Forgettable Friday

LA CROSSE, Wis. (3/10/17)--- It was a Friday to forget for Concordia on Day 1 at the NCAA Championship Meet. The Cobbers started strong by winning two of the three "pigtail" matches they had but then only won two more bouts the rest of the day and had all six athletes eliminated on the opening day.

The six Cobbers at the national meet posted a combined 4-12 record. Junior Cole Sladek led the contingent with a pair of wins while Aaron Dick and Adam Presler both won a single bout.

Sladek had a great start to his meet at 157 in Friday morning's session. He started his national meet by posting a 9-4 decision in the opening pigtail match. Sladek then followed that up with a 5-4 win in the Round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.

Unfortunately for Sladek his national momentum train would get derailed in the night session. He gave up a late takedown late in his quarterfinal match after he rallied to get to within 5-4.

Sladek then came back in the consolation second round and lost by a technical fall. He finishes his season with a 19-3 record.

Like Sladek, Dick won his pigtail match to get his national meet started on a positive note. He earned a pin fall at the 5:33 mark of his opening bout to advance to the Round of 16 at 125. Dick then lost to the No.8-seeded wrestler. Dick's meet ended with a 12-6 decision in the consolation round. He finishes his year with an 18-16 record.

The hard luck award of the meet goes to Presler who had a two-point lead late in his opening match with the No.2-seeded wrestler in the 141-lb bracket but then gave up three straight points and lost 5-4.

Presler claimed a 6-1 decision in the consolation first round only to lose in the next round. Presler caps his junior year with 26-18 record. The 26 wins are a career-high for Presler.

The other three Cobber wrestlers all dropped both of their matches on Friday. Sophomore Ty Johnson, who was competing in his first NCAA Meet, lost his opener at 149 and then had to square off against the No.5 seed in the consolation first round and fell 3-0. Johnson ends his season with an 18-14 record.

Jacob Johnson could never get on track on Friday and dropped both of his bouts at 174. He fell 6-0 in the Round of 16 and then lost in the consolation first round to end his junior year with a 28-14 record. Like Presler, his 28 wins are a career high.

Justice Davis had a great opening period in his pigtail match at 285 but then allowed several takedowns at the end of the second and start of the third periods and lost 10-5. Davis came back and stayed close until the third period of his consolation match and lost his second bout of the day. Davis ends his senior year with a 22-8 record.

Concordia Individual Results at 2017 NCAA Meet
125 - Aaron Dick  
Prelim - Aaron Dick won by fall over Carlos Fuentez (Wheaton) 26-6 (Fall 5:33)
Champ. Round 1 - James Kaishian (Ithaca) 31-11 won by fall over Aaron Dick  (Fall 2:35)
Cons. Round 1 - Zackary Sirny (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 28-9 won by decision over Aaron Dick (Dec 12-6)

141 - Adam Presler
Champ. Round 1 - Devin Broukal (Wabash) 16-2 won by decision over Adam Presler (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Adam Presler won by decision over Zak Hale (Castleton) 36-6 (Dec 6-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Joseph Ferinde (Johnson & Wales) 34-9 won by major decision over Adam Presler (MD 13-4)

149 - Ty Johnson
Champ. Round 1 - Dan Del Gallo (Southern Maine) 43-1 won by major decision over Ty Johnson (MD 13-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Ryan Epps (Augsburg) 33-7 won by decision over Ty Johnson  (Dec 3-0)

157 - Cole Sladek
Prelim - Cole Sladek won by decision over Nicholas Racanelli (Wilkes) 31-10 (Dec 9-4)
Champ. Round 1 - Cole Sladek won by decision over Keone Derain (Elmhurst) 19-10 (Dec 5-4)
Quarterfinal - Mark Choinski (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) 21-3 won by major decision over Cole Sladek (MD 13-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Jimmy Davis (Loras) 24-5 won by tech fall over Cole Sladek (TF-1.5 4:04 (16-0))

174 - Jake Johnson
Champ. Round 1 - Benjamin Schweiger (Delaware Valley) 35-7 won by decision over Jake Johnson (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Dan Kilroy (The College of New Jersey) 28-11 won by tech fall over Jake Johnson (TF-1.5 5:34 (20-0))

285 - Justice Davis
Prelim - Jacob Evans (Waynesburg) 47-4 won by decision over Justice Davis (Dec 10-5)
Prelim - Quin Gilliam (Loras) 29-12 won by major decision over Justice Davis (MD 13-1)