Wrestling

2022-23 Wrestling Schedule/Results

13-2 overall | 6-2 GPAC (3rd) | Season Stats | Roster

Date Event/Opponent Location Result Dual Record
Nov. 1 Midland University Dual Fremont, Neb. W, 28-17 1-0, 1-0
Nov. 6 Baker University Dan Harris Open Baldwin City, Kan. Results  
Nov. 10 *Hastings College Dual Hastings, Neb. W, 36-10 2-0, 2-0
Nov. 12 Grand View University Open Des Moines, Iowa Results  
Nov. 19 University of Nebraska-Kearney Open Kearney, Neb. Results  
  GPAC Crossover Duals: Nov. 22      
Nov. 22 *Dakota Wesleyan University Sioux City, Iowa W, 22-17 3-0, 3-0
Nov. 22 *(12) Morningside University Sioux City, Iowa L, 6-35 3-1, 3-1
Dec. 2 Bethany College (Kan.) Dual Seward, Neb. W, 36-9 4-1
Dec. 3 Doane University Open Crete, Neb. Results  
  Concordia Bulldog Duals: Dec. 17      
Dec. 17 Central Methodist University (Mo.) Seward, Neb. W, 23-19 5-1
Dec. 17 Texas Wesleyan University Seward, Neb. W, 33-15 6-1
Dec. 17 Benedictine College (Kan.) Seward, Neb. W, 32-13 7-1
Dec. 17 Oklahoma Wesleyan University Seward, Neb. W, 37-12 8-1
Jan. 7 Hastings College Cusatis Open Hastings, Neb. Results  
Jan. 13 *(4) Doane University Dual Seward, Neb. L, 0-44 8-2, 3-2
Jan. 20-21 Missouri Valley College Invite Marshall, Mo. 35th / 44  
 
GPAC Crossover Duals: Jan. 28
      
Jan. 28 *Northwestern College Sioux City, Iowa W, 21-15 9-2, 4-2
Jan. 28 *Briar Cliff University Sioux City, Iowa W, 19-17 10-2, 5-2
Jan. 28 *University of Jamestown Sioux City, Iowa W, 37-12 11-2, 6-2
Feb. 2 Colby CC (Kan.) (Senior Night) Seward, Neb. W, 49-4 12-2
Feb. 2 York University (Senior Night) Seward, Neb. W, 44-6 13-2
Feb. 4 Morningside University Dave Edmonds Open Sioux City, Iowa Results  
Feb. 17-18 GPAC Wrestling Championships Crete, Neb. 3rd place  
March 3-4 NAIA Wrestling National Championships Park City, Kan. T-39th place  
  *denotes GPAC Dual

2022-23 Roster

Weight Class Name Yr. Hometown Previous School
149 Tracy Allen So. Lakeland, Fla. George Jenkins HS
141 Creighton Baughman Jr. Papillion, Neb. Papillion La Vista HS / IA Western CC
141 Josh Broyles So. Baldwin City, Kan. Baldwin HS
165 Issiah Burks Sr. Hemet, Calif. Hemet HS
197 Logan Davidson Fr. Goddard, Kan. Goddard HS
165 Stephen Duffy Jr. Kenesaw, Neb. Kenesaw HS / Barton County CC
125 Cash Duncan Fr. Seward, Neb. Seward HS
141 Henry Gaertner So. Royal Oak, Mich. Lutheran HS Northwest
197 Mason Garcia So. Arroyo Grande, Calif. Arroyo Grande HS
149 Brandon Gonzalez Jr. Santa Barbara, Calif. San Marcos HS
197 Jack Hedke So. Marysville, Kan. Marysville HS
165 Charlie Hutson Fr. Haslet, Texas Northwest Eaton HS
133 Thomas Ivey So. York, Neb. York HS
285 Aaron Jividen Fr. Aurora, Neb. Aurora HS
141 Bryce Karlin Fr. Beatrice, Neb. Beatrice HS
174 Torrance Keehn Fr. Beatrice, Neb. Beatrice HS
197 Clayton Laabs Jr. Orange, Calif. Villa Park HS
157 Kobe Lyons So. York, Neb. York HS / Chadron State College
165 Francisco Mendez Fr. Norfolk, Neb. Norfolk Catholis HS / Iowa Wesleyan
285 Garret Moser So. Fremont, Neb. Fremont HS / York College
141 Dontario Norwood So. St. Petersburg, Fla. Northeast HS / Iowa Lakes CC
149 Tye Ommert Fr. Auburn, Neb. Auburn HS
157 Anthony Perez Sr. Redondo Beach, Calif. South HS / Cerritos College
157 Humphrey Quirie Jr. Tuolumne, Calif. Summerville Union HS / Cuesta College
285 Cy Renney Fr. Adams City, Colo. Adams City HS
165 Jose Sanchez Jr. Wylie, Texas Wylie East HS / MacMurray College
149 Jeaven Scdoris So. Milford, Neb. Milford HS
133 Jeremiah Sistek So. Parker, Colo. Chaparral HS
165 Tavoris Smith Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla. Iowa Lakes CC
285 Kyle Sterup So. Osceola, Neb. Osceola HS
174 Teegan Tschampel So. Merrill, Iowa Hinton HS / Ellsworth CC
285 Jeremiah Vasquez So. Edwards, Colo. Battle Mountain HS
184 Hunter Weimer So. Porterville, Calif. Monache HS
125 Grant Wells Fr. Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln Lutheran HS
165 Tommy Wentz So. Fremont, Neb. Fremont HS / York College
174 Trenton Wills So. Valley Center, Kan. Trinity Academy

STAFF

Chase Clasen, Head Coach

Tyree Cox, Assistant Coach

Clasen selected to take reins of Concordia Wrestling

Apr. 19, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – A former All-American wrestler at an NCAA Division II school in Nebraska, Chase Clasen is set for a return to the state. As announced on Tuesday (April 19), Clasen has been named the Head Coach of Concordia University Wrestling. Clasen will arrive in Seward after most recently serving as the Interim Head Wrestling Coach at National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Member North Idaho College. His duties will officially begin on April 25.

A native of Moses Lake, Wash., Clasen will have his first opportunity as a head coach as he takes the reins of Bulldog Wrestling. Tyree Cox remains on staff as Assistant Wrestling Coach.

Said Clasen, “I’d like to thank God and Concordia University for this great opportunity. I have big goals for the program and envision Concordia University as a place where student-athletes can grow as young men, be positive role models in the community, earn a degree and achieve their wrestling goals.”

Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “We quickly identified Coach Clasen as someone ready to thrive in a head coaching role. His time in Nebraska and experience in other areas of the country have given him a wide range of experiences that will suit him well as he begins to build upon the successes our wrestling program has achieved in the recent past. Coach Clasen represents the type of Christian character and core values we look for in coaching candidates. We are eager to work with Chase and to help bring stability to a wrestling program with great potential for future success on and off the mat.”

Clasen spent the 2021-22 academic year at North Idaho College, where he was elevated to the interim head coach role prior to the start of the wrestling season. He led the Cardinals to an NJCAA National Championship finish of seventh place on the strength of six All-America performances. North Idaho also placed fourth at the 2022 NJCAA National Duals and finished as the West Conference runner up.

Prior to his time at North Idaho, Clasen served as graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Chadron State College, in Chadron, Neb. As part of his position, Clasen filled an academic advising and student-athlete mentorship role. He helped develop five All-Americans for the Eagles.

As a student-athlete, Clasen excelled both on the mat and in the classroom. His collegiate career began at Iowa Western Community College where he earned an associate degree in Social Science. Clasen then made his mark at Chadron State as a 2020 NCAA Division II All-American and two-time national qualifier. He also was a conference champion and a two-time conference finalist at 149 pounds. Clasen was also recognized as Scholar All-American by the NWCA and landed on the dean’s list.

Clasen earned his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Academic Studies from Chadron State in 2020. He proceeded to complete his Master of Science in Organizational Management from Chadron State.

Season Preview: 2022-23 Concordia Wrestling

Oct. 20, 2022

2021-22 Dual Record: 6-6 overall, 3-5 GPAC (T-6th); 6th at GPAC tournament
2022 NAIA National Championships finish: 42nd
Head Coach: Chase Clasen (1st year)
Other Key Returners: 157 Issiah Burks; 197 Mason Garcia; 133 Thomas Ivey; 165 Jose Sanchez; 149 Jeaven Scdoris; 165 Tavoris Smith.
Key Losses: 141 Conner Burrus; 174 TJ Huber; 285 Jacob Telles; 133 Mario Ybarra.
2022 GPAC All-Conference: Jacob Telles (Second Team); Mario Ybarra (Second Team); Issiah Burks (Honorable Mention).

Outlook

The head coaching transition has been a major storyline this offseason for the Concordia University Wrestling program, which is undergoing a bit of a makeover. A young coach just a couple years removed from his own All-America run at the NCAA Division II level, Chase Clasen has been tabbed as the new leader. The expectation is that Clasen will provide needed stability while building a winning program. The blueprint is there for a Concordia outfit that celebrated GPAC championships in five of six seasons from 2014-15 through 2019-20.

Clasen and assistant coach Tyree Cox have retooled the roster. Nineteen of the 35 student-athletes in the program are new to the Bulldogs in 2022-23. The influx of talent will help supplement a roster that said goodbye to its two national qualifiers from last season, Mario Ybarra and Jacob Telles.

Everything starts with the right mentality. Says Clasen, “Anybody who knows me or spends any time around me knows that I don’t do anything to take second, whether it’s a sprint, homework or anything. I’m always competing. That’s the same mentality I want out of our guys. We’re not going to put a number on it or say we’re going to win the national title. I don’t think that’s the right way to go about it to accomplish your goals. It’s about the process. We’re going to focus on improving and getting better. We’re going to focus on the small details and hopefully win some championships. That’s the goal every single time, but we’re going to enjoy the process for sure.”

There’s work to be done as Concordia comes off back-to-back sixth-place GPAC tournament finishes. For the first time since 2013, the program did not put an individual on the All-America podium, snapping an eight-year streak. The question becomes: who starts a new streak? As one of six returners from last year’s GPAC tournament roster, 165-pounder Issiah Burks has come back for a sixth year and another shot at a national tournament berth. Burks won 23 matches in 2020-21 and is one of the team’s most prominent leaders.

Meanwhile, the buzz is building for one newcomer in particular: Creighton Baughman, already ranked No. 2 in the GPAC at 141 pounds. Baughman claimed two All-America awards at perennially strong Iowa Western Community College, where he went a combined 40-11. Burks referred to his new teammate as a “superstar” and as someone who sets the tone for the way Concordia wrestlers should carry themselves within the room.

Said Clasen, “He’s showing those other guys: if you want to achieve your goals, this is how you have to train. This is how you have to do things. I’ve been relying on him for that. He’s not much of a talker. He’s a walk-the-walk kind of guy. Having a guy like that to be able to show these young freshmen the right way to do things is huge for us. He’s a 4.0 student and does everything right off the mat. He’s just a perfect example of what we’re trying to look for here and what we’re trying to build. It’s been great having him.”

As part of the building process, Clasen has instituted daily 6 a.m. practices and after class study hall. Naturally, there was an adjustment period, especially for the veteran wrestlers who have trained under the tutelage of multiple head coaches. Clasen is someone who exudes confidence and can command the room. The team is responding to his teaching.

“The energy in the room feels really good,” Burks said. “Everyone is competing really hard since he’s been there. He’s brought a different kind of atmosphere from the previous year. Coach Clasen is an awesome coach. He’s helped guys individually a lot. It’s a good mix between him and Coach Cox. They both bring different dynamics to the team. It was a different transition from always having practice at 3:45 and now having practice at 6 a.m. every single day. It’s a more structured and rigid schedule.”

In addition to Baughman being ranked No. 2 in the GPAC in his weight class, the following Bulldogs are also rated at the conference level this preseason: Burks (fifth at 165), Jose Sanchez (fourth at 174), Hunter Weimer (sixth at 174), Garret Moser (sixth at 184) and Clayton Laabs (sixth at 197). At the 2022 GPAC Championships, Burks took fourth place at 165 and Sanchez placed fifth at that same weight. The lineup of key returners also features Mason Garcia (197; 13-5 record in 2021-22), Thomas Ivey (133; 14-4 record in 2021-22), Jeaven Scdoris (149) and Tavoris Smith (165), among others.

Clasen has leaned upon these upperclassmen while getting acclimated with life as a Bulldog within the NAIA wrestling world. Considering the absence of returning national qualifiers, Concordia has a roster full of wrestlers with something to prove. Some even find themselves seeking redemption after seasons ended too soon, for a variety of circumstances. Clasen is raving about the dedication he’s seen so far from the veteran group.

“They’ve been absolutely fantastic,” Clasen said. “They all lead in different ways, but when push comes to shove those guys are willing to outwork anybody. That’s really rubbing off on our freshmen. We’ve had talks about it being time for those guys to step up and be leaders. They’re doing a fantastic job. If they just keep doing what they’re doing and build that culture it’s going to be great.”

The group of 19 newcomers includes eight freshmen – four that were Nebraska state high school medalists. It also features 11 transfers, three of which arrived via nearby York College. Clasen also brings in one from his alma mater, Chadron State, in Kobe Lyons. York transfer Garret Moser picked up a win against a Bulldog wrestler last season when the Panthers visited Friedrich Arena for a dual.

The newcomers will certainly have a say in how successful this 2022-23 season ends up. Says Clasen, “We’re very young, but I think that’s a good thing. We can get our mentality of wrestling we want into these guys and have them live it out. We’re probably projecting six (combined) freshmen and sophomores in the starting dual lineup. We’re working every single day and we don’t care who you are, how big you are or what you’ve done. I can promise our guys are going to fight through every single position.”

Owner of 55 career wins, Burks hopes to put together victories at the right time and punch his ticket to nationals. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the program has sent 56 qualifiers to nationals and has placed 15 wrestlers on the All-America podium.

Burks appears to be in the best shape of his career. Said Burks, “It means the world to me right now. I’ve come so close to going to nationals the last couple of years and fell a little bit behind. I get one last chance. I want to make it worth it and prove that I can compete with those guys. I know I can.”

Clasen’s team will start this season in an underdog role. The Bulldogs were ranked sixth in the GPAC preseason rating (according to the cumulation of individual points). At least for right now, Clasen would rather focus on the process as opposed to discussing any type of grand expectations. In the early stages, it’s about laying the groundwork for future championships and All-America awards.

“As long as they wrestle their hardest for the entirety of the match, I’ll never be mad about the result,” Clasen said. “The only time I’ll ever be mad at a result is if we didn’t wrestle our best because we laid down or we didn’t push the pace and didn’t do the things we work on. As long as a guy goes out and fights through every position, I’ll be satisfied. If you lose the match, that’s okay. We’ll learn from it. Sometimes that happens. Overall, it’s about fighting for every position, wrestling as hard as you can, doing the right things off the mat and getting good grades. If you do those things, I’ll never be mad at any result.”

The official start to the season is less than two weeks away. The Bulldogs will open 2022-23 by taking on Midland in dual action on Nov. 1. Concordia is slated to make its first home appearance when it hosts Bethany College (Kan.) on Dec. 2.

