A Pair Of All-Americans And Another Top 15 Finish

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (3/15/14)—Jacoby Bergeron and Jake Long wound up in the top 7 of their weight class and helped Concordia record its fifth straight top 15 finish at the NCAA National Meet. Bergeron claimed sixth place at 133 while Long was seventh at 149 as the Cobbers wound up in 12th place in the final team standings.

The pair both posted a single win on Day 2 of the national championship meet and helped Concordia earn 28.5 total team points. That total is seven points better than last year's 13th-place finish. The seven Cobber wrestlers all had at least one win at the meet and combined to record 14 wins which is a school record for victories at the NCAA Meet. The old record was 13 set back in 2011 when the team finishes in seventh place. 


- Head Coach Matt Nagel Post-NCAA Interview (2:33)

- Jacoby Bergeron Post-NCAA Interview (2:03)

- Jake Long Post-NCAA Interview (2:20)


Bergeron's win on Saturday came in the very first match of the day when scored a 6-4 decision over Silas Murray of Rhode Island College. Bergeron started the match by gaining a takedown in the first period and then appeared to get Murray on his back to score an additional two points. The Rhode Island coaching staff challenged the back-points call and the video review overturned the 2-point decision.

The wrestlers would then grind through two-plus periods with the score tied at 4-4 heading into the final minute of the third period. Bergeron kept on the offensive and was rewarded with a match-winning takedown with less than 30 seconds left in the match. Bergeron was then able to stay on top in the final seconds and ride out the 6-4 decision.

Unfortunately that w ould be the final win of the meet for Bergeron. He lost 6-5 to No.2-seeded Ryan O'Boyle in the match to get into the third-place bout. Bergeron earned a takedown in the second period to tie the match with O'Boyle at 3-3 but then O'Boyle got an escape and took down Bergeron before the start of the third period. Bergeron got an escape to start the third period but could never get the match-deciding takedown. O'Boyle was given a one-point penalty for stalling in the final seconds but Bergeron couldn't earn another point to tie the match.

Bergeron finished off his NCAA Meet by coming full circle and losing 10-4 to Jimmy Nehls of UW-Whitewater. Bergeron started the national meet on Friday by squaring off against Nehls in the Round of 16.

Bergeron finishes the 2014 season with a 29-11 overall record. His 29 victories are the second highest total on the team.

Long saved his best for last on Saturday. Long entered the day needing only one win to record his 30th win of the season and become only the 16th wrestler to reach that milestone mark for a single season.

Long was denied the opportunity for his 30th win in the first match of the day when he lost to No.7-seeded Vincent Fava of Delaware Valley. The defining moment in the match came at the start of the third period when Long was in the "down" position to start the period and then gave up three back points trying to get the escape. Long eventually escaped and was awarded a point for stalling but eventually lost 6-5.

Long earned his milestone season victory in the final match of his Concordia career. He set the tone early against Nick Drendel of Dubuque early when he drove forward for a takedown. The referees reviewed the takedown and Long was given the points. That video challenge came seconds after Cobber head coach Matt Nagel made a similar challenge on a takedown from Drendel. The referees reversed their call on that takedown and the match was set back to 0-0 before Long earned the first points of the bout. The wrestlers traded escapes at the start of the second and third periods and Long was given a point for riding time to record the 6-3 win.

The win pushed Long's season record to 30-11 on the year. He becomes the 16th wrestler in school history to win 30 matches in a single season and he is the sixth in the past four years. Long finishes his Cobber career with a 78-22 record.

NCAA National Meet - Individual Results for Concordia
133 - Jacoby Bergeron (29-11) placed 6th and scored 7.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jimmy Nehls (UW-Whitewater) 24-6 dec. Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 28-9 (7-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 28-9 dec. over Chad Bartschenfeld (Augsburg) (3-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 28-9 SV-1 over Evan Obert (Luther) 28-7 (SV-1 3-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 29-11 dec. over Silas Murray (Rhode Island) 26-3 (6-4)
Cons. Semi - Ryan O`Boyle (McDaniel) 30-3 dec. Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 29-11 (6-5)
5th Place Match - Jimmy Nehls (UW-Whitewater) 26-7 dec. Jacoby Bergeron (CC) 29-11 (10-4)

149 - Jake Long (29-10) placed 7th and scored 7.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Long (CC) 29-10 pin fall Mark Pinero (Wartburg) 30-12 (6:09)
Quarterfinal - Mark Hartenstine (Wilkes) 41-1 dec. over Jacob Long (CC) 29-10 (1-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Jacob Long (CC) 29-10 dec. over Joey Gaccione (Johnson & Wales) 27-8 (4-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Vincent Fava (Delaware Valley) 31-5 dec. Jacob Long (CC) 30-11 (6-5)
7th Place Match - Jacob Long (CC) 30-11 dec. Nick Drendel (Dubuque) 22-9 (5-3)

157 - Kyle LeDuc (26-12) place is unknown and scored 2.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jorge Lopez (Williams) 29-2 dec. over Kyle LeDuc (CC) 26-12 (9-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Kyle LeDuc (CC) 26-12 pin fall Steven DeWitt (Loras) 31-6 (4:00)
Cons. Round 2 - Jon Garrison (Mount Union) 37-6 dec. over Kyle LeDuc (CC) 26-12 (8-2)

165 - Jake Krogstad (22-11) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.
Prelim - Dylan Foley (Springfield) 41-7 dec. over Jake Krogstad (CC) 22-11 (5-3)
Prelim - Jake Krogstad (CC) 22-11 pin fall Derek Mizaur (Dubuque) 18-10 (6:58)
Cons. Round 1 - Jake Krogstad (CC) 22-11 dec. David Shapiro (Baldwin Wallace) (5-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Collin Crowell (Roger Williams) 31-5 dec. over Jake Krogstad (CC) 22-11 (7-5)

174 - Sebastian Gardner (27-14) place is unknown and scored 1.50 team points.
Prelim - Sebastian Gardner (CC) 27-14 dec. James Roach (St. Olaf) 26-7 (10-5)
Champ. Round 1 - A.Bonaventura (Waynesburg) 38-4 dec. over S.Gardner (CC) 27-14 (8-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Sebastian Gardner (CC) 27-14 dec. Joshua Sibblies (Centenary) 18-7 (2-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Zach Zotollo (TCNJ) 24-5 maj. dec. Sebastian Gardner (CC) 27-14 (12-3)

184 - Christian Harrison (26-10) place is unknown and scored 2.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Brian Broderick (TCNJ) 17-3 dec. over Christian Harrison (CC) 26-10 (4-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Christian Harrison (CC) 26-10 pin fall Jayden DeVilbiss (Luther) 30-11 (3:35)
Cons. Round 2 - Josh Thomson (Messiah) 43-6 dec. over Christian Harrison (CC) 26-10 (4-1)

285 - Cody Kasprick (25-12) place is unknown and scored 4.00 team points.
Prelim - Cody Kasprick (CC) 25-12 dec. over Mackenzie Green (Trine) 31-7 (2-1)
Champ. Round 1 - Cody Kasprick (CC) 25-12 pin fall Matan Peleg (Ursinus) 16-12 (4:37)
Quarterfinal - Jacob Minske (UW-La Crosse) 22-6 dec. Cody Kasprick (CC) 25-12 (7-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Cody Lovejoy (Ohio Northern) 42-4 dec. Cody Kasprick (CC) 25-12 (11-4)