SEWARD, Neb. – The postseason has arrived across the NAIA wrestling landscape. Twelve Bulldogs will enter the 2026 GPAC Wrestling Championships with hopes of securing bids to the NAIA National Championships. This year’s conference tournament will be hosted by Northwestern inside the DeWitt Physical Fitness Center on Friday and Saturday. The GPAC Championships feature two separate sessions with conference champions to be crowned on day two. Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad finished the regular season in second place in the GPAC standings.
2026 GPAC Wrestling Championships
Session I – Friday, Feb. 20, 2 p.m.
Session II – Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.
DeWitt Physical Fitness Center | Orange City, Iowa
--Live Streaming: GPAC Network
--Live Results: Track Wrestling
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
Overview
• The GPAC Championships are back in Orange City for the first time since 2019. A year ago, the conference tournament was hosted by Hastings and saw Concordia place third as a team (149.5 points) behind Doane (218) and Morningside (153.5). The following Bulldogs earned place finishes within their respective weight classes: Bryce Karlin (fifth at 133), Creighton Baughman (first at 141), Stevie Barnes (fourth at 149), Hagen Heistand (second at 149), Cole Price (second at 157), Brent Ward (third at 165), Tommy Wentz (second at 165), Barret Brandt (fourth at 184), Hunter Weimer (third at 184), Torrance Keehn (fifth at 197) and Mason Garcia (fourth at 285). Baughman became the 17th wrestler in Concordia history to win a GPAC title (20 total individual GPAC championships in program history). As a team, the Bulldogs’ most recent GPAC tournament title came in 2020. Concordia has won four region/GPAC titles since the 2014-15 season.
• A dominant run at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 on Feb. 7 pushed the Bulldogs up to second in the official conference rankings. At the duals event hosted by Doane, Concordia defeated Northwestern, 42-5, Morningside, 35-6, and Dakota Wesleyan, 32-16. Watts’ squad completed its 2025-26 dual schedule with an 8-1 overall record (7-1 GPAC). In the GPAC individual ratings, eight Bulldogs are ranked second in their respective weight classes. Both Hagen Heistand and Cole Price were conference finalists last season and will attempt to rise to the top of the podium in this go-round. The list of Concordia competitors aiming for return trips to the NAIA national tournament are Stevie Barnes, Barret Brandt, Heistand, Torrance Keehn, Price and Hunter Weimer. Heistand made waves last season by placing as the national runner up at 149.
• Entering the conference tournament, there are 10 Bulldogs who have claimed at least 10 wins on the season: Cole Price (26-7), Gabe Kant (18-6), Hagen Heistand (16-1), Barret Brandt (16-7), Torrance Keehn (14-3), Gabe Lujan (13-14), Hunter Weimer (12-10), Paul Ruff (11-1), Stevie Barnes (11-5) and Cannon Carey (11-6). As a major statistical note, Brandt has pushed his career pin total to 46, four shy of the school record of 50 by Deandre Chery (2016-20). A two-time NJCAA All-American, Cole Price has piled up 47 wins over his two seasons as a Bulldog.
• Concordia stands at No. 16 in the official NAIA team national ratings. It’s a spot the Bulldogs have landed at in three separate ratings releases during the 2025-26 season. Concordia boasts six individuals ranked at the national level: Paul Ruff (seventh at 133), Hagen Heistand (eighth at 157), Cole Price (17th at 165), Barret Brandt (13th at 184), Torrance Keehn (22nd at 197) and Gabe Kant (10th at 285).
• On Feb. 12, the NAIA announced national tournament allocations per conference. Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season rating, which can be seen HERE. Each conference is awarded automatic berths based on the number of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Every conference receives a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will be awarded to the tournament champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season rating. If a conference does not have an individual ranked in the top 25 an allocation will be deducted from the seven national at-large at that weight class. The GPAC was awarded 25 total allocations.
• Heading into the conference tournaments, the GPAC teams are ranked in the following order: Doane (216), Concordia (183), Dakota Wesleyan (133), Morningside (91), Briar Cliff (88), Hastings (64), Midland (56), Northwestern (46) and Waldorf (13). Doane captured the regular season title and will take aim at its third GPAC tournament championship in four years.
