A Firm Foundation For The Future

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (2/29/20)--- If Friday set the foundation for new era of Cobber wrestling, Saturday saw Concordia make the floor plans for quality construction in region meets for year to come.       

The Cobbers had two athletes earn a spot at the NCAA National Meet and finished with six Top 8 finishers for the meet. It is the first time Concordia has had more than one athlete earn a spot at the national meet since the 2017 season.

Concordia ended the 2-day Upper Midwest Regional Meet by finishing in a tie for sixth place with 82 team points. Both results are an improvement over last year at the regional meet and the best news for first-year head coach Quincy Osborn is that there isn't a senior on the roster. On top of all that, the Cobbers brought 10 different wrestlers to the regional meet from 2019 and all 10 gained huge regional experience.

The two ends of the age spectrum were represented by Cobber national qualifiers. Junior Cole Kubesh, who is the old man of the team, wasted little time in earning his ticket to Iowa by claiming a 5-4 decision in his semifinal match at 125. The victory automatically put Kubesh in the Top 3 of the weight class and was able to wait out the championship bout knowing he would be going to his first-ever national meet.

Freshman Gabe Zierden took a different rout to the NCAA National Meet which will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Zierden lost to No.10-ranked Isaac Lahr of Wis.-La Crosse in the semifinals at 197 which meant he would have to win two straight matches to get into the Top 3.

Zierden started his trek to nationals by coming through with a 14-2 major decision in the consolation semifinals against Nick Sundberg from Wis.-Whitewater. That set up a 3rd-place match with senior Colten Cashmore from Wis.-Oshkosh. Zierden bolted from the starting gate, got a takedown in the first period, then built up huge riding time on his way to a 6-0 win. Zierden never allowed Cashmore to go on the offensive and rolled to his 22nd win of the year.

Zierden becomes the first Cobber freshman to qualify for the NCAA National Meet since Jakob Stageberg accomplished the feat in 2015.      

Freshman Cade Lundeen led Concordia in wins over the weekend. He went 4-2 and placed fifth at 141. He won by injury default in his first match of the day before losing in the consolation semifinals. Lundeen responded by earning a pin in the fifth-place match after he trailed for most of the bout.

The victory was his 20th of the year which give CC a trio of 20-win athletes for the year.       

A third freshman came home with a sixth-place finish. Kellen Schauer won three matches in the meet. His lone win on Saturday was a pin at the 1:11 mark in the opening bout of the day. Schauer completes his first college season with 15 wins.

Junior Alex Skaare also had three wins on the weekend and finished in seventh place at 165. Skaare won his final bout of the meet with a 17-5 major decision in the seventh-place match. Skaare ends the year with 11 wins.

The final place winner for Concordia was sophomore Kaden Spindler. He posted two wins on his way to an eighth-place finish at 174.    
  
UP NEXT: Kubesh and Zierden will now head back to the practice room for two weeks in order to prepare for the NCAA National Meet which will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Mar. 13-14.   

NCAA Upper Midwest Regional - Place Winners for Concordia
125 - Cole Kubesh - 2nd place 
141 - Cade Lunden - 5th place 
149 - Kellen Schauer - 6th place
165 - Alex Skaare - 7th place
174 - Kaden Spindler - 8th place
197 - Gabe Zierden - 3rd place

Final NCAA Upper Midwest Team Standings
1. Augsburg - 196.5
2. Wis.-La Crosse - 157.5
3. Wis.-Whitewater - 116.0
4. Wis.-Eau Claire - 100.0
5. Chicago - 85.0
T6. Concordia-M`head - 82.0
T6. Wis.-Stevens Point - 82.0
8. Wis.-Platteville - 79.0
9. Wheaton (IL) - 59.0
10. Elmhurst - 50.5
11. Wis.-Oshkosh - 44.0
12. St. John`s (MN) - 35.5
13. Concordia Wisconsin - 17.0
14. MSOE - 11.0
15. Pacific (OR) - 7.5
16. Lakeland - 2.5
17. St. Olaf - 0.5

NCAA DIII Regional Upper Midwest Results for Concordia-M`head
125
Cole Kubesh (2-1) placed 2nd and scored 15.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cole Kubesh (Concordia-M`head) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Cole Kubesh (Concordia-M`head) 2-1 won by decision over Sawyer Sarbacker (Wis.-La Crosse) 3-1 (Dec 5-3)
Semifinal - Cole Kubesh (Concordia-M`head) 2-1 won by decision over Anthony Zamora (Wheaton (IL)) 10-15 (Dec 5-4)
1st Place Match - Mike Tortorice (Wis.-Whitewater) 30-1 won by fall over Cole Kubesh (Concordia-M`head) 2-1 (Fall 2:45)