Baughman ranked 12th nationally; six Bulldogs appear in GPAC preseason ratings

Oct. 20, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – Preseason ratings for NAIA wrestling have been unveiled at both the conference and national levels for 2022-23. Based on the cumulative individual point totals, the Concordia University Wrestling team is ranked sixth in the GPAC while garnering 14 points towards the 2022-23 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Six of Head Coach Chase Clasen’s wrestlers landed inside the top six of the GPAC ratings within their respective weight classes.

The headlining individual for the Bulldogs this preseason is 141-pounder Creighton Baughman, a transfer from Iowa Western Community College. Baughman was tagged with preseason positionings of second in the GPAC and No. 12 in the NAIA at 141. The Papillion, Neb., native was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association All-American. Below is a listing of each Concordia wrester ranked at the conference level. The group features sixth-year member of the program Issiah Burks, who has claimed 55 wins in his collegiate career.

Ranked GPAC wrestlers

141 – No. 2 Creighton Baughman (No. 12 in the NAIA)

165 – No. 5 Issiah Burks

174 – No. 4 Jose Sanchez

174 – No. 6 Hunter Weimer

184 – No. 6 Garret Moser

197 – No. 6 Clayton Laabs

The Bulldogs will open the 2022-23 campaign with a dual at Midland on Nov. 1. The season’s first tournament will be the Dan Harris Open hosted by Baker University on Nov. 6. The team will make its first home appearance on Dec. 2 when Bethany College (Kan.) visits for a dual.

For a 2022-23 Concordia Wrestling season preview, click HERE.

Bulldogs to dual Midland in 2022-23 season opener

Oct. 30, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldog head coaching debut of Chase Clasen will take place Tuesday as the Concordia University Wrestling team goes head-to-head with Midland in dual action. The dual is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT from the Wikert Events Center on the Midland campus. The Bulldogs are readying to unveil a new-look roster that features 19 freshmen or transfers (out of 35 student-athletes). The matchup on Tuesday will be between sides that placed sixth (Concordia) and seventh (Midland), respectively, at the 2022 GPAC Championships.

Concordia at Midland
Tuesday, Nov. 1 | 7 p.m. | Wikert Events Center (Fremont, Neb.)
Webcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/midland/

The headlining individual for the Bulldogs this preseason is 141-pounder Creighton Baughman, a transfer from Iowa Western Community College. Baughman was tagged with preseason positionings of second in the GPAC and No. 12 in the NAIA at 141. The Papillion, Neb., native was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association All-American. Below is a listing of each Concordia wrester ranked at the conference level. The group features sixth-year member of the program Issiah Burks, who has claimed 55 wins in his collegiate career. Other veteran leaders on the team include Jose Sanchez and Hunter Weimer, among others. Listed at No. 6 in the GPAC at 184 pounds, Garret Moser is a transfer from York College.

Concordia ranked GPAC wrestlers

141 – No. 2 Creighton Baughman (No. 12 in the NAIA)
165 – No. 5 Issiah Burks
174 – No. 4 Jose Sanchez
174 – No. 6 Hunter Weimer
184 – No. 6 Garret Moser
197 – No. 6 Clayton Laabs

Clasen arrived at Concordia in April following a year spent as interim head coach at North Idaho College. He led the Cardinals to a NJCAA National Championship finish of seventh place on the strength of six All-America performances. In his own career on the mat, Clasen earned All-America honors at NCAA Division II Chadron State College and was a two-time national qualifier as a member of the program. He inherits a Concordia program that is coming off back-to-back sixth place GPAC tournament finishes. However, the Bulldogs swept GPAC regular season and tournament championships as recently as 2020.

Midland has a second-year head coach in Daviare Dickerson. Last season, the Warriors posted a 3-11 overall dual record (1-7 GPAC). Four Midland wrestlers are ranked at the conference level: Raymond Aranda III (fourth at 157), Connor Rinn (fourth at 184), Kolton Kammeyer (fourth at 197) and Matthew Johnston (fifth at 285). In last season’s Concordia-Midland dual in Seward, the Bulldogs came away with a 32-18 victory.

The first week of the season will continue on Sunday (Nov. 6) with the Dan Harris Open hosted by Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. Action is set to get underway at 9 a.m. CT.

Bulldogs collect three pins, topple Midland in Clasen's debut

Nov. 1, 2022

FREMONT, Neb. – The Bulldog debut for Head Coach Chase Clasen could not have started any better as freshman Grant Wells came through with a pin in the very first match of the season for Concordia University Wrestling. The Bulldogs went on to take six matches, including four with bonus points, while defeating Midland, 28-17, in GPAC dual action in Fremont, Neb., on Tuesday (Nov. 1). Wells, Creighton Baughman and Stephen Duffy each emerged with pins.

Concordia placed sixth in the GPAC last season, but last season’s results mean little to a team with so many new faces, including Clasen, a former All-American at Chadron State College. The season opening dual provided Clasen with an early barometer.

“I could tell our cardio is good. It’s about the little things right now – we have to open guys up,” Clasen said. “That just comes from nervousness and it being the first dual. For some of these guys it was their first time in varsity action. We just wanted to shake the nerves out and wrestle through positions. Otherwise, our shape and cardio looked pretty good. Nobody got overly exhausted.

“We had some huge wins. Our 125-pounder Grant Wells goes out there as a true freshman and pins a California JUCO state placer and gets the ball rolling for us.”

A fourth-place Nebraska state finisher as a senior at Lincoln Lutheran High School, Wells made a statement while wearing the Concordia singlet for the first time. Wells pinned Austin Pimentel in 3:38 in a moment that energized his teammates. Two matches later, the highly touted transfer Baughman (ranked No. 12 in the NAIA at 141), a two-time JUCO All-American, needed only 46 seconds to wipe out Orlando Estrada. In helping put a cherry on top, Duffy nailed Connor Rinn to the mat after 6:19 had elapsed in the 184-pound tussle.

Of the ten Bulldogs to appear in the dual, four wrestled for Concordia for the first time. Duffy of Kenesaw, Neb., has a unique story in that he was on the program’s roster in 2018-19 and has made his return. The other newcomers in the lineup were two York College transfers: Tommy Wentz, who was defeated by major decision at 157, and Garret Moser, who was edged, 10-6, at 197.

A sixth-year member of the program, Issiah Burks notched the 56th win of his collegiate career when he took a 12-2 major decision over Kody Hahn at 165 pounds. In addition, two Bulldog veterans grinded out victories by decision, Jeaven Scdoris (8-4 at 149) and Jose Sanchez (3-1 at 174). Their leadership will be a key to potentially pushing Concordia back up the conference ladder.

Said Clasen, “We had guys going out there and doing what we talked about in terms of scoring from every position. I think a good example of that was Jose Sanchez. He had to dig deep and win a gutsy match. He found a way to win. That guy was in on his legs a few times and he was in on his legs a few times. At the end of the day, he gutted on out.”

Elsewhere, Concordia’s Thomas Ivey fell by major decision at 133, 11-3, and Jack Hedke was pinned right at the close of the third period at 285. Overall, the dynamics were different from the Bulldog-Warrior dual from the 2021-22 season when Midland forfeited four weights.

A select number of Bulldogs will be in action again on Sunday for the Dan Harris Open hosted by Baker University. Wrestling is slated to get started at 9 a.m. CT from Baldwin City, Kan. It will mark the first of seven tournaments/invites on Concordia’s 2022-23 schedule.

Dual Preview: Bulldogs aiming for back-to-back GPAC dual wins

Nov. 8, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – The conference dual season continues this week as the Concordia University Wrestling team prepares to go on the road again. The Bulldogs will head to Hastings for a 7 p.m. CT dual on Thursday. The Bulldogs defeated Midland last week in their opening dual of the 2022-23 season while the Broncos have yet to compete in a dual. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s first official week of competition also included the Dan Harris Open this past Sunday.

Concordia at Hastings
Thursday, Nov. 10 | 7 p.m. | Kiewit Gymnasium (Fremont, Neb.)
Webcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hastings/index.htm

The first match in the dual at Midland on Nov. 1 was a good omen for what could be in store for this season. Freshman Grant Wells pinned Austin Pimentel in 3:36 while helping set a tone for the evening. Additional Bulldog wins came via Creighton Baughman (pin at 141), Jeaven Scdoris (decision at 149), Issiah Burks (major decision at 165), Jose Sanchez (decision at 174) and Stephen Duffy (pin at 184). The lineup for Concordia also included Thomas Ivey (133), Tommy Wentz (157), Garret Moser (197) and Jack Hedke (285). Wrestlers who made their Concordia debuts were Baughman, Moser, Wells and Wentz.

There are high expectations for Baughman, a two-time NJCAA All-American at Iowa Western Community College. Baughman went 40-11 overall in his two seasons with the Reivers and is currently ranked No. 2 in the GPAC and No. 12 in the NAIA in his 141-pound weight class. In the preseason, there were five other Bulldogs ranked at the conference level: Burks (fifth at 165), Sanchez (fourth at 174), Hunter Weimer (sixth at 174), Moser (sixth at 184) and Clayton Laabs (sixth at 197). Concordia lost its two national qualifiers from last season: Mario Ybarra (133) and Jacob Telles (285).

Hastings finished last season with a 10-6 overall dual record and went 4-4 in GPAC duals (fifth place). The Broncos also have a new head coach as Trey Heckadon has taken over the reins. Heckadon twice qualified for the NAIA national tournament in his wrestling career at Graceland University (Iowa). Hastings has three wrestlers ranked at the conference level. Foremost among them is Jake Patterson, who is rated No. 3 in the GPAC and No. 23 in the NAIA at 157. Hastings emerged from Seward with a 29-17 win last season. The Broncos return one national qualifier from the 2021-22 team in 141-pounder Edrich Nortje.

Concordia ranked GPAC wrestlers

141 – No. 2 Creighton Baughman (No. 12 in the NAIA)
165 – No. 5 Issiah Burks
174 – No. 4 Jose Sanchez
174 – No. 6 Hunter Weimer
184 – No. 6 Garret Moser
197 – No. 6 Clayton Laabs

Hastings ranked GPAC wrestlers

141 – No. 6 Kavika Aholelei
157 – No. 3 Jake Patterson (No. 23 in the NAIA)
197 – No. 3 Evan Morara

After Thursday’s dual, Concordia will shift its attention to Saturday’s Grand View University Open. The tournament is slated to get underway at 9 a.m. CT from Des Moines, Iowa.

Burks, Duffy claim quick pins as Bulldogs move to 2-0 in GPAC duals

Nov. 10, 2022

HASTINGS, Neb. – It took less than an hour as the Concordia University Wrestling team polished off a 36-10 GPAC dual road victory over Hastings on Thursday (Nov. 10). The matchup was expedited by two swift pins from the likes of Bulldogs Issiah Burks and Stephen Duffy and by three open weights in the Bronco lineup. Concordia emerged with wins in seven of 10 matches in action that took place inside Kiewit Gymnasium on the Hastings campus.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s program managed to avenge one of its dual losses from the 2021-22 season and move to 2-0 in conference action. Clasen earned his first win as a Bulldog when his side triumphed, 28-17, at Midland on Nov. 1.

“Some of our guys really let it fly,” Clasen said. “Our emphasis this week was opening up our opponent and getting that guy moving. We had two guys who did that in particular and that was Stephen Duffy and Issiah Burks. They went out and put their guy on his back in the first period and got the fall. That’s what we’re really looking for. Tommy Wentz and Creighton Baughman had some pretty tough matches and they gutted them out. In the ones we didn’t win, I think we had some little mental mistakes and errors, but nothing we can’t fix.”

Burks has started year six of his collegiate career with a bang. The Hemet, Calif., native won by major decision last week at Midland and then faced a stiff test on Thursday: a matchup with the NAIA’s 23rd-ranked 157-pounder, Jake Patterson. He wrestled up a weight to meet Burks at 165. Burks dictated the terms of the action with a takedown before pinning Patterson in 1:04. At the time, the result gave Concordia a commanding lead of 24-4 in the team score.

Burks collected 23 wins in 2020-21 and appears primed for his best season yet. Said Clasen, “Going out and attacking right off the bat like he did is what we talk about. He lived it out in that match. His opponent tried to get him in a position and Issiah knew where to go. That’s exactly what we want out of a sixth-year guy – pushing the pace.”

A Kenesaw, Neb., native, has been a welcome (back) addition to the Bulldogs. A member of the Concordia roster in 2018-19, Duffy transferred back into the program and has started this season with two pins at 184. His latest one took a mere 14 seconds as he gave the Broncos’ Keenan Griffin no time to breath. Another of the program’s newest wrestlers, Baughman moved to 2-0 in his Bulldog career after he fought off the GPAC’s sixth-rated 141-pounder, Kavika Aholelei, 6-4. Baughman was the most highly regarded Concordia wrestler in the preseason (ranked No. 12 in the NAIA at 141). Meanwhile, the York College transfer Wentz notched his first win as a Bulldog, 8-4, over Andy Rojas at 157.

The team score became a runaway due to Hastings open weights at 125, 133 and 197. Concordia’s lineup at those spots included Grant Wells, Thomas Ivey and Garret Moser, respectively. Clasen also trotted out Jeremiah Sistek at 149, Jose Sanchez at 174 and Jack Hedke at 285.

Hastings got on the board via its wins from Jack Morton (major decision at 149), Cole Maschmann (sudden victory at 174) and Matheson Rodriquez (decision at 285). The Broncos have a new head coach in Trey Heckadon after they went 10-6 (4-4 GPAC) in duals last season. Hastings won in Seward in November 2021 by a count of 29-17.

The Bulldogs will be in action at the Grand View University Open this Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, where wrestling will get started at 9 a.m. CT. Only a select few Concordia competitors competed this past Sunday at the Dan Harris Open in Baldwin City, Kan.

Ten Bulldogs combine for 13 wins at loaded Grand View Open

Nov. 12, 2022

GRIMES, Iowa – The Bulldogs believe they can learn from what they saw and experienced this weekend at the Grand View University Open held in Grimes, Iowa. Ten competitors represented the Concordia University Wrestling program at the tournament and combined to take away 13 wins. Jack Hedke, Garret Moser and Thomas Ivey produced three victories apiece while taking part in the freshman/sophomore brackets of the Grand View Open. Four Bulldogs were entered into the “open” bracket divisions.

This marked the second tournament this season for Concordia and the first for many of the wrestlers who competed on Saturday (Nov. 12). Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad is also 2-0 in conference duals to begin 2022-23.

“We didn’t come here just to have 10 championships. We came here to face some of the best wrestlers around the country to know where we’re at and what we need to work on,” Clasen said. “Honestly, I saw a lot of positives. There are a lot of little things right now that are things we can take care of now that we’re aware of it. Issiah Burks wrestled a JUCO national champion and barely loses – I think that’s huge. I think that built a little confidence. Grant Wells goes down 6-0 and pushes the pace and ends up winning in overtime. I think they lived out those little things.”