GPAC Rankings – Concordia Wrestlers
133 – Paul Ruff: 2nd
141 – Steven Barnes: 2nd
149 – Cal Price: 6th
157 – Hagen Heistand: 2nd
165 – Cole Price: 2nd
165 – Cannon Carey: 5th
174 – Hunter Weimer: 5th
174 – Evan Sepanlou: 6th
184 – Barret Brandt: 2nd
197 – Torrance Keehn: 2nd
285 – Gabe Kant: 2nd
285 – Jeremiah Vasquez: 2nd
2025 GPAC Champions
125 – Hunter Bennett, Doane
133 – Matthew Terrence, Doane
141 – Creighton Baughman, Concordia
149 – Nathan Lendt, Doane
157 – Ben Miller, Doane
165 – Blaine Christo, Morningside
174 – Alex Vandyke, Morningside
184 – Tyson Beauperthuy, Doane
197 – Bradley Antesberger, Doane
285 – Koen Mattern, Hastings
All-time Concordia GPAC Champions
Matt Atwood – 184 (2016)
Enrique Barajas – 149 (2015)
Creighton Baughman – 141 (2025)
Issiah Burks – 165 (2023)
Giovanni Castillo – 133 (2018)
Kodie Cole – 133 (2015)
Deandre Chery – 174 (2018); 174 (2019)
Gabe Crawford – 157 (2020)
Tanner Farmer – 285 (2020)
Ceron Francisco – 285 (2016); 285 (2017)
Adam Joseph – 133 (2012)
Kirk Kalisezweski – 165 (2017)
Junior Lule – 157 (2016)
Robert Rivera – 133 (2014)
Andrew Schulte – 141 (2015); 141 (2016)
Jacob Telles – 285 (2021)
Mario Ybarra – 125 (2020)
The 69th annual NAIA Wrestling National Championship is slated to play out March 5-7 at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kan., where the event was first held in 2020. Automatic qualifiers for the national championships will be known at the conclusion of the conference tournaments. Concordia traveled eight wrestlers to Park City in 2025.
GPAC Wrestling Programs
Briar Cliff
Head Coach: Donaco Watts, 2nd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 6-5 overall, 4-4 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Jarrod Gilliam (20th at 133); Dante Rigal (22nd at 133).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 5th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Concordia
Head Coach: Josh Watts, 2nd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 8-1 overall, 7-1 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Paul Ruff (seventh at 133); Hagen Heistand (eighth at 157); Cole Price (17th at 165); Barret Brandt (13th at 184); Torrance Keehn (22nd at 197); Gabe Kant (10th at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 2nd
GPAC Postseason Championships: 4 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020)
Dakota Wesleyan
Head Coach: Martin Mueller, 3rd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 6-8 overall, 5-3 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Kipp Cordes (19th at 133); Jackson Remmers (22nd at 165); Jagger Tyler (14th at 174); Teagan Foreman (16th at 174).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 3rd
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Doane
Head Coach: Dana Vote, 7th season
2025-26 Dual Record: 10-3 overall, 8-0 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Ray Ray Harris (1st at 125); Isaac Gibbs (19th at 125); Matthew Terrence (fifth at 133); Benjamin Miller (third at 157); Jake Prudek (25th at 174); Tyson Beauperthuy (first at 184); Jaren Jackson (10th at 197).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 1st
GPAC Postseason Championships: 3 (2022, 2024, 2025)
Hastings
Head Coach: Trey Heckadon, 3rd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 3-5 overall, 3-5 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Koen Mattern (17th at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 6th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Midland
Head Coach: Doyle Trout, 3rd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 1-8 overall, 1-7 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Nate McDonald (16th at 184); Zeph Sivels (third at 285).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 7th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 1 (2018)
Morningside
Head Coach: Rulin Pederson, 3rd season
2025-26 Dual Record: 6-4 overall, 4-4 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Caden Eggleston (ninth at 149); Zander Ernst (third at 165).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 4th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 5 (2011, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2023)
Northwestern
Head Coach: Rik Dahl, 18th season
2025-26 Dual Record: 4-5 overall, 3-5 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: Noah Parmelee (10th at 141).
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 8th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0
Waldorf
Head Coach: Joe Lupton, 1st season
2025-26 Dual Record: 1-10 overall, 1-7 GPAC
Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: None.
Current GPAC Team Ranking: 9th
GPAC Postseason Championships: 0 (2nd season as a GPAC member)