MITCHELL, S.D. – The second weekend of the 2025-26 campaign saw seven Bulldogs make their season debuts in action that took place in Mitchell, S.D. Two individuals represented Concordia University, Nebraska Wrestling with tournament place finishes at the Dakota Wesleyan University Open: Gabe Kant (third place at heavyweight) and Cole Price (sixth place at 165). The ten Bulldogs who took to the mats combined for 18 wins on Saturday (Nov. 8).
A week earlier, 16 Concordia competitors (mostly underclassmen) got the season started at the Friends Falcon Open. Head Coach Josh Watt’s squad (ranked No. 16 in the NAIA) is just beginning to take shape.
“Today was a lot of up and down,” Watts said. “We had a few guys who stood out. Gabe Kant wrestled really well. He went into overtime three or four times and really gutted out some good wins. Cole Price finished in the top six and wrestled extremely well. I thought Cal Price showed a good deal of improvement from last week to this week. With the rest of the guys, it was kind of a rollercoaster ride. We need to get back to work and keep improving.”
A junior who transferred from Labette Community College, Kant has already stacked seven wins this season. The Augusta, Kan., native went 5-1 on Saturday and was a semifinalist at heavyweight. Kant won twice in sudden victory and earned a first-period pin of Braden Shamp of MSU Moorhead. Kant was able to sew up third place with a pin (4:01) in his final bout on Saturday. He is ranked No. 19 in the NAIA at 285.
At 165, returning national qualifier Cole Price put together a strong day that featured four wins. He dominated his way through the first two rounds (pin and tech fall) before losing by decision. Price rebounded with two victories before finishing with an 8-3 defeat. Price won 21 matches last season for the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs with multiple wins at DWU Open:
· 285 – Gabe Kant: 5-1 (third place)
· 165 – Cole Price: 4-2 (sixth place)
· 197 – Barret Brandt: 2-2
· 141 – Cal Price: 2-2
Two other Concordia grapplers picked up two wins apiece: Barret Brandt (2-2 at 197) and Cal Price (2-2 at 141). Both of Cal Price’s wins came via pin while Brandt notched one of his own. Another five Bulldogs emerged with one victory each at the DWU Open: Stevie Barnes (141), Francisco Mendez (165), Evan Sepanlou (165), Hunter Weimer (174) and Grant Wells (133). The tournament marked the second outing for Kant, Mendez and Cal Price. The national runner up last season at 149, Hagen Heistand is still waiting to make his first appearance of 2025-26.
Said Watts, “We had some guys drop down to a lower weight class than they wrestled last year. We’re going to evaluate that and see if that’s something we want to continue or move back up. We have a lot to figure out and work on, but it’s early in the season. We’ll make the adjustments we need to make.”
The season’s first dual is coming up on Thursday (Nov. 13) when Hastings will make a visit to Friedrich Arena. The action is set to start at 7 p.m. CT. This past 2024-25 season, the Bulldogs went 6-2 in GPAC duals with a 33-22 victory at Hastings included in that record.