SEWARD, Neb. – Now three tournaments and two duals into the 2020-21 season, the Concordia University Wrestling team is ready to make its first home appearance of the campaign. A week after a 38-7 win at Midland, the Bulldogs will welcome Morningside to Friedrich Arena for a 7 p.m. CT dual on Thursday. Head Coach Levi Calhoun’s squad also entered 10 competitors into this past weekend’s Doane Open.
Calhoun has been away from the program as he and his family continue to mourn the loss of Joan Calhoun, the mother of Levi. Assistant Coach Tyree Cox will lead the team into Thursday’s dual in the absence of Calhoun, the 2019-20 GPAC Coach of the Year.
The matchup on Thursday features teams ranked third (Concordia) and fifth (Morningside) in the initial GPAC rankings of 2020-21. The Bulldogs (2-0 GPAC) have run their GPAC dual win streak to 10 courtesy of victories over Dakota Wesleyan and Midland. Concordia owns an impressive conference record of 43-4 since the start of the 2014-15 season. The program’s longest GPAC win streak during that stretch was 22. Also over that timeframe, the Bulldogs have put together four separated undefeated conference seasons.
So far this season, three Concordia wrestlers have reached double figures in wins: freshman Jacob Telles (15-4), freshman Mason Garcia (11-4) and junior Issiah Burks (11-4). Five others have totaled five or more victories: T.J. Huber (8-7), Mario Ybarra (7-1), Jeaven Scdoris (7-7), Jose Sanchez (6-6) and Carter Willis (5-9). At the Doane Open, Garcia placed fourth at 197 and Telles took fifth at 285. Thursday’s dual lineup will feature many of these aforementioned names. Ranked third nationally at 133, Ybarra has won seven-straight matches.
This will be the season opening dual for Morningside, which last season went 6-2 in conference duals. Jake Stevenson is in his ninth season leading the Mustangs, who shared the GPAC regular-season title with Concordia in 2018-19. Morningside boasts seven ranked wrestlers at the conference level. At 149 pounds, John Diener is ranked first in the GPAC and 13th in the NAIA. Among the probable starters for Thursday, Diener and Jonah Egli (174) are returning national qualifiers.
The Bulldogs will have the weekend off from competition. Next up on the schedule are the Concordia Bulldog Duals on Saturday, Dec. 19. The slate for that date has not yet been finalized.
Probable Lineups
Concordia (2-1, 2-0 GPAC)
125 – Carter Willis (5-9)
133 – Mario Ybarra (7-1) / Jeremiah Sistek (2-7)
141 – Mario Ybarra (7-1) / Jeremiah Sistek (2-7)
149 – Jeaven Scdoris (7-7)
157 – Issiah Burks (11-5)
165 – Gabe Crawford (1-2)
174 – T.J. Huber (8-7)
184 – Oscar Ramirez-Garcia (3-6)
197 – Mason Garcia (11-4)
285 – Jacob Telles (15-4)
Morningside (0-0)
125 – Evan Shell (4-2)
133 – Taylor Vazquez (0-0)
141 – Noah Styskal (4-2)
149 – Brandon Mills (0-0)
157 – John Diener (3-1)
165 – Caleb Connor (4-2) / Kory Van Oort (3-2)
174 – Jonah Egli (0-0) / Tim Sibbel (0-2)
184 – Open
197 – Kasten Grape (3-1)
285 – Derrell Zagurski (4-2)
Ranked Competitors
Concordia
133 – Mario Ybarra – GPAC: 1st | NAIA: 3rd
141 – Jeaven Scdoris – GPAC: 3rd
157 – Issiah Burks – GPAC: 3rd
157 – Tavoris Smith – GPAC: 6th
165 – Gabe Crawford – GPAC: 2nd | NAIA: 14th
174 – Jace Summers – GPAC: 3rd
197 – Mason Garcia – GPAC: 5th
285 – Jacob Telles – GPAC: 4th
Morningside
125 – Evan Shell – GPAC: 6th
133 – Taylor Vasquez – GPAC: 6th
149 – John Diener – GPAC: 1st | NAIA: 13th
149 – Noah Styskal – GPAC: 6th
157 – Kory Van Oort – GPAC: 4th
184 – Kaimana McCreadie – GPAC: 2nd
285 – Derrell Zagurski – GPAC: 6th