New Alignment Attrition

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (2/23/18)---Concordia felt the heat of the new region alignment as the Cobbers had six wrestlers advance to Day 2 of the Upper Midwest Meet.

Last year Concordia hosted the West Regional Meet which only had 11 teams and was a one-day affair. This year the newly aligned format has the Cobbers in a region with a total of 17 teams which features some of the top athletes in the country. Despite the influx of teams and sheer number of wrestlers the number of wrestlers to qualify to the NCAA Championship Meet remained the same as only the Top 3 from each weight class will move on to nationals.  

Junior Ty Johnson led Concordia on the opening day of the meet. He won a pair of matches and advanced to the semifinals at 149. He opened the region meet by earning a pin at the 2:42 mark. Johnson then earned a huge break when his opponent in the quarterfinals had to forfeit early in the match due to an injury.

Johnson needs only a win in the semifinal match to earn his second straight trip to the NCAA Meet. If Johnson should fall in the semifinals then he would have to win a pair of matches which would include the third-place match.

The other five Concordia wrestlers all made their way through the consolation to get to a spot where they will need three wins on Saturday to head to Cleveland for nationals.

Jacob Johnson recorded the most wins for CC on Day 1. He lost his first match of the day at 197 but then rebounded with three straight wins to get to the second day of action. He dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker to Caleb Odell of Wheaton in the first round but then rallied to post a win by decision and technical fall in the second and third rounds of the consolation bracket.

Johnson then fought through the most dramatic match of the day for the Cobbers as he won 4-2 in the first period of overtime.

Johnson will get a rematch with Odell in the consolation quarterfinals. The winner will advance for a chance to wrestle for third place.

Aaron Dick and Kody Van Den Eykel both had two wins on the day and move on to the final day of the meet while Jake Nohre and Adam Presler needed only one win to advance to Day 2.

Dick won his opener by technical fall but then fell to the No.4-ranked wrestler at 133 in the quarterfinals. He then took control of his second-round consolation match in the second period and went on to win 14-8.

Like Dick, Van Den Eykel won his opener but then lost in the quarterfinals. He came through with a 10-3 decision in the opener. Van Den Eykel finished his day by shutting out his opponent 6-0 in the second round of the consolation bracket.

Nohre recveived a bye in the first round on the championship side at 125. He then lost a great battle to the No.8-ranked wrestler in the nation in the quarterfinals. The final score was 3-2 but either wrestler had a chance to win the match in the third period.

Nohre quickly turned around and put up a pin in the second round of consolation.

Presler lost in the opener to the No.4-ranked wrestler in the country and because of his seed earned a bye into the second round of the consolation side. Presler claimed a 13-2 major decision to punch his ticket to the second day of competition.

WHAT'S NEXT: All six wrestlers will try to make the national meet when they finish of the Upper Midwest Regional on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Augsburg beginning at 10 a.m.

CONCORDIA NCAA UPER MIDWEST REGIONAL MEET DAY 1 RESULTS
125
Jake Nohre (1-1) scored 2.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jake Nohre (Concordia) 1-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Mike Tortorice (UW Whitewater) 28-2 won by decision over Jake Nohre (Concordia) 1-1 (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Jake Nohre (Concordia) 1-1 won by fall over Landon Obra-nakata (Pacific University (Oregon)) 8-15 (Fall 4:02)

133
Aaron Dick (2-1) scored 3.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Aaron Dick (Concordia) 2-1 won by tech fall over Preston Makoutz (MSOE) 6-19 (TF-1.5 3:55 (17-0))
Quarterfinal - Sam Bennyhoff (Augsburg University) 30-5 won by tech fall over Aaron Dick (Concordia) 2-1 (TF-1.5 6:01 (16-1))
Cons. Round 2 - Aaron Dick (Concordia) 2-1 won by decision over Ramiro Vasquez (Concordia-Wisconsin) 15-18 (Dec 14-8)

