GRIMES, Iowa – Eighteen Bulldogs represented the Concordia University Wrestling program at the 2023 Grand View University Open held in Grimes, Iowa, on Saturday (Nov. 11). Freshman Barret Brandt continued to stack pins while placing fifth in the freshman/sophomore division within his 165-pound weight class. Brandt was one of 11 Bulldogs with multiple wins on the day and one of 13 Concordia competitors with at least one victory at the tournament.
This was the second tournament of the season for Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad, which also owns one dual victory. Said Clasen, “Our guys battled tough, and we know what we need to work on. Highlights of the day were Grant Wells and Barret Brandt both placing. We won a lot more matches at this tournament compared to a year ago.”
The Syracuse, Neb., native Brandt pushed his overall season record to 11-2 with each of the 11 wins having come via fall. In Saturday’s action, Brandt wiped out three NAIA foes and a pair of junior college opponents. As for Wells, a Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, he came away with four contested wins, one of which was a technical fall over St. Ambrose University (Iowa)’s Jacob Alexander. Wells placed sixth in the freshman/sophomore division of the tournament.
Ten Bulldogs tested themselves in the ultra-competitive open division of the Grand View Open. Tommy Wentz (165) and Stephen Duffy (174) reached the quarterfinals in their weight classes. Ranked 10th nationally at 141 pounds, Creighton Baughman went 2-2. His losses came at the hands of an opponent from Iowa State University and from a Grand View foe.
Below is the list of Concordia grapplers who turned in multiple wins at the Grand View Open. Following the five wins for Brandt and the four for Wells, Jeaven Scdoris (157) claimed a trio of victories. Eight Bulldogs notched exactly two wins. Concordia wrestlers combined for a total of 30 wins throughout the long day in central Iowa.
Multiple wins at Grand View Open:
· 125 – Martim Moniz (2-2)
· 133 – Grant Wells (4-2); sixth place in fresh/soph division
· 141 – Creighton Baughman (2-2)
· 141 – Bryce Karlin (2-2)
· 157 – Jeaven Scdoris (3-2)
· 165 – Barret Brandt (5-1); fifth place in fresh/soph division
· 165 – Tommy Wentz (2-2)
· 174 – Torrance Keehn (2-1)
· 184 – Sean Duffy (2-2)
· 197 – Mason Garcia (2-2)
· 285 – Cy Renney (2-2)
The Bulldogs will be in action again next Friday and Saturday. In resuming GPAC dual action, Concordia will host Hastings (0-0) at 7 p.m. CT on Nov. 17. The Bulldogs are 1-0 after having blown out Midland, 45-6, in the season opener on Nov. 1. In last season's meeting with the Broncos, Concordia earned a 36-10 win in Hastings.