Bulldogs in the open brackets at Grand View included NAIA 12th-ranked Creighton Baughman at 141, Issiah Burks at 165, Jose Sanchez at 174 and Stephen Duffy at 285. Each of them went 0-2 on the day, but there were a number of close calls. Baughman dropped a 6-5 decision to Jordan Mitchell of Life University (Ga.) and then was beaten in sudden victory, 6-4, by 18th-ranked Austin Kolvek of Ottawa University (Kan.). As for Burks, he also was clipped twice by decision – 4-3 to Joel Romero (unattached) and 8-3 to No. 15 Joey Hancock of Baker University (Kan.). Both Baughman and Burks are 2-0 this season in conference dual action.

At 133 pounds, the York, Neb., native Ivey got on a roll after a 3-1 loss in the first round. He proceeded to notch a win by major decision, 11-1, over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)’s Garrett Koestel before pulling out two triumphs by decision. His day ended with a loss via fall. As for Moser at 197, he took home two victories over NAIA foes and Hedke (285) defeated an NAIA opponent and two junior college combatants.

A promising freshman out of Lincoln Lutheran High School, Wells collected two wins by decision before his day concluded in round four of the 125-pound consolation bracket. At 157, Tommy Wentz pinned Missouri Valley’s Hugo Perez and Iowa Central’s Joseph Cruz as part of a 2-2 tournament. Lastly, Henry Gaertner competed at 141 and was defeated in his two matches.

Said Clasen, “A lot of stuff we’ve worked on is starting to click and we’re seeing it in some of our matches. It just takes a little bit of time. We’re starting to implement some of that stuff. We didn’t necessarily do as well as we wanted, but sometimes losing is the best teacher. We have to learn from the mistakes that we’re making.”

Next up on the schedule is the University of Nebraska-Kearney Open on Saturday, Nov. 19. Wrestling is scheduled to get started at 9 a.m. CT from Kearney, Neb., on that date.

GPAC Crossover Duals: Bulldogs to meet DWU, Morningside in Sioux City

Nov. 21 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – A pivotal day of conference duals will take place on Tuesday as eight matchups are slated for that day in Sioux City, Iowa. As part of the GPAC Duals Day event, the Concordia University Wrestling team will go up against Dakota Wesleyan and No. 12 Morningside. The venue for these duals will be the Long Lines Family Recreation Center. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad owns a dual record of 2-0 with wins over Midland and Hastings.

GPAC Duals Day – Tuesday, Nov. 22

--Location: Long Lines Family Recreation Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
--Live Webcast ($) | Live Results
--Admission: $8 for adults, $3 for students
--More Info: GPAC website

4 p.m. – Concordia vs. Dakota Wesleyan

7 p.m. – Concordia vs. Morningside

In GPAC duals so far this season, the Bulldogs won six of 10 matches at Midland and defeated the Warriors, 28-17, on Nov. 1 and then took seven of 10 matches at Hastings and rolled to a 36-10 victory on Nov. 10. The following Concordia competitors went 2-0 in those duals: Grant Wells (125), Creighton Baughman (141), Issiah Burks (165) and Stephen Duffy (184). A Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, Wells is one of four Bulldogs with exactly four wins on the season. The others are Jack Hedke (285), Thomas Ivey (133) and Garret Moser (197).

Baughman is the one Concordia wrestler currently ranked nationally. He is rated No. 20 in the NAIA at 141 pounds. The following Bulldogs are ranked at the conference level: Wells (fourth at 125), Baughman (second at 141), Burks (fourth at 165), Jose Sanchez (fifth at 174), Hunter Weimer (sixth at 174) and Duffy (fourth at 184). As a team, Concordia is ranked sixth in the GPAC.

Dakota Wesleyan looks to be an improved squad in year one for Head Coach Martin Mueller. In their only dual so far this season, the Tigers were clipped at Northwestern, 21-19. Two DWU wrestlers are ranked nationally: Aric Williams (No. 25 at 149) and Kaleb Bigelow (No. 22 at 165). Bigelow is rated No. 2 in the GPAC while Williams is rated fourth. In addition, Seth Caro checks in at No. 6 in the GPAC at 125 pounds.

A former NAIA national champion wrestler himself, Jake Stevenson is in his ninth season leading the Morningside program. The Mustangs boast seven nationally ranked wrestlers: Evan Shell (No. 19 at 125), Taylor Vasquez (No. 9 at 133), John Diener (No. 9 at 149), Noah Styskal (No. 19 at 157), Caleb Connor (No. 9 at 165), Hayden Wempen (No. 7 at 184) and Hunter DeJong (No. 9 at 285). Morningside has taken part in two tournaments this season but has not yet competed in a dual. During the 2021-22 season, the Mustangs went 5-3 in GPAC duals and placed in a tie for third in the standings. Morningside won the GPAC title as recently as the 2018-19 season.

Following, the two duals on Tuesday, Concordia will take the rest of Thanksgiving week off from competition. The Bulldogs will make their first home appearance on Dec. 2 when they welcome Bethany College (Kan.) to Friedrich Arena for a dual.

Bulldogs split pair of conference matchups at GPAC dual event

Nov. 22, 2022

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a day that helped establish which teams are currently the toughest in the conference, the Concordia University Wrestling program went up against two league foes as part of the GPAC Duals on Tuesday (Nov. 22). The Bulldogs defeated Dakota Wesleyan, 22-17, before falling at the hands of No. 12 Morningside, 35-6, in the night cap. Eight GPAC duals were hosted inside the Long Lines Family Recreation Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad came away with seven individual match victories on the night. Concordia is already halfway through the GPAC dual schedule with a record of 3-1.

“It’s disappointing coming home with a loss,” Clasen said. “We’re not disappointed in the effort though. Everyone came out there and fought through positions and looked to win. We knew Dakota Wesleyan would be tough and I think our guys wrestled really well. Issiah Burks wrestled a kid ranked 22nd in the country and was able to avenge two losses to him from last year. I think that’s huge.

“With Morningside, I think we gave a little bit too much respect in those matches. I feel like our guys felt like they needed to go big in order to win, so we went big in a few of those matches and we got put down. I think if we wrestle straight up, we can compete. They caught us off a guard at times. Props to Morningside.”

Dakota Wesleyan (1-2 GPAC) has shown it is much improved over the 2021-22 season when it went 0-8 in GPAC duals. Every bonus point mattered as the two sides evenly split the 10 matches. As mentioned by Clasen, Burks came through with the highlight of the night when he edged the NAIA’s 22nd-ranked 165-pounder, Kaleb Bigelow, 5-4. At that point, the Bulldogs had built an 18-6 lead in the team scoring. At 184 pounds, Stephen Duffy won by major decision, 16-4, and pushed the advantage to 22-11.

Additional victories in the DWU dual by Grant Wells (forfeit at 125), Creighton Baughman (decision at 141) and Tommy Wentz (pin at 157) were enough to get the job done. A transfer from York College, Wentz has held down the 157-pound spot in all four duals so far this season. He pinned the Tigers’ Tyson Johnson right near the close of the first period (2:58). Meanwhile, three Concordia wrestlers lost by decision: Thomas Ivey (133), Clayton Laabs (197) and Jack Hedke (285).

The Mustangs (1-0 GPAC) may be the biggest challenger to Doane’s throne at the top of conference. Morningside boasts seven nationally ranked competitors. The hometown Mustangs were able to run away with the dual while winning three matches via fall and two by major decision. It was a 14-0 team score in Morningside’s favor before Jeaven Scdoris got the Bulldogs on the board with a win by a 9-8 decision at 149. Then at 197, Laabs bounced back and defeated Sendeska Kalskett, 7-1. The lineup for Concordia included the exact same 10 wrestlers for both of Tuesday’s duals.

Clasen now has a better feel for what it takes to be successful against GPAC opponents. The Bulldogs had entered the night having already beaten two conference combatants: Midland and Hastings.

Said Clasen, “Doane is No. 6 and Morningside is No. 12 in the country. Those teams are obviously really talented. We’re not there yet, but it doesn’t mean we can’t get there. We’re young right now and it’s about fixing those little positions. We’ll see how it all plays out.”

Concordia will have the remainder of the Thanksgiving holiday week off from competition. Next up on the schedule will be a home dual with Bethany College (Kan.) on Dec. 2. It will mark the Bulldogs’ first home appearance of the 2022-23 season.

Season's first home appearance set for Friday versus Bethany

Nov. 29, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – Roughly a month into the 2022-23 season, the Concordia University Wrestling team is set to make its home debut. The Bulldogs will welcome Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member Bethany College to Friedrich Arena for a 7 p.m. CT dual on Friday. The two programs last met in February 2020 with the result being a 50-0 Concordia victory in Seward. This will also be the first home appearance for Head Coach Chase Clasen, who has led the Bulldogs to wins in three of their first four duals.

Concordia (3-1) vs. Bethany (0-4)
Friday, Dec. 2 | 7 p.m. | Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Webcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cun/

This will be the first nonconference dual of the campaign for Concordia, which owns GPAC wins over Midland, 28-17, Hastings, 36-10, and Dakota Wesleyan, 22-17. The one defeat was endured while up against No. 12 Morningside, 35-6. Both the DWU and Morningside duals took place last week as part of a conference event held in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs split the 10 matches with the Tigers and then won two matches against the Mustangs. As a major highlight for Concordia, Issiah Burks upset DWU’s 22nd-ranked Kaleb Bigelow at 165 pounds. Bonus points came via Stephen Duffy (major decision at 184) and Tommy Wentz (pin at 157).

In official conference ratings that were released on Nov. 17, six Bulldogs garnered GPAC rankings within their respective weight classes (shown below). Two-time JUCO All-American Creighton Baughman continues to hold down a national ranking (No. 20 at 141 pounds). Baughman (3-3) is one of eight Concordia wrestlers to collect at least three wins so far this season. The others are Grant Wells (5-3), Garret Moser (4-2), Tommy Wentz (4-4), Jack Hedke (4-5), Thomas Ivey (4-5), Burks (3-3) and Duffy (3-3). A York College transfer, Wentz paces the team with three pins.

Bethany also boasts six wrestlers who are ranked at the conference level. That group includes Kaden Goff (141) and Jesse Gardner (165), both of whom are ranked No. 4 in the KCAC within their respective weight classes. The Swedes have competed in four duals and two tournaments through the month of November. Their 0-4 record has come with losses to William Penn University (Iowa), 35-15, Avila University (Mo.), 36-16, Friends University (Kan.), 33-16, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 44-12. Head Coach Mitch Houghton is in his second year leading the program.

Select Concordia wrestlers will also take part in Saturday’s Doane Open in Crete, where action is scheduled to get started at 9 a.m. CT. Following the weekend tournament, the Bulldogs will be of from competition until they host the Concordia Bulldog Duals on Dec. 17.

Concordia ranked GPAC wrestlers

125 – No. 4 Grant Wells
141 – No. 2 Creighton Baughman (No. 20 in the NAIA)
165 – No. 4 Issiah Burks
174 – No. 5 Jose Sanchez
174 – No. 6 Hunter Weimer
184 – No. 4 Stephen Duffy

Bethany ranked KCAC wrestlers

141 – No. 4 Kaden Goff
165 – No. 4 Jesse Gardner
174 – No. 5 Triston Vande Velde
184 – No. 6 Hunter Blix
197 – No. 5 Chase Pywell
285 – No. 5 Rocky Whitehead

Duffy, Dawgs treat home crowd to 36-9 rout of Bethany

Dec. 2, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Wrestling team gave the home crowd plenty to get excited about in its first home appearance of the 2022-23 season. The Bulldogs took seven matches from visiting Bethany College (Kan.) on Friday (Dec. 2) and emerged with a 36-9 victory inside Friedrich Arena. Dominant wins by Issiah Burks (technical fall) and Stephen Duffy (pin) highlighted the evening.

This was the first time Head Coach Chase Clasen has presided over a home dual. Concordia improved to 4-1 with the latest victory.

“We told the guys that we want to get some fans in the stands and the best way to do that is to put on a performance and score a lot of points,” Clasen said. “There were a few matches where we definitely did that. We were still a little hesitant in some of those matches. That’s just going to take some repetition and drilling and being in those positions. Mainly it comes down to you just have to pull the trigger. Once some of our guys realize that, the sky’s going to be the limit.”

The reemergence of Duffy at Concordia has provided a nice lift to the lineup. The native of Kenesaw, Neb., was one of three Bulldogs to win contested matches with bonus points on Friday. Duffy heeded Clasen’s desire to see aggression on the mat. It was really only a matter of time as Duffy quickly took Gannon Mosher to his back while earning near fall points. Only 1:12 had elapsed when the 184-pound Duffy polished off his third pin of the season.

The route for Duffy has been an unusual one, but he’s happy to be back in a Bulldog singlet. He’s gone 4-1 in dual action this season. Said Duffy, “It’s exciting. I’m happy to be back and I’m happy with my decision to come back. It was a long journey. I took some years off – wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I made the decision to come back and wrestling and I’m really happy with it.”

A native of Hemet, Calif., Burks is determined to make the most of his sixth season inside the program. He came within an eyelash of a pin of Jacob Barnes at 165 but still managed to end the match in the first period. Burks won by an 18-1 score with 14 of his points coming via near fall and another four totaled via two takedowns. It was also a fine evening at 133 for York native Thomas Ivey, who notched four takedowns and a reversal as part of his 12-2 triumph.

Three open weights for Bethany played a role in the lopsided team score. The Swedes were open at 125, 141 and 157. That meant that former JUCO All-American Creighton Baughman (141) will still have to wait to wrestle his first home match. The other victory for Concordia was delivered at 174 by Jose Sanchez, who pulled a 6-3 decision with the help of two takedowns. The Swedes got their wins from Kaden Goff (149), Chase Pywell (197) and Rocky Whitehead (285).

This was the first action for the Bulldogs since they went 1-1 at a conference dual event prior to Thanksgiving. With plenty of season left, Clasen sees Burks and Duffy setting an example. Said Clasen, “Issiah Burks and Stephen Duffy have been carrying the torch the entire team. As soon as that whistle blows, they’re on. They don’t take a second to feel guys out. They’re out there scrapping, and that’s what we preach every day. Every time that whistle blows, there’s no hesitation.”

A group of 20 Bulldogs is scheduled to be back in action on Saturday morning at the Doane University Open in Crete, Neb., where a tournament will be staged for both men and women. The event is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT from Fuhrer Fieldhouse.

Preview: 2022 Concordia Bulldog Duals

Dec. 13, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – Ten NAIA men’s wrestling programs from six different states will make up the field at the 2022 Concordia Bulldog Duals. This will mark the third annual Bulldog Duals hosted by the Concordia University Wrestling program. The latest event will feature five rounds of wrestling, across four mats, beginning at 10 a.m. CT inside Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad will be up against nonconference foes in Central Methodist University (Mo.), Texas Wesleyan University, Benedictine College (Kan.) and Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Event Info – 2022 Concordia Bulldog Duals
Saturday, Dec. 17 | 10 a.m. CT | Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
--Live Webcast | Live Results (TrackWrestling)
--Five rounds of duals – Full Schedule (PDF)

Concordia slate at Bulldog Duals:
--Times are approximate
11:30 a.m. vs. Central Methodist
1 p.m. vs. Texas Wesleyan
2:30 p.m. vs. Benedictine
4 p.m. vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan

The Bulldogs have been idle since competing in the Doane Open on Dec. 3. Concordia owns a 4-1 dual record with wins over Midland, Hastings, Dakota Wesleyan and Bethany College (Kan.). The loss came at the hands of No. 12 Morningside. To this point, 23 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Tommy Wentz (10-5), Creighton Baughman (9-4), Garret Moser (8-4), Grant Wells (8-5), Issiah Burks (6-5), Torrance Keehn (6-6), Bryce Karlin (5-4) and Thomas Ivey (5-7). The team pins leaders are Karlin and Wentz with four apiece.