141
Adam Presler (1-1) scored 2.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Devin Tortorice (UW Whitewater) 2-0 won by fall over Adam Presler (Concordia) 1-1 (Fall 5:56)
Cons. Round 1 - Adam Presler (Concordia) 1-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Adam Presler (Concordia) 1-1 won by major decision over Chase Katzenmeyer (UW-Platteville) 20-11 (MD 13-2)

149
Ty Johnson (2-0) scored 10.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Ty Johnson (Concordia) 2-0 won by fall over Yosep Lee (Wheaton College (Illinois)) 0-2 (Fall 2:42)
Quarterfinal - Ty Johnson (Concordia) 2-0 won by medical forfeit over Austin Quartullo (UW Whitewater) 0-2 (M. For.)

157
Travis Deegan (1-2) scored 2.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Travis Deegan (Concordia) 1-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Travis Deegan (Concordia) 1-2 won by decision over Eric Martinson (Concordia-Wisconsin) 7-14 (Dec 9-8)
Quarterfinal - Ryan Epps (Augsburg University) 36-1 won by major decision over Travis Deegan (Concordia) 1-2 (MD 12-0)
Cons. Round 4 - David Granatelli (UW Stevens Point) 23-8 won by major decision over Travis Deegan (Concordia) 1-2 (MD 11-0)

165
Joe Heinz (1-2) scored 2.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Mitchell Hertel (UW Lacrosse) 8-3 won by decision over Joseph Heinz (Concordia) 1-2 (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Joseph Heinz (Concordia) 1-2 won by tech fall over Nathan Arquinego (UW Oskosh) 0-2 (TF-1.5 6:57 (16-0))
Cons. Round 2 - Kahlan Lee-lermer (University Of Chicago) 21-9 won by decision over Joseph Heinz (Concordia) 1-2 (Dec 7-4)

174
Jacob Johnson (3-1) scored 3.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Caleb Odell (Wheaton (Illinois)) 3-1 won by decision over Jake Johnson (Concordia) 3-1 (Dec 7-6)
Cons. Round 1 - Jake Johnson (Concordia) 3-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Jake Johnson (Concordia) 3-1 won by decision over Mason Lind (Lakeland University) 3-19 (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Jake Johnson (Concordia) 3-1 won by tech fall over Iokepa Aken (Pacific (Oregon)) 0-8 (TF-1.5 3:13 (16-0))
Cons. Round 4 - Jake Johnson (Concordia) 3-1 won in sudden victory - 1 over Jordan Weinzetl (Stevens Point) 11-11 (SV-1 4-2)

184
Nick Gravdahl (0-2) scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Colten Cashmore (UW Oskosh) 2-0 won by major decision over Nick Gravdahl (Concordia) 0-2 (MD 10-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Jason Lynch (University Of Chicago) 11-10 won by major decision over Nick Gravdahl (Concordia) 0-2 (MD 14-5)

197
Kody Van Den Eykel (2-1) scored 1.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kody Vandeneykel (Concordia) 2-1 won by decision over Sebastian Hyta (St. Olaf College) 0-2 (Dec 10-3)
Quarterfinal - Ramsey Bloy (UW-Eau Claire) 38-5 won by fall over Kody Vandeneykel (Concordia) 2-1 (Fall 6:17)
Cons. Round 2 - Kody Vandeneykel (Concordia) 2-1 won by decision over Timothy Blickle (Wheaton (Illinois)) 0-2 (Dec 6-0)

Team Scores After Day 1:
1. Augsburg (Minn.) 77.5
2. Wisconsin-La Crosse 76.0
3t. Wisconsin-Whitewater 44.5
3t. Wisconsin-Platteville 44.5
5. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 41.5
6. Wheaton (Ill.) 40.5
7. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 40.0
8. University of Chicago (Ill.) 36.5
9. Elmhurst (Ill.) 36.0
10. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 34.5
11. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 26.5
12t. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) 19.5
12t. Saint John's (Minn.) 19.5
14. Concordia-Wisconsin 9.5
15. St. Olaf (Minn.) 7.5
16. Pacific (Ore.) 6.5
17. Lakeland (Wis.) 0.0