HASTINGS, Neb. – Only two matches went the full seven minutes on a Thursday (Nov. 12) night characterized by authoritative individual victories. Despite winning three times with bonus points, Concordia University, Nebraska Wrestling fell in its 2026-27 season opening dual, 32-16, at Hastings. The host Broncos triumphed in seven matches, including five by technical fall or pin. They earned their first dual win over the Bulldogs since the 2021-22 season.
Head Coach Isaiah Crosby and his team will attempt to grow while still early in the new campaign.
“We’re a young team,” Crosby said. “We had four freshmen in the lineup tonight. We need to rely on our training and fall back on what we do best. When we got tired, we kind of dove in for shots, and that’s not what we do. It comes with more repetition and doing things the right way. I’m very happy with how Cal Price, Evan Sepanlou and Ramon Arredondo competed.”
Concordia registered its first team points at 149 pounds, where Cal Price got his junior season underway. The reigning GPAC champion struck for an early takedown of Cameron Wilson and then nailed him to the mat after just 40 seconds had elapsed. In doing so, the La Vista, Neb., native Price backed up his preseason ratings of first in the GPAC and No. 16 nationally.
Back-to-back tech falls at 174 and 184 kept hopes alive for a Bulldog team victory. A junior from Palmdale, Calif., Concordia’s Evan Sepanlou manhandled Leron Bursey, rattling off six takedowns before ending the match early (19-3) in the third period. Sepanlou then passed the baton to Ramon Arredondo at 184. A junior from Fresno, Calif., Arredondo recorded four takedowns and a total of eight back points. Arredondo capped the match with a 20-3 score in the middle of the second period.
The four freshmen in Thursday’s lineup were Frost Wallace (133), Daniel Steffensen (157), Jacob Schipper (197) and Aidan Summa (285). Both Steffensen and Summa drew nationally ranked opponents and returning national qualifiers in the form of Hastings’ No. 16 Jordan Tobias at 157 and No. 2 Koen Mattern at heavyweight. It took Tobias 4:18 to earn the pin while Mattern, the reigning national runner up at 285, earned the fall in 1:32.
Elsewhere, junior Gabe Lujan (125), senior Aidan Trowbridge (141) and junior Simon Arredondo (165) also held down spots in Concordia’s lineup. Lujan battled to an 11-6 defeat to open the evening.
Added Crosby, “I’m happy with some of the guys who lost who fought and didn’t give up. This was a learning experience being our first dual of the season.”
Hastings improved its dual mark to 1-1. The Broncos dropped a dual at Graceland University (Iowa), 28-19, on Nov. 5. Hastings boasts five wrestlers ranked at the conference level.
Crosby expects the entire roster to take part in Saturday’s Grand View Open. The action is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m. CT from the RecPlex in West Des Moines, Iowa. It will mark the second of six regular season tournaments during the 2026-27 season.