Program History Made In Latest National Rankings
MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/15/14)—Concordia continues to reap the rewards of their runner-up finish at the NWCA National Dual Meet. The Cobbers jumped four places in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association poll and are now ranked No.2 in the country.
The second-place ranking is the highest in program history and it is the highest for any Concordia athletic team since the 1988-89 season when the women's basketball team started the year ranked first in all of Division III. It also marks the first time that the Cobbers have been ranked higher than perennial national power, and in-state rival, Augsburg.
Concordia went 3-1 at last weekend's NWCA National Dual Meet held in Des Moines, Iowa and is now 9-2 in dual meets this season. The Cobbers beat No.11-ranked UW- La Crosse to start the invite then downed No.3-ranked Wabash (Ind.) in the quarterfinals. Concordia beat No.2-ranked Augsburg 21-15 in the semifinals before falling to No.1-ranked Wartburg in the championship match.
The Cobbers were led by senior Jake Long who went 4-0 at the dual meet. He is currently one of four CC wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their weight division. Long is ranked third at 149 and owns an 18-7 record on the season. His 18 wins ties for the most on the team and he has a six-match winning streak.
The nationally-ranked newcomer for Concordia is sophomore Jacoby Bergeron. Bergeron went from unranked last week to being the No.3 wrestler in the country at 133. He is 18-6 on the season and has won nine of his last 10 matches. His only loss during that stretch came against Kenny Anderson of Wartburg who is currently ranked No.1 in the weight class.
Kyle LeDuc continues to be ranked in the top 10. He has been in the national rankings all season long and is currently ranked 10th at 157. LeDuc is 18-7 for 2013-14 and went 2-2 at the national dual meet.
Senior Cody Kasprick is the final member of the Cobber nationally-ranked quartet. Kasprick continues his stay in the top 5 at 285. He is ranked fourth in the weight class with a 15-8 record. His only losses on the year have come at the hands of NCAA Division I or II athletes or wrestlers ranked above him in the DIII national poll.
Concordia will host No.4-ranked Augsburg on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. The Cobbers leapfrogged the Auggies in the national rankings after beating them at the national duals. The competition will mark the first time Concordia has hosted Augsburg in a straight-up dual meet since 1989-90.
NWCA Division III Top 25 Poll (Jan. 15, 2014)
1. Wartburg College (IA) (9-0)
2. Concordia College – Moorhead (MN) (9–2)
3. UW – Whitewater (9–3)
4. Augsburg College (MN) (5–2)
5. Wabash College (IN) (7–2)
6. Wilkes University (PA) (13–3)
7. Luther College (IA) (11–4)
8. Messiah College (PA) (13–2)
9. Olivet College (MI) (10–5)
10. Cortland State (NY) (7–3)
11. Mount Union (OH) (6–4)
12. Coe College (IA) (8–3)
13. Ithaca College (NY) (7–2)
14. UW – La Crosse (7–3)
15. Johnson & Wales University (RI) (7–1)
16. Roger Williams University (RI) (5–0)
17. SUNY Brockport (1–0)
18. Cornell College (IA) (7–2)
19. Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) (6–3)
20. Springfield College (MA) (1–2)
21. Ursinus College (PA) (7–0)
22. Saint John's University (MN) (7–8)
23. Heidelberg College (OH) (7–8)
24. Thiel College (PA) (7–4)
25. Alma College (MI) (6–2)
26. Wheaton College (IL) (7–1)
27. Augustana College (IL) (10–3)
28. University of Dubuque (IA) (4–3)
29. Rhode Island College (9–1)
30. The College of New Jersey (3-4)