Baughman enters this weekend ranked 18th in the NAIA at 141 pounds. The 10 teams in the field will bring a combined 28 nationally ranked competitors to the Bulldog Duals. That group includes Doane’s top-ranked 141-pounder Baterdene Boldmaa. Both Doane and Oklahoma Wesleyan are repeat attendees at the event. The Bulldog Duals featured 16 duals in 2020, eight in 2021 and is scheduled to include 18 in 2022.

The Concordia Bulldog Duals Field

Benedictine College Ravens
Head Coach: Gregory Barner, 1st season
2022-23 Dual Record: 0-1
Current National Ranking: NR
2022 NAIA National Finish: DNQ
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: N/A
Location: Atchison, Kansas
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference

Central Christian College Tigers
Head Coach: Phillip Hatfield
2022-23 Dual Record: 0-3
Current National Ranking: NR
2022 NAIA National Finish: DNQ
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: N/A
Location: McPherson, Kansas
Conference: Sooner Athletic Conference / American Midwest Conference

Central Methodist University Eagles
Head Coach: Sam Schmitz, 1st season
2022-23 Dual Record: 3-2
Current National Ranking: RV
2022 NAIA National Finish: N/A
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 25 Jason Shaw (133); No. 20 Elijah Hynes (197); No. 20 Brenden Shelton (285).
Location: Fayette, Missouri
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference

Concordia University Bulldogs
Head Coach: Chase Clasen, 1st season
2022-23 Dual Record: 4-1
Current National Ranking: RV
2022 NAIA National Finish: T-41st
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 18 Creighton Baughman (141).
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference

Doane University Tigers
Head Coach: Dana Vote, 4th season
2022-23 Dual Record: 6-0
Current National Ranking: 4th
2022 NAIA National Finish: 5th
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 18 Hunter Bennett (125); No. 8 Daniel Vargas (133); No. 13 Devin Avedissian (133); No. 1 Baterdene Boldmaa (141); No. 10 Tristan Zamilpa (149); No. 11 Nathan Lendt (149); No. 23 Gabe Keith (157); No. 17 Benjamin Dobler (165); No. 7 Chinges Tsermaa (174); No. 18 Michael Scarponi (174); No. 2 Bradley Antesberger (197); No. 10 Brandon Antesberger (285).
Location: Crete, Nebraska
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference

Hastings College Broncos
Head Coach: Trey Heckadon, 1st season
2022-23 Dual Record: 0-3
Current National Ranking: NR
2022 NAIA National Finish: T-22nd
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: N/A
Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference

Missouri Valley College Vikings
Head Coach: Pat Giangrosso, 19th season
2022-23 Dual Record: 1-1
Current National Ranking: 18th
2022 NAIA National Finish: T-25th
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 16 Brayden Bradley (125); No. 10 Joseph Rice (141); No. 11 Karim Shakur (184); No. 7 Joshua Isaac (285); No. 16 Brooks Baker (285).
Location: Marshall, Missouri
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference

Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Tom Carr
2022-23 Dual Record: 3-3
Current National Ranking: RV
2022 NAIA National Finish: T-50th
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 14 Kolby Encinas (133); No. 16 Donte Lopez (141); No. 20 Josh Cortez (197).
Location: Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Conference: Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

University of Rio Grande Red Storm
Head Coach: Jason Schweer
2022-23 Dual Record: 0-1
Current National Ranking: RV
2022 NAIA National Finish: DNQ
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 23 Mitchell Freeman (149).
Location: Rio Grande, Ohio
Conference: Mid-South Conference

Texas Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Jose Lazo, 3rd season
2022-23 Dual Record: 0-0
Current National Ranking: RV
2022 NAIA National Finish: 33rd
NAIA Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: No. 21 Austin Loza (149); No. 19 Braedan Baller (165); No. 19 Brahn Howard (184).
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Conference: Sooner Athletic Conference / American Midwest Conference

Baughman, Karlin star as part of 4-0 day at Bulldog Duals

Dec. 17, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – While hosting 10 NAIA wrestling programs and a total of 18 duals, the Concordia University Wrestling team put on a fine performance on Saturday (Dec. 17). The third annual Concordia Bulldog Duals saw the hometown squad go a perfect 4-0 behind starring efforts from the likes of Creighton Baughman and Bryce Karlin. The Bulldogs emerged with wins over Central Methodist University (Mo.), 23-19, Texas Wesleyan University, 33-15, Benedictine College (Kan.), 32-13, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 37-12.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad pushed its overall season dual record to 8-1. Concordia is a spotless 5-0 against nonconference opponents. On Saturday, it stood tall against foes from the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Sooner Athletic Conference/American Midwest Conference.

“I think we’re gaining confidence and starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Clasen said. “Our team’s very, very tough, and I think we just needed a little bit of confidence. Today was a great day. We went out there and scored a lot of points and worked on some key positions. Honestly just looking good. A lot of it just comes down to confidence.”

A native of Papillion, Neb., and a two-time All-American at Iowa Western Community College, Baughman (13-4) is brimming with confidence. In a dominant run at the Bulldog Duals, Baughman won his first two matches with first-period falls (1:21 and 2:02) and then took out his 141-pound Benedictine counterpart by technical fall, 16-1. Finally, the 18th-ranked Baughman put the cherry on top by handling No. 16 Donte Lopez of Oklahoma Wesleyan, 4-1. Baughman did not surrender a single offensive point on the day.

The example set by Baughman has played a role in Concordia winning eight of its first nine duals. Said Baughman of his decision to become a Bulldog, “I know that this is a faith-based school, which is something that means a lot to me. Coaches and teammates all welcomed me with open arms. When you grind together as much as we have, you build a bond. It means a lot to get to represent Concordia Blue.”

The Bulldogs faced their stiffest challenge right out of the gate. They fell behind Central Methodist, 10-0, before Baughman put his stamp on the dual with a pin. It opened the floodgates as Jeaven Scdoris (decision at 149), Kobe Lyons (decision at 157), Jose Sanchez (decision at 174), Stephen Duffy (major decision at 184) and Logan Davidson (major decision at 197) each followed with victories. It was quite a collegiate wrestling debut for Davidson, also a member of the football team. The Goddard, Kan., native went 4-0 and picked up a pin. His victory against Central Methodist locked up the team dual win.

Thanks to the Beatrice native Karlin, Concordia began each of the day’s final three duals with a 6-0 lead. The falls for Karlin came in times of 2:27, 0:32 and 2:56, respectively. These were the first collegiate duals Karlin had ever wrestled.

Said Clasen, “Bryce going out there and getting three pins on the day – that’s huge. He started us off with a 6-0 lead, and that means a lot. We got the momentum rolling in our favor. Creighton didn’t have any easy matches. The guy he wrestled that last match from Oklahoma Wesleyan was ranked ahead of him. We’ve beat him twice, so we’re doing the right things there, staying solid and not giving up easy points.”

None of the final three Bulldog duals came with much late drama, in terms of team scoring. By day’s end, Concordia wrestlers combined for 26 wins, including 10 via fall.  Four Bulldogs went undefeated: Baughman (4-0), Davidson (4-0), Karlin (3-0) and Lyons (3-0). Other Concordia grapplers with at least one win on the day were Duffy (3-1), Scdoris (3-1), Thomas Ivey (2-2), Cy Renney (2-2), Sanchez (1-1) and Issiah Burks (1-3). The Milford High School alum Scdoris notched a pair of pins on a strong day. Burks, Davidson and Duffy collected one pin apiece.

Concordia and fourth-ranked Doane represented the GPAC impressively by both going 4-0 at the Bulldog Duals. Meanwhile, No. 18 Missouri Valley College went 3-1, Oklahoma Wesleyan went 2-1 and the following squads recorded one victory apiece: Benedictine (1-2), Hastings 1-2), Central Methodist (1-3), Rio Grande (1-3) and Texas Wesleyan (1-2).

The event showcased Friedrich Arena and the ability for Concordia to run off a first-class event. Said Clasen, “It’s great to get some really good programs here and be able to show the fans we’re bring in good teams. Our product we’re putting out right now is a little bit different. We’re moving in the right direction and getting some eyes here. That’s big.”

The Bulldogs will wait until the calendar flips to 2023 before returning to action. Next up on the slate is the Cusatis Open hosted by Hastings on Jan. 7. Concordia will be back at home on Jan. 13 to welcome defending GPAC champion Doane to Friedrich Arena for a conference dual.

2022 Concordia Bulldog Duals Results

--Full Results (PDF)

Texas Wesleyan 37, Central Methodist 13

Oklahoma Wesleyan 27, Hastings 18

Doane 37, Benedictine 6

Rio Grande 41, Central Christian 15

Concordia 23, Central Methodist 18

Benedictine 54, Central Christian 6

Doane 37, Rio Grande 10

Missouri Valley 36, Texas Wesleyan 15

Concordia 33, Texas Wesleyan 15

Central Methodist 34, Hastings 20

Missouri Valley 54, Central Christian 0

Oklahoma Wesleyan 28, Rio Grande 27

Concordia 32, Benedictine 13

Hastings 25, Central Christian 24

Doane 32, Central Methodist 15

Missouri Valley 39, Rio Grande 9

Concordia 37, Oklahoma Wesleyan 12

Doane 38, Missouri Valley 3

Bulldogs knock off the rust at Hastings Open, combine for 11 wins

Jan. 7, 2023

HASTINGS, Neb. – Three weeks after hosting the Concordia Bulldog Duals, the Concordia University Wrestling team returned to action on Saturday (Jan. 7) at the Hastings Open held inside Lynn Farrell Arena in Hastings, Neb. Eleven Bulldogs took to the mats and combined for 11 victories. Most notably, Jeaven Scdoris paced Concordia with three wins while Tommy Wentz made a run to the semifinals before being pulled out of competition.

This marked the fifth tournament of the 2022-23 season for Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad. The Bulldogs own an 8-1 overall dual record (3-1 GPAC).

“It was about getting some of those guys some experience and getting back after it after Christmas break,” Clasen said. “As for the positives, the guys obviously stayed active over the break because there were no issues with cardio or anything like that. I didn’t think it would be an issue with our team, but it was good to see our guys show that on the mat.”

Clasen held back the team’s two nationally ranked competitors in No. 17 Creighton Baughman (141) and No. 25 Logan Davidson (197). That put the spotlight on Bulldogs like Wentz, a York College transfer. The Fremont, Neb., native took decisions over Grand View University (Iowa)’s Alex Casarez and the unattached Cameron Graham. As a precaution, Wentz withdrew from the semifinal round and ended his day at 2-0. Three of his teammates grabbed at least two wins apiece: Scdoris (3-2 at 149), Grant Wells (2-2 at 133) and Jose Sanchez (2-2 at 174).

The Milford High School product Scdoris did his work on the back side of the 149-pound bracket. After a loss by decision, Scdoris took a major decision before adding victories by technical fall and by decision. He was eliminated in round five of the consolation bracket. At the top of the lineup, Wells (Lincoln Lutheran alum) reached the quarterfinals as part of a day that featured decisions over an NCAA Division II opponent and an NAIA foe. Meanwhile, the battle-tested Sanchez of Wylie, Texas, earned a pin over a teammate and defeated Dickinson State University (N.D.)’s Jack Simons by decision.

Said Clasen, “Some of those guys like Tommy, Jeaven and Grant are doing a really good job of staying disciplined and knowing where they need to be in order to score. We want to keep building upon that and adding more tools to our arsenal. All three of those guys are young, so they’re still learning. I’ve been impressed with how disciplined they are and the way they wrestle.”

At the heavier weights, Stephen Duffy (184) and Cy Renney (285) notched a win apiece (via pin) at the Hastings Open. Other Bulldogs to enter the fray were Josh Broyles (149), Charles Hutson (157), Garret Moser (174), Torrance Keehn (174) and Teegan Tschampel (184).

Fourteen institutions were represented at the Hastings Open. The other GPAC school present, in addition to Concordia and host Hastings, was Northwestern.

Next up, the Bulldogs will host Doane (13-1, 3-0 GPAC) inside Friedrich Arena on Friday, Jan. 13. The action is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT. The Tigers are the defending GPAC champions and will be coming off a third-place finish at the NWCA National Duals held this weekend in Louisville, Ky.

Bulldogs to host fourth-ranked Doane for Friday dual

Jan. 10, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The two squads with the most overall dual wins among GPAC wrestling programs will meet up on Friday inside Friedrich Arena. The Concordia University Wrestling team is ready to square off against fourth-ranked Doane, the defending GPAC champion. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad last competed in dual action back on Dec. 17 when it went 4-0 at the Concordia Bulldog Duals. A group of 11 Bulldogs took to the mat this past weekend at the Hastings Open. Concordia will enter the matchup at 8-1 overall (3-1 GPAC) while Doane stands at 13-1 (3-0 GPAC).

Concordia (8-1, 3-1 GPAC) vs. Doane (13-1, 3-0 GPAC)
Friday, Jan. 13 | 7 p.m. | Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Webcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cun/
--NOTE: It will be Seward Wrestling Club night on Friday as the Bulldogs will welcome local youth wrestlers to the dual.

To recap the Bulldog Duals from Dec. 17, Concordia went 4-0 with wins over Central Methodist University (Mo.), 23-19, Texas Wesleyan University, 33-15, Benedictine College (Kan.), 32-13, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 37-12. The stars of the show included the likes of Creighton Baughman (141), Logan Davidson (197) and Bryce Karlin (125). Baughman and Davidson both went 4-0 while Karlin went 3-0 with three pins. Baughman’s day featured a victory over NAIA 16th-ranked Dante Lopez of Oklahoma Wesleyan. As for Davidson, he burst onto the scene after playing for the football team in the fall. Baughman is now ranked 17th in the NAIA at 141 while Davidson cracked the national rankings at 25th in the 197-pound division.

The season to date has included nine duals five tournaments. At 8-1 in duals, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from 2021-22 when they went 6-6 (3-5 GPAC). The one loss this season came at the hands of then No. 12 Morningside. To this point, 24 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (13-4), Tommy Wentz (12-6), Grant Wells (10-8), Bryce Karlin (8-4), Stephen Duffy (8-6), Jeaven Scdoris (8-7), Garret Moser (8-8), Issiah Burks (7-8), Thomas Ivey (7-9), Jose Sanchez (7-10), Kobe Lyons (6-2), Torrance Keehn (6-8) and Cy Renney (6-10). The team pins leaders are Karlin, Renney and Wentz with four apiece.

