PARK CITY, Kan. – Day two at the 2026 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships yielded a series of frustrating moments. The final remaining Bulldogs were eliminated from the national field in Session IV, dashing hopes of podium place finishes. Three competitors from Concordia University, Nebraska Wrestling advanced to Friday (March 6)’s evening session: Paul Ruff (133), Hagen Heistand (157) and Barret Brandt (184). A total of nine Bulldogs qualified for the NAIA Championships held at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kan.
Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad amassed 23.5 team points, which put it in 19th place at the conclusion of day two action. The results leave Concordia balancing this weekend’s disappointments with the reality of an altogether successful season.
Said Watts, “The guys competed hard. I can’t complain with the effort. They weren’t shying away from competition, and they were aggressive. I have to evaluate things.”
Five Bulldogs survived day one of the national tournament. The group included Stevie Barnes (141) and Torrance Keehn (197), in addition the three competitors already mentioned. Ultimately, Ruff, Heistand and Brandt each finished one win shy of garnering All-America accolades. The team’s other four qualifiers were Cal Price (149), Cole Price (165), Hunter Weimer (174) and Gabe Kant (285).
Ruff was more competitive on Friday than the final results would indicate – two losses by fall. Up against the No. 1 seed, Southeastern University (Fla.)’s Aaron Lucio, in the 133-pound quarterfinals, Ruff engaged in a 0-0 stalemate into the third period. The pin for Lucio came at the 6:50 mark. With his season on the line in consolation round four, Ruff picked up an early takedown of Doane’s third-ranked Matthew Terrence before being pinned in the second period. Ruff finished his first season as a Bulldog at 15-4 after going 2-2 at the national tournament.
It was a tough day for Heistand, the 2025 NAIA national runner up at 149 pounds. The Dow City, Iowa, native was dominant on day one, winning both matches by technical fall on his way to the 157-pound quarterfinals. A late takedown allowed No. 4 Bryce Boumans of Grand View University (Iowa) to claim a 4-1 victory that bumped Heistand to the consolation bracket. Then in an elimination match with Southern Oregon University’s No. 7 Avant Stepherson, Heistand held a 1-0 lead when he got caught in an unfortunate position from he which he couldn’t escape. Stepherson got the pin in 4:42. A GPAC champion, Heistand enjoyed a stellar season that featured a 22-3 record.
A pinning machine, Brandt went 3-2 at the national tournament with two of his wins coming via fall. Brandt supplied Friday’s one feel-good moment when he pinned Georgetown College (Ky.)’s Doug Dittmer (4:15) in consolation round three. The pin increased Brandt’s career total to 50, drawing him even with Deandre Chery for the program’s all-time career record. In Session IV, Brandt was defeated in a major decision, 13-4, by No. 2 Kendall Norfleet of Life University (Ga.). Brandt went 21-10 with a team-high 15 pins. The Syracuse, Neb., native will have to wait until next season to break Concordia’s pins record.
Session III of the NAIA Championships marked the end of the journey for Barnes and Keehn, both of whom won on Thursday in consolation rounds one and two. The competition stiffened on Friday morning. Barnes was eliminated by 16th-seeded Drew Jones of Southeastern by an 8-3 final score. Meanwhile, Keehn battled to the wire in consolation round three with fourth-seeded Elijah Hynes of Missouri Valley College. One takedown was enough to lift Hynes to a 4-2 win over Keehn. A senior from Beatrice, Neb., Keehn made back-to-back appearances at nationals to conclude a strong career.
In addition to sending nine wrestlers to nationals, the Bulldogs placed second in the GPAC in both the regular season and postseason. Concordia went 8-1 (7-1 GPAC) in dual meets and also earned the program’s highest ever place finish at the Missouri Valley Invite (fourth). For his work in building up the program, Watts was recognized as the GPAC Coach of the Year.