2023 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Scholar All-Americans
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.