Concordia and Doane have a combined 18 wrestlers that are ranked at the conference level (see list below). Head Coach Dana Vote’s Tigers are coming off a third-place claim at the NWCA National Duals in Louisville, Ky., where they took wins over No. 19 Oklahoma City University, 39-6, No. 5 Indiana Tech, 19-13, and No. 3 Southeastern University (Fla.), 24-11. A 36-0 loss was endured at the hands of top-ranked Grand View University (Iowa). The most accomplished wrestler on the Doane roster is 141-pounder Baagii Boldma, a three-time NAIA national champion. He’s one of 11 nationally ranked competitors on the current roster. As a program, the Tigers have won 19 straight GPAC duals. They defeated the Bulldogs, 39-3, in Crete last season.

Ranked Competitors

Concordia (8-1, 3-1 GPAC)
125 – Bryce Karlin: GPAC – 5th
125 – Grant Wells: GPAC – 6th
141 – Creighton Baughman: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 17th
165 – Issiah Burks: GPAC – 5th
184 – Stephen Duffy: GPAC – 5th
197 – Logan Davidson: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 25th

Doane (13-1, 3-0 GPAC)
125 – Daniel Vargas: GPAC – 1st | NAIA – 4th
125 – Hunter Bennett: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 20th
133 – Devin Avedissian: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 13th
141 – Baagii Boldmaa: GPAC – 1st | NAIA – 1st
149 – Tristan Zamilpa: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 10th
149 – Nathan Lendt: GPAC – 3rd | NAIA – 12th
165 – Benjamin Dobler: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 17th
174 – Chinges Tsermaa: GPAC – 1st | NAIA – 5th
174 – Michael Scarponi: GPAC – 3rd | NAIA – 20th
184 – Cael Jordan: GPAC – 3rd
197 – Bradley Antesberger: GPAC – 1st | NAIA – 2nd
285 – Brandon Antesberger: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 9th

Following Friday’s dual, the Bulldogs will have Saturday off while looking ahead to the Missouri Valley College Invite on Jan. 20-21. Concordia will complete its 2022-23 GPAC dual schedule on Jan. 28 when it wrestles three conference opponents in Sioux City, Iowa.

Bulldogs shut out by No. 4 Doane

Jan. 13, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – By night’s end, Concordia University Wrestling found out where it stood in relation to the GPAC’s current most dominant force. While putting to use a lineup full of nationally ranked individuals, fourth-ranked Doane emerged from Friedrich Arena with a 44-0 blanking on Friday (Jan. 13). The Bulldogs missed out on a shot at a pin at 125 and the Tigers pounced while setting the tone for the night. Doane won eight matches with bonus points.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad slipped to 8-2 overall (3-2 GPAC) in what has been a strong 2022-23 campaign. Concordia had jumped up to No. 4 in the most recent GPAC ratings.

Every team in the GPAC will be chasing Doane (14-1, 4-0 GPAC), the defending GPAC champions. Fresh off placing third at the NWCA National Duals, the Tigers put on a show in front of a crowd bolstered by the presence of the Seward Wrestling Club. Out of the gate, the Bulldogs had their chance to grab the early advantage. Concordia freshman Bryce Karlin of Beatrice, Neb., recorded a takedown and four near fall points in the first period. Unfortunately, a 6-0 lead for Karlin gave way to a pin for 20th-ranked Hunter Bennett in the second period.

The next best chance for a Bulldog win came at 197 as 25th-ranked Logan Davidson led 2-0 after one period and briefly tied the match, 4-4, with a reversal of the Tigers’ Cael Jordan in the third period. A quick reversal the other way provided the final margin as Jordan eked out a 6-4 decision over Davidson. In the 149-pound bout, Jeaven Scdoris put up a fight in notching a pair of takedowns before succumbing, 14-8, to No. 10 Tristan Zamilpa.

The audience got a look at the seemingly unstoppable Baagii Boldmaa at 141 pounds. The three-time national champion earned a 20-5 technical fall over No. 17 Creighton Baughman in perhaps the evening’s most anticipated match. The rest of the Concordia lineup featured Grant Wells (133), Tommy Wentz (157), Issiah Burks (165), Jose Sanchez (174), Garret Moser (184) and Cy Renney (285). The evening came to a conclusion with a pin for Doane heavyweight Brandon Antesberger.

The only other loss this season for the Bulldogs came at the hands of then 12th-ranked Morningside on Nov. 22. Concordia then rattled off five dual victories in a row over nonconference foes.

The Bulldogs will have the remainder of the weekend off from competition while looking ahead to the Missouri Valley Invite on Jan. 20-21. Hosted by Missouri Valley College, the tournament is known as one of the premier NAIA events each regular season. Concordia last competed at the invite in 2020 when it placed 16th out of 48 teams. As far as the dual slate, a pivotal day of GPAC matchups will take place in Sioux City, Iowa, on Jan. 28.

Tournament Info: 2023 Missouri Valley Invite

Jan. 18, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A return to the mats is just what the Concordia University Wrestling team needs. The Bulldogs will be one of 44 squads present at the prestigious Missouri Valley College Invitational this Friday and Saturday. The event will take place inside the Burns Athletic Center in Marshall, Mo. The event serves as somewhat of a preview of the national tournament. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s bunch has been idle since its home dual loss to No. 4 Doane on Jan. 13. Links for live coverage of the Missouri Valley Invite are included below.

Missouri Valley College Invitational
--Jan. 20-21 | D1 – 12 p.m.; D2 – 9 a.m. | Burns Athletic Center (Marshal, Mo.)
--Webcast: FloWrestling ($) | Live Results: TrackWrestling

The season to date has included 10 duals and five tournaments. At 8-2 in duals, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from 2021-22 when they went 6-6 (3-5 GPAC). The two losses this season have come at the hands of the two highest rated teams in the GPAC. To this point, 24 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (13-5), Tommy Wentz (12-7), Grant Wells (10-9), Bryce Karlin (8-5), Stephen Duffy (8-6), Jeaven Scdoris (8-8), Garret Moser (8-9), Issiah Burks (7-9), Thomas Ivey (7-9), Jose Sanchez (7-11), Kobe Lyons (6-2), Torrance Keehn (6-8) and Cy Renney (6-11). The team pins leaders are Karlin, Renney and Wentz with four apiece.

A new set of conference ratings were unveiled on Tuesday via NAIA.org. In the GPAC ratings, seven Bulldogs made appearances within the top six of their respective weight classes (see below). Leading the way, both Creighton Baughman (141) and Logan Davidson (197) landed at No. 2 among their conference counterparts. Concordia will take its top 12 wrestlers to this weekend’s high level NAIA tournament.

GPAC ratings (released on Jan. 17)

Concordia (8-2, 3-2 GPAC)
125 – Bryce Karlin: GPAC – 5th
141 – Creighton Baughman: GPAC – 2nd
157 – Tommy Wentz: GPAC – 4th
165 – Issiah Burks: GPAC – 5th
174 – Jose Sanchez: GPAC – 6th
184 – Stephen Duffy: GPAC – 5th
197 – Logan Davidson: GPAC – 2nd

Following the Missouri Valley Invite, Concordia will turn its focus towards its final three GPAC duals of the 2022-23 season. The Bulldogs will take on Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Jamestown (in that order) on Jan. 28. Those three duals will be held at Long Lines Family Rec Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Baughman, Wentz make extended runs at Missouri Valley Invite

Jan. 21, 2023

MARSHALL, Mo. – As part of an event that serves as a national tournament preview of sorts, the Concordia University Wrestling team put its best up against some of the top competition in all of the NAIA. Twelve Bulldogs represented the program at the Missouri Valley College Invite (Jan. 20-21) and came away with a total of 12 wins. The strongest performances were put forth by the likes of Creighton Baughman and Tommy Wentz, who combined for seven wins in Marshall, Mo. Concordia placed 35th out of 44 squads with 16.5 team points.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad had more than a week to prep for the Missouri Valley Invite, a showcase event for NAIA wrestling. This marked the sixth tournament of the season for the Bulldogs, who own a dual record of 8-2 (3-2 GPAC).

“This tournament was going about going out there and seeing the best teams and seeing where we stack up,” Clasen said. “Obviously we're young. We're building and learning. Getting that exposure to that competition is critical to the development of a good program. You can't just go to the opens where your freshmen will win matches against other freshmen. You've got to put them against those top dogs, so they can realize what will work. I think it's a huge benefit.”

Ranked 18th in the NAIA at 141 pounds, Baughman (16-7) rattled off three straight wins to begin his tournament as he advanced to the quarterfinal round. The signature victory came by a 6-0 decision over Ottawa University (Kan.)’s Austin Kolvek in round three. The result meant Baughman avenged an earlier defeat this season. The Papillion, Neb., native missed out on a chance to reach the semifinals when he was pinned by Eastern Oregon University’s Jaxon Morlan in 2:55. On the back side of the bracket, Baughman was narrowly eliminated by a 5-4 decision. He wound up totaling four team points.

Ranked fourth in the GPAC at 157, Wentz (16-9) has proven to be a major addition as a transfer from York University. The Fremont, Neb., native led Concordia with four wins on the weekend (3.5 team points) while coming up just short of a place finish. Wentz showed a knack for triumphing in close matches and took a major decision over Keiser University (Fla.)’s Brady Ellison, 10-2. Both of Wentz’s losses came at the hands of nationally ranked opponents: No. 19 Brandon Kidd Jr. of Ottawa and No. 24 Hayden Brown of Oklahoma City University.

Said Clasen, “This tournament was going about going out there and seeing the best teams and see where we stack up. Obviously we're young. We're building and learning. Getting that exposure to that competition is critical to the development of a good program. You can't just go to the opens where your freshmen will win matches against other freshmen. You've got to put them against those top dogs, so they can realize what will work. I think it's a huge benefit.”

Five Concordia grapplers came away with one win apiece at the Missouri Valley Invite: Jeaven Scdoris (149), Tavoris Smith (157), Issiah Burks (165), Jose Sanchez (174) and Logan Davidson (184). Notably, Smith made his 2022-23 season debut and Kyle Sterup, a starting defensive lineman on the Bulldog Football team, appeared in a collegiate wrestling match for the first time in his career. Sterup lost twice while wrestling at 285. Other Concordia competitors to take the mat this weekend were Bryce Karlin (125), Stephen Duffy (184) and Cy Renney (285).

Next up will be a trio of duals set to take place next Saturday (Jan. 28) at Long Lines Family Rec Center in Sioux City, Iowa. That location will serve as the venue for duals versus Northwestern (3-5, 2-2 GPAC) at 11 a.m., Briar Cliff (2-3, 2-2 GPAC) at 12:30 p.m. and Jamestown (6-9, 3-4 GPAC) at 2 p.m. By day’s end, the Bulldogs will have wrapped up their GPAC dual schedule for 2022-23.

Preview: 2023 GPAC Day of Duals

Jan. 24, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The second and final GPAC Day of Duals for the 2022-23 season is on tap for Saturday at the Long Lines Family Recreation Center in Sioux City, Iowa. As part of the event, the Concordia University Wrestling team will take on Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Jamestown. By weekend’s end, the conference dual schedule will have wrapped up. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad will enter the weekend with a GPAC record of 3-2 (8-2 overall). Most recently, the Bulldogs competed at the Missouri Valley College Invite this past Friday and Saturday.

GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 – Saturday, Jan. 28

--Location: Long Lines Family Recreation Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
--Live Webcast ($) | Live Results
--Admission: $8 for adults, $3 for students

11 a.m. – Concordia vs. Northwestern

12:30 p.m. – Concordia vs. Briar Cliff

2 p.m. – Concordia vs. Jamestown

Overview

The season to date has included 10 duals and six tournaments. At 8-2 in duals, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from 2021-22 when they went 6-6 (3-5 GPAC). The two losses this season have come at the hands of the two highest rated teams in the GPAC. To this point, 26 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (16-7), Tommy Wentz (16-9), Grant Wells (10-9), Jeaven Scdoris (9-10), Bryce Karlin (8-7), Stephen Duffy (8-8), Garret Moser (8-9), Issiah Burks (8-11), Jose Sanchez (8-13), Thomas Ivey (7-9), Kobe Lyons (6-2), Torrance Keehn (6-8), Cy Renney (6-13) and Logan Davidson (5-3). The team pins leaders are Karlin, Renney and Wentz with four apiece.

The Bulldogs remain a perfect 5-0 versus nonconference opponents with wins coming over Bethany College (Kan.), 36-9, Central Methodist University (Mo.), 23-19, Texas Wesleyan University, 33-15, Benedictine College (Kan.), 32-13, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 37-12. Inside of league action, Concordia has defeated Midland, 28-17, Hastings, 36-10, and Dakota Wesleyan, 22-17. The losses have come against Morningside, 35-6, and Doane, 44-0. Two more wins would make the 2022-23 squad the fifth in program history to notch at least 10 dual victories in a season. The school record of 13 is held by both the 2015-16 and 2019-20 teams.

In the most recent GPAC ratings released on Tuesday (Jan. 24), seven Bulldogs were listed in the top six of their respective weight classes (see below). As for its opponents this weekend, Briar Cliff boasts seven ranked conference wrestlers while Northwestern has five and Jamestown four. Realistically, Concordia has itself in the hunt for a conference regular season finish as high as third. Doane (5-0) and Morningside (4-0) remain undefeated versus GPAC foes. The Bulldogs are hoping to position themselves from a move up from sixth in last season’s final GPAC standings.

One more night of home dual action will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2 when Concordia will welcome Colby Community College and York University to Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs will celebrate their seniors prior to the first of two duals getting underway at 6 p.m. CT.

Ranked Competitors
--Note: new NAIA national rankings will be released on Jan. 26.

Concordia (8-2, 3-2 GPAC)
125 – Bryce Karlin: GPAC – 5th
141 – Creighton Baughman: GPAC – 2nd
157 – Tommy Wentz: GPAC – 4th
165 – Issiah Burks: GPAC – 5th
174 – Jose Sanchez: GPAC – 6th
184 – Logan Davidson: GPAC – 3rd
184 – Stephen Duffy: GPAC – 5th

Northwestern (3-5, 2-2 GPAC)
133 – Manuel Jaramillo: GPAC – 5th
149 – Noah Parmelee: GPAC – 6th
174 – Jakob Francksen-Small: GPAC – 4th
184 – Luke Jenness: GPAC – 2nd
197 – Kaleb Lind: GPAC – 3rd

Briar Cliff (3-3, 3-3 GPAC)
125 – Seth I’nama: GPAC – 4th
133 – CaRon Watson: GPAC – 2nd
133 – Jarrod Gilliam: GPAC – 6th
141 – Ethan Krey: GPAC – 4th
165 – Garrett Arment: GPAC – 3rd
197 – Matthew Montgomery: GPAC – 2nd
285 – Alton Allen: GPAC – 6th

Jamestown (6-9, 3-4 GPAC)
149 – Tommy Beringer: GPAC – 5th
184 – Trystan Rogers: GPAC – 4th
197 – Jake Rau: GPAC – 5th
285 – Ian Howell: GPAC – 4th

3-0 GPAC Day of Duals moves Bulldogs to third place in conference standings

Jan. 29, 2023

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It was an impressive close to the GPAC dual season on Saturday (Jan. 28) for the Concordia University Wrestling program. The Bulldogs showed the arrow is pointing skyward while going 3-0 at the GPAC Day of Duals that took place in Sioux City, Iowa. With the help of three wins apiece by the likes of Creighton Baughman, Issiah Burks and Stephen Duffy, Concordia defeated Northwestern, 21-15, Briar Cliff, 19-17, and Jamestown, 37-12.

