
Martin Dobler Lutheran HS - Rockford, IL
157 Pounds
Jacob Babb Falls City, NE
165 Pounds
Blake Augustyn Ord, NE
Breckin Coffey Centennial HS – Utica, NE
174 Pounds
Nick Sheppard Edgewood, CO
184 Pounds
Ryan Perez Sulphur HS – Lake Charles, LA
197 Pounds
Chris Hood Cleveland, TN
Colton Schneider Millerville, Alberta, CANADA
285 Pounds
Hunter Cummins Farmington, NM
Dillon Heesch Dayton, IA
Joseph Koenig Orlando, FL
Aaron Roberson Wood River HS – Alda, NE
Wrestling post-season awards announced
4 MAY 2010
Concordia University Head Wrestling Coach Doug Reese announced the post-season wrestling awards on Monday, May 3.
Brandon Starkey (St. Paul, Neb.) was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler for the 2009-2010 season. Starkey won 22 matches as a true-freshman and qualified for the NAIA national championships. Starkey placed second in two tournaments, met the NAIA national championship qualifying standards three times, placing fifth in the NAIA North Region championships. He led the team in wins, reversals, team points, and major decisions.
Alex Rostvet (Hastings, Neb.) captured two awards for the season. Rostvet won the Jacob Award for being the team’s most technical wrestler and the Ironman Award for never missing a competition or practice during the season. Rostvet led the team in most technical falls, two-point near falls, and three-point near falls.
Gordie Fowlkes (Newman Grove, Neb.) was the recipient of the SISU Award. SISU is a Finnish word meaning determination, spirit, courage, persistence, guts, tenacity, stubbornness and perseverance – all qualities that Fowlkes exhibits on and off the mat every day.
Brooks Bowthorpe (Shoshoni, Wyo.) was named the Most Improved Wrestler. Bowthorpe won 18 matches on the season, scored 98 team points and led the team in pins with 13.
Two wrestlers were cited as Lifter-of-the-Year for their efforts in the Bulldog Wrestling Strength and Conditioning program. Tyvell Smith (Omaha, Neb.) and Fowlkes tested out as the strongest wrestlers pound-for-pound on this year’s team.
Also recognized was NAIA National Championship qualifier Logan Shanks.