Preseason Rankings: GPAC | NAIA
SEWARD, Neb. – Despite finishing last season in third place in the GPAC, the Concordia University Wrestling team landed at No. 6 in the official 2023-24 GPAC preseason poll released by the NAIA on Tuesday (Oct. 17). Eight Bulldogs were ranked individually within the top six of the GPAC in their respective weight classes. In the national rankings that were also released this week, Creighton Baughman represented Concordia with a No. 10 NAIA ranking at 141 pounds.
Head Coach Chase Clasen is about to enter his second year at the helm of the program. His first season saw the Bulldogs surpass expectations as they equaled a program record for most dual wins in a season (13) and placed third in the GPAC for both the regular season and postseason.
Concordia’s ranked wrestlers at the conference level are listed below. Baughman will begin 2023-24 at No. 2 in the GPAC after finishing as the 141-pound conference runner up this past season. In addition, Jeaven Scdoris (third at 157) and Brent Ward (fourth at 157) are ranked inside the top four in the GPAC. Baughman stands as the program’s lone returning national qualifier out of the four Bulldogs who reached the 2023 national stage.
Based on where the Concordia individual wrestlers landed in the rankings, the Bulldogs earned 101 points towards the GPAC poll. The top five in the poll are Morningside (180), Doane (177), Briar Cliff (144), Dakota Wesleyan (108) and Northwestern (107).
Concordia wrestlers with GPAC rankings
125 – Aidan Trowbridge: 6th
141 – Creighton Baughman: 2nd
157 – Jeaven Scdoris: 3rd
157 – Brent Ward: 4th
165 – Tommy Wentz: 5th
174 – Sean Duffy: 6th
184 – Garret Moser: 5th
285 – Cy Renney: 6th
Concordia will open the 2023-24 season on Nov. 1 when it is slated to host Midland in a GPAC dual. The complete schedule can be found HERE.