Those results leave Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad at 6-2 in GPAC duals, putting the Bulldogs in third place in the final conference regular season standings. It’s a major improvement from the 2021-22 season when Concordia went 3-5 in conference duals.

“The improvement over last year has been significant,” Clasen said. “We’ve won almost double as many duals. We’re just getting better.

“Our team really showed out. The emphasis today was about having fun and scoring points, and our guys went out there and did that. That’s what won us those duals – those matches where we decided to score one more point and get the major or the tech or finding a way to get the fall. Even some of the matches we lost, they helped us win the dual because they refused to get turned. It was really a team, collective effort. It was one of our best days of the entire season in the way we looked.”

The duals with Northwestern and Briar Cliff could have gone either way. In the first matchup of the day, the Bulldogs defeated the Red Raiders (5-7, 4-4 GPAC) while taking six matches, including three by major decision. Those major decisions came courtesy of Baughman (141), Burks (165) and Duffy (184), three individuals who set the tone for the day. At 197, Logan Davidson clinched the day’s first team victory with his 5-0 blanking of Kaleb Lind, ranked third in the GPAC in that weight class. Bryce Karlin (125) and Tommy Wentz (157) also picked up wins over their Northwestern counterparts.

In dual No. 2, Concordia split the 10 matches with the Chargers (4-4, 4-4 GPAC), who placed second in the GPAC last season. Briar Cliff owned an 11-3 advantage after the first four weight classes. That’s when the Bulldogs got on a roll with wins from Wentz (decision at 157), Burks (pin at 165), Jose Sanchez (decision at 174) and Duffy (major at 184). Notably, Sanchez upended the conference’s third-rated competitor at 165 (moved up a weight in the dual). Briar Cliff won by decision at 197 and 285, but it wasn’t enough to erase what had been a 19-11 team deficit.

There was much less drama in the final clash of the day in Sioux City. Concordia triumphed in eight matches over Jamestown (6-11, 3-6 GPAC) while getting a pin from both Karlin (125) and Baughman (141). Contested wins were also claimed by Grant Wells (decision at 133), Sanchez (decision at 174), Duffy (decision at 184) and Davidson (major at 197). The Bulldogs were the beneficiary of two forfeit wins as well. The Jimmies did manage to notch two pins (at 149 and 285).

Of the 11 Concordia wrestlers to compete on Saturday, nine walked away with at least one victory. Two apiece were recorded by Davidson, Karlin, Sanchez and Wentz.

Said Clasen, “We finally got that Christmas break slump out of our system. If we continue to wrestle like we did today, good things are going to happen for us ... Issiah Burks looked amazing today. He was getting quick takedowns and locked up some great cradles. He looked phenomenal. Overall, it was a team effort. Everyone contributed to our three wins.”

The 11 overall dual wins ties the 2022-23 Bulldogs for third most in a single season in program history. The record of 13 wins is held by the 2015-16 and 2019-20 squads. The current team became the fifth in school history to reach double digits for dual wins.

The Bulldogs will polish off the 2022-23 dual schedule this coming Thursday (Feb. 2) when they are set to welcome Colby Community College and York University to Friedrich Arena. Action is slated to get started at 6 p.m. CT. Prior to the duals, Concordia will honor its senior class.

Wrestling program to honor seniors while hosting Colby, York on Thursday

Jan. 30, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of duals will take place on Thursday when the Concordia University Wrestling program celebrates its senior night. As part of the event, the Bulldogs will take on Colby Community College and York University inside Friedrich Arena. Dual No. 1 of the night will get started at 6 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad intends to finish the dual season in style after it went 3-0 this past week at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2. At the conference dual event, Concordia defeated Northwestern, 21-15, Briar Cliff, 19-17, and Jamestown, 37-12.

Thursday, Feb. 2 | Senior Night
6 p.m. CT | Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Webcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cun/

Order of events (rolling schedule):
1. Colby CC vs. York University
2. Senior Day Ceremony
3. Concordia vs. Colby CC
4. Concordia vs. York University

Senior Honorees:
Brandon Gonzalez (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Jose Sanchez (Wyle, Texas)
Tavoris Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

The 3-0 day at the GPAC Day of Duals pushed the Bulldogs into third place in the final GPAC regular season standings. Concordia placed behind only Morningside (8-0) and Doane (7-1). The season to date has included 13 duals and six tournaments. At 11-2 in duals, the Bulldogs far surpassed their win total from 2021-22 when they went 6-6 (3-5 GPAC). The two losses this season have come at the hands of the two highest rated teams in the GPAC. To this point, 26 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (19-7), Tommy Wentz (18-9), Stephen Duffy (11-8), Issiah Burks (11-11), Grant Wells (11-11), Bryce Karlin (10-8), Jose Sanchez (10-14), Jeaven Scdoris (9-13), Garret Moser (8-9), Logan Davidson (7-4), Thomas Ivey (7-9), Kobe Lyons (6-2), Torrance Keehn (6-8) and Cy Renney (6-16). Karlin paces the team with eight pins, followed by Baughman with five and Renney and Wentz with four apiece. Burks’ 70 career wins rank seventh on the program’s all-time list.

With 11 overall dual wins, the 2022-23 team has equaled the 2016-17 squad for the third most dual victories in a single season in program history. The record of 13 continues to be held by the 2015-16 (13-4) and 2019-20 (13-2) editions that won GPAC championships. There have now been five squads in school history to reach at least 10 dual wins. The 1970-71 squad coached by Roger Meyer went 10-3 and was the NIAC champion. Concordia sponsored wrestling from 1962-63 through 1977-78 and then went until 2009-10 before reintroducing the sport.

York University will enter Thursday with a dual record of 3-6. The Panthers have earned wins over Central Christian College (Kan.), Wayland Baptist University (Texas) and Bethany College (Kan.). York boasts four wrestlers ranked in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference: Harley Williamson (third at 125), Andy Garza (fifth at 141), John Fox (second at 157) and Marce Vasquez (third at 197). Colby Community College calls Colby, Kan., its home and goes by the nickname of Trojans. Colby is coached by CJ Shavers.

Bulldogs in the rankings …

Concordia (11-2, 6-2 GPAC)
125 – Bryce Karlin: GPAC – 5th
141 – Creighton Baughman: GPAC – 2nd | NAIA – 15th
157 – Tommy Wentz: GPAC – 4th
165 – Issiah Burks: GPAC – 5th
174 – Jose Sanchez: GPAC – 6th
184 – Logan Davidson: GPAC – 3rd | NAIA – 25th
184 – Stephen Duffy: GPAC – 5th

Bulldogs celebrate seniors in dominant fashion, equal program dual wins record

Feb. 2, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Back in October, the thought of a record-setting season for the 2022-23 Concordia University Wrestling team may have seemed a bit farfetched. The Bulldogs were coming off only modest success the previous winter, but they were bound and determined for something more. Concordia made its final home appearance of the season on Thursday (Feb. 2) and dropped the hammer on Colby Community College, 49-4, and York University, 44-6. The Bulldogs took 17 of 20 matches on the evening.

The results gave a proper sendoff for seniors Brandon Gonzalez, Jose Sanchez and Tavoris Smith and for sixth-year competitor Issiah Burks. By night’s end, Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad (13-2, 6-2 GPAC) had equaled the program record for most dual wins in a season with 13.

“The biggest thing is this team really bought in,” Clasen said. “When everyone is bought in and we have a group of guys all doing the right things, and they want to win, good things happen. They’ve made a culture shift in their mindset. The improvement they’ve made from day one has been dramatic. I can’t imagine three or four years down the road because we’re so young. I know we tied the dual record for Concordia, but our guys aren’t satisfied. They want to break the record.”

The Bulldogs are wrestling the way Clasen had envisioned – with ultra-aggression. Often on Thursday, the guys wearing the home gray singlets were taking the opposition to the mat mere moments after the first whistle. At 125 pounds, Bryce Karlin helped set the tone for the evening by pinning his opponent from Colby in 2:05. The pins became contagious as the Trojans were victimized by additional falls from Jeaven Scdoris (149), Smith (157), Stephen Duffy (184), Logan Davidson (197) and Cy Renney (285). Meanwhile, Creighton Baughman (141) and Burks (165) won by technical fall and Jose Sanchez (174) pulled out a 9-6 decision.

A native of Wylie, Texas, and a transfer from MacMurray College, Sanchez has stood out as a clear leader in the room. The Business Administration major enjoyed a 2-0 night capped with another decision in the second dual. Said Sanchez, “The emotions were over the roof. Even before the matches, I got that nervous feeling in my stomach. It was there until coach was saying, ‘Whatever nerves you’re feeling, turn them into excitement.’ You’re about to wrestle your last home meet. Usually I don’t hear the crowd as much, but I could hear everyone cheering me on tonight. It brought me that energy to keep moving forward and win those matches.”

The lone nationally ranked grapplers in the lineup are Baughman (15th at 141) and Davidson (25th at 184), but Concordia has shown it’s a particularly tough out 125 through heavyweight. Baughman polished off a cruise-control type of night with a first period fall of York’s Andy Garza. The Panthers did manage to hang in there early on with the help of a win by decision apiece from Harley Williamson (133) and John Fox (157). It was all Bulldogs from there with Renney adding an exclamation point by nailing his heavyweight counterpart to the mat in just 1:04. In a unique matchup, Tommy Wentz up against his former school and was defeated, 6-1, by Fox.

On the evening, eight Concordia grapplers went 2-0: Baughman, Burks, Davidson, Duffy, Karlin, Renney, Sanchez and Scdoris. Said Clasen, “We want to get that mindset going into conference where we’re looking to score a lot of points. Our guys aren’t satisfied with third place in the GPAC dual standings. We want to go into the conference tournament and win it. We want to go in there with a dominant mindset and go out and score as many points as possible. Today was just a glimpse.”

The 2022-23 Bulldogs have pulled even with the 2019-20 (13-2) and 2015-16 (13-4) teams for the most dual wins in a season in program history. Two other squads hit double digits: 2016-17 (11-4) and 1970-71 (10-3). Said Burks, “I’ve been thinking about this moment for a really long time and was finally able to experience it. It was just going out and winning with my brothers and making history. This is the second time I’ve been on a time that reached double digits and be able to tie the record.”

The Bulldogs will send select wrestlers to the Dave Edmonds Open hosted by Morningside in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday. Action is slated to get underway at 9 a.m. CT. The tournament is the final event on the schedule prior to the GPAC Championships coming up on Feb. 17-18. Doane will host this year’s conference tournament.

Tschampel places fourth as one of five Bulldogs in action

Feb. 4, 2023

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The final regular season tournament of the 2022-23 campaign saw five Bulldogs take to the mat at the Dave Edmonds Invitational hosted by Morningside on Saturday (Feb. 4). Most significantly, Teegan Tschampel placed fourth at 184 pounds in action that took place at Hindman Hobbs in Sioux City, Iowa. Bulldog competitors combined for seven victories on the day.

Head Coach Chase Clasen gave his starters the weekend off after Concordia notched dual wins over Colby Community College and York University on Thursday. The Bulldogs equaled a program standard for most dual victories in a season with 13.

In a relatively small field, Tschampel started his day in the quarterfinals after receiving a first-round bye. His two wins on Saturday both came by fall – over Logan Kuehl (unattached) and Collin McGrath of Dickinson State University (N.D.). A native of Merrill, Iowa, Tschampel dropped the 184-pound third-place match, 10-3, to Midland’s Connor Rinn.

It was also a fine day for Fremont, Neb., native Garret Moser, who led the team with three wins at the Edmonds Invite. Included in his 3-2 day at 174 pounds were wins over two GPAC opponents: Morningside’s Joseph Gray (20-5 technical fall) and Midland’s Colton Horne (pin, 2:56). Moser fell short of placing when he was pinned in consolation round five.

A win apiece was collected in Sioux City by Henry Gaertner (141) and Tracey Allen (149). Meanwhile, Charles Hutson went 0-2 at 157. They were part of a field that featured wrestlers from 11 different institutions.

All focus now for the Bulldogs is on the GPAC Championships slated for Feb. 17-18 on the Doane campus in Crete, Neb. A third place conference finisher this regular season, Concordia looks to improve upon the program’s 2022 GPAC tournament placement of sixth. In addition, individual national tournament berths will be on the line.

Preview: 2023 GPAC Wrestling Championships

Feb. 13, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Postseason tournament time is here across the NAIA wrestling landscape. The Concordia University Wrestling team has hopes of building upon its strong GPAC dual season while entering the fray at the 2023 GPAC Wrestling Championships to be hosted by Doane this Friday and Saturday. The format features a first session beginning in the afternoon on Friday before action resumes at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday. There will be 27 automatic berths to nationals at stake at the GPAC Championships.

2023 GPAC Wrestling Championships

Session I – Friday, Feb. 17, 2 p.m.
Session II – Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.
Fuhrer Fieldhouse | Crete, Neb. (Doane campus)
--Live Streaming: Doane Sports Network
--Live Results: Track Wrestling
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.

Overview

The NAIA announced automatic bid national tournament allocations for each of the NAIA wrestling conferences on Feb. 9. Those allocations are based on the number of individuals ranked nationally in each weight class. For example, the GPAC boasts four nationally ranked heavyweights and will get four auto bids to nationals in that weight class. No matter the rankings, every conference is guaranteed to get at least one bid at each weight class, with auto bids going to each conference champion in all 10 classes. The NAIA auto bid allocations can be found HERE.

Each of the 12 Bulldogs that Head Coach Chase Clasen will lead into the conference tournament will be attempting to reach NAIA nationals for the first time in their careers. Concordia’s most accomplished current wrestler from a national perspective is 141-pounder Creighton Baughman, a two-time All-American at Iowa Western Community College. The Bulldogs did not return their two national qualifiers from last season: Mario Ybarra (graduated) and Jacob Telles (transferred). Ybarra garnered All-America status at 133 pounds in 2021. The program’s string of eight-straight years (2014 through 2021) with at least one All-American ended in 2022.

Two returning Bulldogs were place finishers at the 2022 conference tournament: Issiah Burks (fourth at 165) and Jose Sanchez (fifth at 165). A sixth-year member of the program, Burks hopes to take advantage of his last opportunity and punch a ticket to nationals. Burks has climbed to No. 6 on the program’s all-time wins list with 72 career victories. The native of Hemet, Calif., could move into the top five with two additional wins.

In the most recent NAIA national rankings, Baughman (16th at 141) and Logan Davidson (25th at 184) continued to hold down spots within their respective weight classes. At the conference level, Concordia is ranked third while having eight wrestlers represented. Below is a listing of those competitors. The Bulldogs have come a long way since being ranked at No. 6 in the GPAC preseason rating. Clasen’s bunch outperformed those expectations in placing third with a conference dual record of 6-2. At 13-2 overall in duals, Concordia equaled a program record for dual wins in a season, pulling even with the 2015-16 and 2019-20 teams.

