When peeling back the layers that made up the 2023-24 Concordia University Wrestling season, the program’s progress becomes more evident. Led by the example of senior Creighton Baughman, the Bulldogs made incremental gains while helping lay the foundation for future success under Head Coach Chase Clasen. There’s a hunger and a thirst for me in the aftermath of a national tournament featuring three Concordia competitors.
Clasen has completed two seasons at the helm of the program. As part of the vision for the future, Clasen expects to see Bulldogs ascending to the All-America podium. Important steps towards that vision were made this winter.
Says Clasen of the signs of progress, “A big one is our total amount of wins as a team. It was significantly higher. Our win rate was higher. Our bonus point percentage from major decisions, tech falls and pins was significantly higher. We preach in our program to go out there and get bonus points and score as many points as possible. That was really good to see. It means that guys are competing at a higher level. There were a lot of tournaments where we took 15 or more guys, and that was a rare thing for us the previous year. In every category, we moved in the right direction.”
When the dust settled, Concordia turned in 2023-24 conference place finishes of sixth in the regular season and fifth at the GPAC tournament. In addition, the Bulldogs went 8-7 overall in duals and placed 35th at the NAIA National Championships. Concordia was represented at the national tournament in Park City, Kan., by Baughman (141), Mason Garcia (197) and Tommy Wentz (165). A former JUCO All-American at Iowa Western Community College, Baughman completed an impressive two-year run as a Bulldog with a 33-8 record in 2023-24 and freshman Barret Brandt raised eyebrows with a school record 24 pins.
The addition of Baughman as a transfer (prior to the 2022-23 season) was a major jolt to the program in ways that will likely continue to be felt even as the Papillion, Neb., native moves on to the next chapter of his life. Baughman qualified for nationals in both of his seasons in the Bulldog singlet and captured 98 combined wins between his stays at Concordia and Iowa Western. Beyond the results on the mat, Baughman showed what an exemplary student-athlete looks like.
“He’s a very softspoken dude. It’s hard not to listen to him when he does talk,” Clasen said. “There were times this year when he spoke up, and that was huge for our team. One time that sticks out to me was at the Avila Duals. We had lost our first two duals and he ended up speaking up to the team. The message was to forget it and go out and wrestle your matches. It inspired our team, and we went on a three-match winning streak. It’s one thing to hear it from the coaches, but it’s different when it comes from that type of guy. Everyone really respects Creighton. He’s just a perfect representation of the type of athlete we want to mold our guys into. He shows up to class, does all of his homework and does all his work off the mat. He works hard and never has a gripe about what we’re doing. He’s a perfect representation of the characteristics we’re looking for.”
A rookie out of Syracuse, Neb., Brandt became the program’s new record holder for pins in a single season (previous standard of 21 by Alex Stepanek) on the same night that the Bulldogs celebrated their senior class. The 165-pounder Brandt came within an eyelash of earning an automatic bid to the national tournament. He nailed down pin Nos. 23 and 24 as part of a fourth-place finish at the conference tournament. There’s a bright future ahead for Brandt.
“You’re always hopeful that something like that will happen,” Clasen said. “To do that at such a young age – I don’t think any of us thought that would be the case. We were hoping. He’s a unique wrestler where he’s always seeking a fall, which is amazing. It makes my job a lot easier as a coach. I wish everybody wrestled like that. I think he needs to work on holding his position a little bit better, but he’s always looking for the fall. I can’t say that when we recruited him, we thought he would go out there and get 24 pins this season. I can’t say that.”
The national tournament appearances for Garcia (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) and Wentz (Fremont, Neb.) were feel-good stories as both reached the national stage for the first time in their careers. Meanwhile, Concordia celebrated the careers of seven seniors: TJ Allen, Baughman, Stephen Duffy, CJ Laabs, Dontario Norwood, Anthony Perez and Jeaven Scdoris. The likes of Allen, Baughman, Duffy and Scdoris were regulars in the dual lineup throughout the season.
From a dual perspective, one of the season’s more thrilling moments occurred at the Avila Duals in December when the Bulldogs knocked off 18th-ranked Baker University (Kan.), 28-23. The outcome came down to the heavyweight bout where Laabs pinned his counterpart. Other winners in that dual for Concordia were Grant Wells at 133, Baughman at 141, Brandt at 165, Duffy at 174 and Garret Moser at 184.
Among season highlights, it was hard to top the memorable wins for Garcia and Wentz inside Friedrich Arena at the GPAC tournament. While hosting the conference championships for the first time since 2016, Concordia Athletics put on a first-class event. The fireworks came when Wentz pinned the GPAC’s top seed at 165, Morningside’s 17th-ranked Zander Ernst, and Garcia wiped out Jamestown’s 22nd-ranked Jake Rau via fall.
“Qualifying for nationals is a big deal,” Clasen said. “We don’t get free walks to nationals. That’s how we like it. You should have to earn it. They went out and did it. We’re developing guys. They’re not just getting to nationals because they have a number next to their name. Our guys earn it the hard way. It’s a testament to their hard work. Both of those guys were upset with how they did at nationals, but they can’t hang their heads. To be a national qualifier puts you in the one percent. Now they want to be All-Americans. They’re working their butts off to make it happen.”
Another individual hoping to reach lofty heights next March is the Lincoln Lutheran product Grant Wells. He posted 20 wins as a sophomore this past season and will step into a larger leadership role in the room in 2024-25. Said Clasen of Wells, “He’s a guy I’m going to be relying on as a leader like what Creighton was doing. That’s going to be his role from now on. I’m going to be relying on him to be a little more vocal. That’s something we’re missing right now. We have a lot of guys who walk the walk, but we also need some who talk the talk. He’s going to be in a position to be a mentor for younger guys next season.”
The program began its offseason in early March and will continue to emphasize time in the weight room through the spring semester. The Bulldogs have been coming in regularly at 6 a.m. for workouts since the end of the season. Clasen and assistant coach Tyree Cox continue to put the finishing touches on next season’s roster while working to wrap up the incoming recruiting class. Clasen likes the combination of state qualifiers, state place finishers and transfers that will join the program.
April through October are the behind-the-scenes months for collegiate wrestling. It’s a time when the best wrestlers can separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
“If you want to be the best, you have to be doing what the best are doing and the best are training year-round,” Clasen said. “This isn’t a thing where you punch a clock once the season starts. It’s something we’ve been talking about since the season ended. It’s a championship lifestyle and that involves doing the right things off the mat. Don’t do anything that’s going to get you in trouble or reflect poorly on the program. You have to show up, do your lifts and all those things. Focusing on academics is a huge part of it. You have to go out there and actually live that championship style. It’s one thing to say, but you have to live it.”