GPAC Rankings
125 – Bryce Karlin: 6th
141 – Creighton Baughman: 2nd (16th in NAIA)
149 – Jeaven Scdoris: 6th
157 – Tommy Wentz: 5th
165 – Issiah Burks: 5th
174 – Jose Sanchez: 6th
184 – Logan Davidson: 3rd (25th in NAIA)
184 – Stephen Duffy: 5th

Through the season to date, nine Bulldogs have notched double digit win totals: Creighton Baughman (21-7), Tommy Wentz (18-10), Stephen Duffy (13-8), Issiah Burks (13-11), Bryce Karlin (12-8), Jose Sanchez (12-14), Garret Moser (11-11), Jeaven Scdoris (11-13) and Grant Wells (11-13). Karlin paces the team with nine pins while Baughman, Duffy and Cy Renney have collected six pins apiece.

The latest GPAC ratings show Doane at No. 1 and Morningside at No. 2 with Concordia following at No. 3. The next six teams, in order, are Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, Northwestern, Jamestown, Midland and Hastings. Returning GPAC wrestlers who earned All-America honors in 2022 include Doane’s Daniel Vargas (sixth at 125), Baagii Boldma (first at 141) and Bradley Antesberger (third at 197) and Morningside’s Hunter DeJong (eighth at 197). Last year’s individual GPAC champions are listed below. Of the 10 winners, seven will be back to defend their titles.

2022 GPAC Champions
125 – Daniel Vargas, Doane
133 – Taylor Vasquez, Morningside
141 – Baagii Boldma, Doane
149 – John Diener, Morningside
157 – Chinges Tsermaa, Doane
165 – Taygen Smith, Hastings
174 – Trenton Munoz, Hastings
184 – Luke Jenness, Northwestern
197 – Tyson Beauperthuy, Midland
285 – Bradley Antesberger, Doane

The 66th annual NAIA Wrestling National Championship is slated to play out March 3-4 at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan., where the event was first held in 2020. Automatic qualifiers for the national championships will be known at the conclusion of the conference tournaments. Concordia traveled two wrestlers to Park City last year.

Bulldogs send five to semifinals on day 1 of GPAC Championships

Feb. 17, 2023

CRETE, Neb. – It was an overall solid opening day at the 2023 GPAC Wrestling Championships for the Concordia University Wrestling team. After equaling a program record for dual wins in a season, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a top three conference tournament placement and as many individual berths to NAIA nationals as possible. In Friday (Feb. 17)’s action in Crete, Neb., Concordia advanced five wrestlers to the conference semifinals and totaled 42 team points.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad has a one-point lead over Briar Cliff (41.0) for the No. 3 spot in the GPAC pecking order. The conference leaders heading into Saturday are Morningside (89.5) and Doane (74.0).

Team scores after day 1
1. Morningside – 89.5
2. Doane – 74.0
3. Concordia – 42.0
4. Briar Cliff – 41.0
5. Northwestern – 34.0
6. Dakota Wesleyan – 32.5
7. Midland – 19.5
8. Hastings – 14.5
9. Jamestown – 11.5

The five Bulldog GPAC semifinalists are Creighton Baughman (141), Tommy Wentz (157), Issiah Burks (165), Logan Davidson (184) and Stephen Duffy (184). Each competitor will take to the mat on Saturday with a chance at a spot in the finals. This is the moment Burks has been preparing for as a sixth-year member of the program. The Hemet, Calif., native’s path included a major decision (13-5) over Midland’s Kody Hahn and a 19-second fall of Briar Cliff’s Garrett Arment, the GPAC’s fourth-rated wrestler at 165 pounds. With those two wins, Burks moved up to No. 5 on the program’s all-time wins list with 74 for his career.

The two-time JUCO All-American Baughman entered the tournament as Concordia’s highest ranked competitor (No. 16 nationally) and backed that up with two victories on Friday. His wins came by major decision, 14-1, over Dakota Wesleyan’s Zach Zitek and by decision, 7-0, over Hastings’ Andy Rojas. The remaining three Concordia semifinalists needed only one win on Friday to reach their current standing. Wentz took out Briar Cliff’s Micah Lanier by major decision, 10-0, Davidson pinned Midland’s Connor Rinn in 1:36 and Duffy defeated Doane’s Garrett Cornwall by decision, 8-3.

Another five Bulldogs will wrestle on the back side of their respective brackets when the action picks up. Both Jeaven Scdoris (149) and Garrett Moser (174) went 1-1 on day one of the tournament. Meanwhile, Bryce Karlin (125), Tavoris Smith (157) and Jose Sanchez (174) all fell in their lone matches of the day and will have their seasons on the line at the start of day two. As for Grant Wells (133) and Cy Renney (285), they went 0-2 and were eliminated from the tournament.

Session II of the GPAC Championships will get underway at 10 a.m. CT from Fuhrer Fieldhouse on the Doane campus. Results will update live on TrackWrestling.com while host Doane will stream the tournament live from: https://www.youtube.com/@DSN2-live/streams. Updated brackets can also be found via Track Wrestling (link at the top).

Saturday semifinal matchups

141 – Creighton Baughman (CUNE) vs. Ethan Krey (Briar Cliff)

157 – Tommy Wentz (CUNE) vs. Tristan Zamilpa (Doane)

165 – Issiah Burks (CUNE) vs. Caleb Connor (Morningside)

184 – Logan Davidson (CUNE) vs. Hayden Wempen (Morningside)

184 – Stephen Duffy (CUNE) vs. Luke Jenness (Northwestern)

Burks upsets way to GPAC title; Bulldogs place third as a team

Feb. 18, 2023

CRETE, Neb. – In true Cinderella fashion, Issiah Burks surprised his way to a 165-pound GPAC title while helping spur the Concordia University Wrestling team to a third-place team finish at the 2023 GPAC Wrestling Championships. Nine of the 12 Bulldogs who competed earned place finishes within their respective weight classes while piling up 110 team points. Concordia emerged with five semifinalists, one champion and two runners up in another sign of the program’s quick rise compared to a year ago.

Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad has placed third in the GPAC in both the regular season and at the conference tournament. The Bulldogs will send four automatic qualifiers to the national tournament in early March.

“We weren’t paying attention to the team score – we just wanted to put our best foot forward and try to get as many qualifiers to the national tournament as we could,” Clasen said. “The pieces fell where they fell because our guys went through the back end of the tournament and scored as many points as possible. Conference and national tournaments are won by those guys on the back end coming back and scoring points. They were the ones that really helped us get that third-place finish.”

Individual place finishes:

·        Creighton Baughman: 2nd at 141

·        Issiah Burks: 1st at 165

·        Logan Davidson: 3rd at 184

·        Stephen Duffy: 4th at 184

·        Bryce Karlin: 5th at 125

·        Garret Moser: 6th at 174

·        Jeaven Scdoris: 4th at 149

·        Tavoris Smith: 2nd at 157

·        Tommy Wentz: 5th at 157

The championship run for Burks became one of the major stories of the weekend. The Hemet, Calif., native will be headed to the NAIA National Championships along with teammates and fellow automatic qualifiers Creighton Baughman, Logan Davidson and Tavoris Smith. A sixth-year member of the program who has moved into the top five on Concordia’s all-time wins list, Burks made waves on Saturday when he pulled an 11-4 upset of the top seed at 165 pounds, Caleb Connor of Morningside (ranked No. 12 in the NAIA). In the title bout, Burks left no doubt by nailing Dakota Wesleyan’s Kaleb Bigelow to the mat in just 1:15. Burks went 4-0 on the weekend with a pair of pins and a major decision.

Said Clasen, “There was nobody in the country that was going to beat Issiah Burks this weekend. If this was in the national tournament, he would have been a national champion. When he’s on, he’s on. We have to ride that momentum now going into nationals and not get too high up. We’ve still got more matches to win. He does all the right things. I couldn’t ask for a better athlete. Everything he’s worked for is coming to fruition.”

In the semifinals at 141, Baughman (seeded No. 2 in the GPAC) matched up with Briar Cliff’s Ethan Krey (seeded No. 4). Just before the clock ran out on the first period, Baughman earned the pin of Krey for his 23rd win of the season. The two-time JUCO All-American then drew three-time national champion Baagii Boldmaa, who took the title via a 13-4 major decision. Baughman wound up 3-1 on the weekend and did not give up an offensive point until facing Boldmaa in the finals.

Davidson (184), Stephen Duffy (184) and Tommy Wentz (157) were each defeated in their semifinal matches. However, Davidson recovered to place third and ended his tournament with wins over Doane’s Garrett Cornwall and then Duffy in the third-place matchup. Davidson (12-5) will head to nationals after joining the wrestling team for the second semester. Both transfers, Duffy and Wentz made their presences felt throughout this winter. Duffy placed fourth in the GPAC at 184 while Wentz placed fifth at 157.

Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla.) got his 2022-23 season started late, but made the most of his opportunities. He was credited with taking true second place at the conference meet and garnered the automatic bid. Smith produced three contested wins on Saturday, taking matches over Tyson Johnson, Wentz and Brody Hovertsen. Smith ran his record to 6-3.

Additional place finishers were Bryce Karlin, Garret Moser and Jeaven Scdoris. The Milford, Neb., native Scdoris made hay on the back side of the bracket and claimed two victories on Saturday before finishing his tournament in fourth place. For the weekend, nine Bulldogs won multiple matches with each scoring at least 7.0 points towards the team total.

Added Clasen, “A lot of the matches we won this weekend were revenge matches – matches we lost earlier in the season. There’s been lots of improvement over the course of the season.”

Concordia’s national qualifiers will advance to compete at the 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships, which will be held in Wichita, Kan., March 3-4. National qualifiers will be officially announced next week by the NAIA. This will mark the fourth-straight year that Wichita has hosted the NAIA wrestling tournament.

Four Bulldogs officially named NAIA wrestling national qualifiers

Feb. 21, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The wrestling national qualifying field was officially announced on Tuesday (Feb. 21) by the NAIA. The Concordia University Wrestling program will send four qualifiers to the NAIA Wrestling National Championships to be held in Park City, Kan., March 3-4. The following Bulldogs earned their way to nationals thanks to automatic bids: Creighton Baughman (141), Tavoris Smith (157), Issiah Burks (165) and Logan Davidson (184).

Each of the competitors that Head Coach Chase Clasen will bring to the national tournament will experience NAIA nationals for the first time in their careers. All four Bulldogs qualified based on their performances at this past weekend's GPAC Championships. Burks won the conference’s 165-pound title, Baughman (two-time JUCO All-American) and Smith placed second in their weight classes and Davidson took third place in his bracket. Unfortunately, Concordia’s top at-large candidates did not receive bids to wrestle at nationals.

Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. Each conference was awarded automatic berths based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament individual champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll.

After the conference tournaments concluded, an 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining national at-large qualifiers. In total, 36 student-athletes were selected by at-large classification. The seeding and preliminary brackets will be announced on NAIA.org by 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 24.

For additional information on the 2023 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships, click HERE.

Concordia’s 2023 National Qualifiers

141 – Creighton Baughman, Sophomore
--Season record: 23-8
--GPAC runner up
--First-time NAIA national qualifier
--Two-time JUCO All-American

157 – Tavoris Smith, Senior
--Season record: 6-3
--GPAC runner up
--First-time NAIA national qualifier

165 – Issiah Burks, Senior
--Season record: 17-11
--GPAC champion
--First-time NAIA national qualifier

184 – Logan Davidson, Freshman
--Season record: 12-5
--Third place in GPAC
--First-time NAIA national qualifier

Four Bulldogs named to 2023 All-GPAC Wrestling teams

Feb. 23, 2023

First Team: Issiah Burks
Second Team: Creighton Baughman
Honorable Mention: Logan Davidson; Tavoris Smith

SEWARD, Neb. – Each of the four Bulldogs headed to the 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships have landed on the 2022-23 all-conference teams, as announced by the GPAC on Thursday (Feb. 23). GPAC champion Issiah Burks garnered First Team All-GPAC accolades, Creighton Baughman picked up season team laurels and Logan Davidson and Tavoris Smith were named honorable mention. All four Concordia Wrestling standouts have been named all-conference selections for the first time in their careers.

Collectively, the Bulldog honorees helped Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad place third in the GPAC during the regular season and at the conference tournament. The 2022-23 season will wrap up next week at the national tournament.

Burks cracked the GPAC’s first team after upsetting his way to a 165-pound GPAC title. As part of his 4-0 tournament run, Burks defeated opponents ranked 12th and 19th nationally and won twice via pin. The native of Hemet, Calif., will carry an overall season record of 17-11 into the national championships. On the program’s all-time wins list, Burks currently ranks in a tie for fourth (76 wins) with former teammate Mario Ybarra. A four-time GPAC tournament place finisher, Burks went 10-5 this season in dual meets.

The addition of Baughman (Papillion, Neb.) was a significant one for Concordia. The two-time JUCO All-American at Iowa Western Community College has earned national rankings at 141 pounds throughout the entire season while compiling an overall record of 23-8. Baughman took second place at the GPAC tournament, going 3-1 over the two-day event. Baughman’s season has also included a 13-2 dual record and seven pins.

A freshman from Goddard, Kan., Davidson spent the fall playing on the Bulldog Football team before transitioning to the wrestling mat. He made an immediate splash in going 4-0 at the Bulldog Duals in December. Davidson entered the GPAC tournament ranked 25th in the NAIA at 184 pounds and backed up the rating by placing third in the conference. Davidson owns an overall record of 12-5 (8-2 in duals).

Smith, who hails from St. Petersburg, Kan., also got a late start to his season – and then made the most of it. Smith locked up a spot at the national tournament by claiming true second place in the GPAC’s 157-pound bracket. Smith dropped his first match at the GPAC tournament before rattling off three wins in a row. His season record stands at 6-3. Smith has amassed 34 wins as a Bulldog (after transferring from Iowa Lakes Community College).

More details on the 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships can be found HERE. The event will be held March 3-4 in Park City, Kan.

Nationals Preview: Four Bulldogs ready to take mat at Hartman Arena

Feb. 27, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A new experience will greet four Concordia University Wrestling national qualifiers at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan., location of the NAIA Wrestling National Championships for the fourth-straight season. The 66th annual NAIA wrestling tournament will take place Friday and Saturday (March 3-4). The first session on Friday is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT with session II slated for a 6 p.m. start. Action will then resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday. A total of 280 wrestlers makes up this year’s field.

2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships

Friday-Saturday, March 3-4 | Hartman Arena (Park City, Kan.)
--Live Webcast: FloWrestling (first three sessions) | Championship matches broadcast on ESPN3
--Live Results: TrackWrestling
--Preliminary Brackets
--Buy Tickets

Each of Head Coach Chase Clasen’s national qualifiers will be underdogs in their first matches on Friday. The Bulldogs will send Creighton Baughman (141), Issiah Burks (165), Logan Davidson (184) and Tavoris Smith (157) onto the mats against seeded opponents. It will be the first taste of the NAIA national tournament for all four. However, Baughman garnered two All-America awards at the junior college level with Iowa Western Community College. Concordia’s entrants into the national tournament each qualified automatically thanks to their efforts at the GPAC Championships.

Burks emerged as one of the major stories of the conference tournament while winning the 165-pound title despite being seeded fifth. The native of Hemet, Calif., is currently tied with former teammate Mario Ybarra for No. 4 on the program’s all-time wins list with 76 victories. Meanwhile, Baughman owns a team high 23 wins on the season. The Papillion, Neb., native has been the team’s most consistent high achiever throughout the 2022-23 campaign. As for Davidson and Smith, both got a late start to their seasons and then seized their opportunities. Davidson made his collegiate wrestling debut at the Bulldog Duals on Dec. 17 after spending the fall as a member of Concordia’s football team. Smith took true second place at 157 pounds at the GPAC tournament and has notched 34 wins in his Bulldog career.

The NAIA attaches seed rankings to the top 16 qualifiers in each weight class. Each of the Concordia qualifiers are unseeded in their brackets. In the history of the program, 12 different individuals have combined for a total of 18 All-America awards. Ken Burkhardt Jr. is the only Bulldog to achieve All-America status three times while Andrew Schulte (2016) is the program’s first and only national champion. Both Ceron Francisco (2017) and Tanner Farmer (2020) were national runners up as heavyweights.

Concordia’s school record for national qualifiers in a season is 10, achieved by the 2014-15 and 2015-16 squads. From 2014 through 2018, the Bulldogs placed in the top 25 at the NAIA National Championships each year: 22nd in 2014, 12th in 2015, eighth in 2016, 15th in 2017 and 22nd in 2018. After finishing 26th in 2019, Concordia jumped back up to 15th in 2020. The eighth-place claim in 2016 remains the program’s highest ever finish at nationals. That particular team put three individuals on the podium.

Brackets were verified and approved by the NAIA-Wrestling Coaches Association Bracketing Committee. Previously, the 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining at-large qualifiers. Next, the 18-member committee along with three new oversight members determined the ranking order of each weight class. This was used as the basis for the Bracketing Committee and later verified. The championship matches of each class will be viewable via ESPN3.com.

2023 Concordia National Qualifiers

NOTE: Class listing reflects remaining athletic eligibility

Creighton Baughman, So. | 141 | Papillion, Neb.
*First nationals appearance (two-time JUCO All-American)
2022-23 Record: 23-8
NAIA National Seed: Unseeded
First match: vs. (2) Julian Hernandez, Life (Ga.)

Issiah Burks, Sr. | 165 | Hemet, Calif.
*First nationals appearance
2022-23 Record: 17-11
NAIA National Seed: Unseeded
First match: vs. (2) Marty Margolis, Grand View (Iowa)

Logan Davidson, Fr. | 184 | Goddard, Kan.
*First nationals appearance
2022-23 Record: 12-5
NAIA National Seed: Unseeded
First match: vs. (5) Asher Eichert, Life (Ga.)

Tavoris Smith, Sr. | 157 | St. Petersburg, Fla.
*First nationals appearance
2022-23 Record: 6-3
NAIA National Seed: Unseeded
First match: vs. (15) Aden Graves, Providence (Mont.)

Concordia All-Time All-Americans

Ken Burkhardt Jr. (2015, 2016, 2017)
Giovanni Castillo (2018)
Kodie Cole (2015, 2016)
Tanner Farmer (2020)
Ceron Francisco (2015, 2017)
Alberto Garcia (2019, 2020)
Adam Joseph (2012)
Austin Mogg (2014)
Andrew Schulte (2015, *2016)
Julian Silva (2012)
Jacob Williams (2012)
Mario Ybarra (2021)
*NAIA National Champion

Concordia top five all-time wins list

1. Ken Burkhardt Jr. – 122 (2013-17)
2. Ceron Francisco – 100 (2013-17)
3. Deandre Chery – 90 (2016-20)
4. Issiah Burks – 76 (2017-23)
4. Mario Ybarra – 76 (2018-22)

Three Bulldog wrestlers tabbed NAIA Scholar-Athletes

Mar. 2, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – As announced by the NAIA on Thursday (March 2), three Bulldogs from the Concordia University Wrestling program have been honored as 2022-23 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. That distinction has been placed upon Henry Gaertner, Anthony Perez and Jose Sanchez. Perez has earned Scholar-Athlete accolades for the second year in a row.

The 2022-23 list of NAIA wrestling honorees includes student-athletes from 58 institutions. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.

2022-23 Wrestling NAIA Scholar-Athletes

·        Henry Gaertner (Royal Oak, Mich.)

·        Anthony Perez (Redondo Beach, Calif.)

·        Jose Sanchez (Wylie, Texas)

Season of gains closes on day one of 2023 NAIA National Championships

Mar. 3, 2023

PARK CITY, Kan. – Four Bulldogs got their first taste of the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Park City, Kan., on Friday (March 3). While faced with mighty challenging draws at the tournament, Concordia wrestlers combined for four victories, including two upsets of seeded opponents. By day’s end, Creighton Baughman (141), Tavoris Smith (157), Issiah Burks (165) and Logan Davidson (184) each saw their seasons reach a conclusion.

While Head Coach Chase Clasen’s program will return without hardware, it knows it made major leaps forward in 2022-23. Ranked sixth in the GPAC in the preseason, the Bulldogs finished third in both the conference regular season standings and in the postseason. Their four national qualifiers were also an improvement from the two the program sent to Park City in 2022.

“For our program and our culture, the idea is to go into every tournament believing we’re No. 1,” Clasen said. “It doesn’t really matter what the seeds are. If we believe we’re the best in the bracket, then you have to beat everybody. You deal with what you’re dealt. I thought our guys battled in every single match. They left it all on the line. I’m obviously disappointed in the results. Everyone would like to have four national champions, but I really can’t be disappointed in the effort. I’m just very grateful I got to coach these guys.”

Baughman and Davidson ultimately finished two wins short of earning All-America status. A two-time All-American at the JUCO level, the Papillion, Neb., native Baughman competed for all seven minutes in a 3-2 loss at the hands of No. 2 Julian Hernandez of Life University (Ga.). It then became about survival on the back side as Baughman rattled off wins by decision over Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Dante Lopez, 8-3, and Eastern Oregon University’s 16th-ranked Jaxon Morlan, 5-1. Baughman was knocked out by St. Thomas University (Fla.)’s David Pierson, 2-0, in another tight defeat. In beating Morlan, Baughman avenged a defeat (by pin) from the regular season. Baughman closed out his first campaign as a Bulldog with 25 wins. Said Clasen, “I’m never worried about Creighton. He’ll be back.”

In returning for a sixth year as a member of the program, Burks realized a dream of qualifying for nationals. The 165-pound GPAC champion drew No. 2 seed Marty Margolis of Grand View University (Iowa) in the first round and was defeated by fall in 1:27. However, Burks didn’t go out empty-handed. On the back side of the bracket, the Hemet, Calif., native kept himself in the field by toppling Truett McConnell University (Ga.)’s Ian James, 12-9. That marked Burks’ first career national tournament win and the 77th overall victory (No. 4 in program history) as a Bulldog. In round two of the consolation bracket, Burks was eliminated by Baker University (Kan.)’s 16th-seeded Joey Hancock by a 10-3 decision.

Based on seeding, Davidson came through with Concordia’s most significant victory. The freshman from Goddard, Kan., shook off a loss via pin in his first match and upset 11th-seeded Michael Densmore of Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) in a consolation battle. In the next round, Davidson was pinned by No. 3 seed J.D. Perez of Ottawa University (Kan.). Also a member of the Bulldog Football team, Davidson collected 13 wins this season after making his collegiate wrestling debut in December.

One of three seniors honored on senior day, Smith earned his way to Park City by taking true second place in the GPAC at 157 pounds. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native had a short stay in the national tournament. Smith was pinned by 15th-seeded Aden Graves of Providence University (Mont.) in the third period of a first-round tussle. With his season on the line, Smith was defeated in a major decision, 10-0, by Kael Bunce of William Penn University (Iowa).

The four individual wins for Concordia accounted for 2.5 team points. That total puts the Bulldogs in a tie for 39th place in the NAIA. There were 50 programs that registered at least a half point on Friday. The 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will continue with sessions III and IV on Saturday. As for Concordia, it will carry momentum into the offseason while looking forward to bringing back the bulk of its roster in 2023-24.

Added Clasen, “This is just the foundation. We’re not even framing the house yet. We have a lot to look forward to. We’re focused on getting the right people here – people that want to be part of something big.”

Season-In-Review: Bulldogs exceed outside expectations in Clasen's debut campaign

Mar. 20, 2023

Concordia University Wrestling may not have won a banner in 2022-23, but it did make a statement with the way that it exceeded expectations. A recent NCAA Division II All-American himself, Chase Clasen took over the head coaching role and performed like a veteran leader. The Bulldogs shrugged off their preseason placement of sixth in the GPAC and displayed obvious growth on the mats. Clasen seemed to inject belief into his student-athletes – a belief that they belonged on the mat with anyone.

Clasen would tell anyone who asked that the expectations were high within the program, but the results were impressive considering that Concordia placed sixth in the GPAC a year earlier and qualified two wrestlers for nationals. In 2022-23, the Bulldogs vaulted up to third in the league and sent four representatives to the national tournament.

“I think it’s solid,” Clasen said of the foundation being put in place. “We have a bunch of leaders on the team. It wasn’t just me laying down the law. Our foundation is strong because the guys that we’ve got will help us build for the future. It doesn’t end with the four guys that qualified for nationals. We have another 25 guys in that room that are all working towards the same goal. Any time you have a group working towards the same goal, good things happen.”

The good things included a school record-tying 13 dual victories for the Bulldogs, who were dominant while hosting their own series of duals on Dec. 17. Then in January, Concordia enjoyed perhaps its most thrilling day of the season when it won all three conference duals in Sioux City, Iowa, on Jan. 28. The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Jamestown in locking up a third place GPAC finish. As the season progressed into the conference tournament, Issiah Burks upset his way to a GPAC championship as one of four Concordia grapplers to earn auto bids to the national tournament.

From an individual perspective, Burks’ story truly was a fairytale ending. Seeded fifth in the GPAC at 165 pounds, Burks looked like a man on a mission at the conference tournament in Crete. Burks defeated two nationally ranked opponents and was never seriously challenged in any of his four matches that weekend. A sixth-year member of the program, Burks wrestled at the national tournament on his birthday and rose to No. 4 on the program’s all-time wins list (77). As Clasen said at the time, “There was nobody in the country that was going to beat Issiah Burks this weekend. If this was in the national tournament, he would have been a national champion. When he’s on, he’s on.”

Burks (18-13) was one of four Bulldogs to record at least 15 wins on the season. The others were Creighton Baughman (25-10), Tommy Wentz (20-12) and Stephen Duffy (15-10). A two-time JUCO All-American, Baughman starred as the team’s most consistently excellent competitor. The Papillion, Neb., native spent the entire season ranked nationally at 141 pounds, took second place in the GPAC and won two matches at the national tournament. Baughman was joined at the national site in Park City, Kan., by Burks, Logan Davidson (184) and Tavoris Smith (157).

At the national tournament, Concordia was dealt immensely challenging draws. Clasen liked the way his Bulldogs attacked the challenge. Said Clasen, “Our guys battled tough. With the seeds, we went against some really tough wrestlers all those first-round matches. We went in prepared and battled as tough as we could. It didn’t end in our favor, but you can’t be disappointed when our guys are giving full effort. We laid it on the line. We didn’t get our hand raised at the end of the day, but I’m still proud of the effort and how we competed.”

Both Baughman and Davidson managed to knock off a seeded opponent on the national stage. That experience bodes well for next season when both will be back as top returners on the roster. Davidson made a name for himself after transitioning from football in the first semester to wrestling in the second semester. He added depth to a lineup that was well-suited for success in duals. In addition to names already mentioned, Clasen’s dual lineup often featured the likes of Bryce Karlin (125), Grant Wells (133), Jeaven Scdoris (149), Jose Sanchez (174) and Cy Renney (285). Collectively, they helped the Bulldogs pummel Colby Community College and York University on senior night, the same day the ’22-23 squad equaled the program’s dual wins record.

As Clasen stated that evening, “They’ve made a culture shift in their mindset. The improvement they’ve made from day one has been dramatic. I can’t imagine three or four years down the road because we’re so young. I know we tied the dual record for Concordia, but our guys aren’t satisfied. They want to break the record.”

The confidence Clasen exudes seemed to rub off on members of the team. In his mind, it’s just a matter of time before the Bulldogs are again competing for GPAC championships and making waves on the national stage. The Chadron State College alum doesn’t want to waste a moment. He’ll allow for just a slight breather in reflecting on the season that’s now in the books.

“It’s a 24/7 thought process for sure,” Clasen said. “That whole drive back from the national tournament, I was thinking of how we can beat Grand View. The job never really ends. The preparation for next year started as soon as our matches were over at the national tournament. We’re back at it and focusing on recruiting the best quality kids here that we can that have the same goals as us and will make Concordia proud.”

Clasen and assistant coach Tyree Cox have been hitting the recruiting trail in efforts to infuse additional talent into a roster that was fairly youthful in 2022-23. The 2023-24 squad appears on track to be as experienced as any the program has fielded since the 2019-20 season that yielded GPAC dual and tournament titles. The goal is for the Bulldogs to be able to go toe-to-toe with GPAC rivals and Doane and Morningside and to increase relevancy from a national standpoint.

Recruiting will obviously be critical to reaching those heights. “We set out this year to get the best quality kids that we can,” Clasen said. “We’re super proud of the guys we’ve got so far. We have a high school All-American coming in that was highly sought-after. We have a few other guys who were state placers and state qualifiers. We’re moving forward and getting the best quality kids. We want to get them on campus and show them what Concordia has to offer.”

Baughman, Sanchez honored by NWCA as Scholar All-Americans

Apr. 19, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Two Bulldogs represented the Concordia University Wrestling program on the honor roll released on Wednesday (April 19) by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). The organization recognized both Creighton Baughman and Jose Sanchez as 2023 NAIA Scholar All-Americans. Both Baughman and Sanchez have earned this award for the first time in their careers.

In order to receive the NWCA Scholar All-American award, student-athletes must meet one of the following criteria:

·        Must have a 3.0 GPA and be a 2023 NAIA All-American

·        Must have a 3.25 GPA and be a 2023 NAIA Qualifier

·        Must have a 3.5 GPA if they did not qualify for NAIA Nationals. MUST also have competed in at least 5 contests or the National Qualifying Conference Tournament.

A native of Papillion, Neb., Baughman proved to be a major addition to Head Coach Chase Clasen’s program. In his first season as a Bulldog (after transferring from Iowa Western Community College), Baughman went 25-10 overall, placed second in the GPAC at 141 pounds and qualified for the NAIA National Championships. Baughman spent the entire season ranked nationally within his weight class. While studying Computer Science, Baughman carries a spotless 4.0 GPA.

Named a 2022-23 NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Sanchez wrapped up his collegiate career this past season with a 12-16 overall record. Among his career highlights, the Wylie, Texas, native turned in GPAC tournament place finishes of fifth in 2021 (157) and fifth in 2022 (165). Sanchez collected a combined 38 wins during his time as a Bulldog. Sanchez is preparing to graduate with a degree in Business Administration.

As a team, Concordia Wrestling posted a 3.026 GPA towards the NWCA nomination process. That figure put the Bulldogs just outside of the top 15 nationally, as announced by the NWCA. The 2022-23 Concordia team equaled a program record for dual wins in a season (13) and placed third in the GPAC in both the regular season and at the conference tournament.