133
Jacob Prunty (1-2) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Prunty (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 won by tech fall over Gianni Rago (MSOE) 0-2 (TF-1.5 4:54 (15-0))
Quarterfinal - Josh Stenger (Wis.-La Crosse) 3-2 won by decision over Jacob Prunty (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 13-11)
Cons. Round 2 - Thomas Severson (Wis.-Eau Claire) 18-8 won by decision over Jacob Prunty (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 7-3)

141
Cade Lundeen (4-2) placed 5th and scored 14.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cade Lundeen (Concordia) 4-2 won by major decision over Anthony Hennen (St. John`s) 12-20 (MD 13-2)
Quarterfinal - Hazen Rice (Wis.-Whitewater) 30-1 won by decision over Cade Lundeen (Concordia-M`head) 4-2 (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Cade Lundeen (Concordia-) 4-2 won by decision over Chase Katzenmeyer (Wis.-Platteville) 11-14 (Dec 10-6)
Cons. Round 3 - Cade Lundeen (Concordia-M`head) 4-2 won by injury default over Tyler Demo (Wis.-Eau Claire) 19-7 (Inj. 2:41)
Cons. Semi - Ethan Harsted (Wheaton (IL)) 19-5 won by fall over Cade Lundeen (Concordia-M`head) 4-2 (Fall 1:51)
5th Place Match - Cade Lundeen (Concordia-M`head) 4-2 won by fall over Ryan Fleck (Chicago) 2-3 (Fall 5:41)

149
Kellen Schauer (3-3) placed 6th and scored 14.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kellen Schauer (Concordia-M`head) 3-3 won by fall over Brandon Lenczer (Wis.-Oshkosh) 2-2 (Fall 2:04)
Quarterfinal - Jimmy McAuliffe (Elmhurst) 3-1 won by fall over Kellen Schauer (Concordia-M`head) 3-3 (Fall 4:02)
Cons. Round 2 - Kellen Schauer (Concordia-M`head) 3-3 won by fall over Dylan Hanson (St. John`s (MN)) 8-14 (Fall 0:48)
Cons. Round 3 - Kellen Schauer (Concordia-M`head) 3-3 won by fall over Mason Wheeler (Wis.-Stevens Point) 9-18 (Fall 1:11)
Cons. Semi - Sam Wenzel (Wis.-La Crosse) 3-2 won by decision over Kellen Schauer (Concordia-M`head) 3-3 (Dec 7-4)
5th Place Match - Devin Tortorice (Wis.-Whitewater) 23-5 won by decision over Kellen Schauer (Concordia) 3-3 (Dec 9-2)

157
Tyler Bents (1-2) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tyler Bents (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 won by decision over Jake Burford (Wis.-Whitewater) 10-8 (Dec 4-2)
Quarterfinal - Alexander Strueder (Wis.-Platteville) 22-10 won by decision over Tyler Bents (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Jerod Novak (St. John`s (MN)) 14-8 won by major decision over Tyler Bents (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (MD 14-2)

165
Alexander Skaare (3-2) placed 7th and scored 10.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Alexander Skaare (Concordia-M`head) 3-2 won by fall over Mike Huck (Elmhurst) 1-2 (Fall 1:51)
Quarterfinal - Lucas Jeske (Augsburg) 9-3 won by major decision over Alexander Skaare (Concordia-M`head) 3-2 (MD 11-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Alexander Skaare (Concordia) 3-2 won by fall over Cameron Caldwell (Concordia Wisconsin) 12-20 (Fall 0:56)
Cons. Round 3 - Jordan Weinzetl (Wis.-Stevens Point) 33-9 won by decision over Alexander Skaare (Concordia) 3-2 (Dec 12-8)
7th Place Match - Alexander Skaare (Concordia) 3-2 won by major decision over Samuel Cortez (Pacific (OR)) 2-3 (MD 17-5)

174
Kaden Spindler (2-3) placed 8th and scored 6.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kaden Spindler (Concordia-M`head) 2-3 won by decision over Nevin Brittain (Elmhurst) 3-2 (Dec 9-7)
Quarterfinal - Solomon Nielsen (Augsburg) 23-2 won by major decision over Kaden Spindler (Concordia-M`head) 2-3 (MD 11-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Kaden Spindler (Concordia) 2-3 won by medical forfeit over Josh Te Stroete (Concordia Wis.) 18-15 (M. For.)
Cons. Round 3 - Nick Dado (Wis.-Platteville) 24-16 won by decision over Kaden Spindler (Concordia-M`head) 2-3 (Dec 7-3)
7th Place Match - Nevin Brittain (Elmhurst) 3-2 won by medical forfeit over Kaden Spindler (Concordia) 2-3 (M. For.)

184
Ayden Friese (1-2) place is unknown and scored 1.5 team points.
Prelim - Ryan Vedner (Wis.-Whitewater) 15-14 won by decision over Ayden Friese (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 6-2)
Prelim - Ayden Friese (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 won by major decision over Kyle Reitmeier (Lakeland) 0-2 (MD 12-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Merrick O`Donnell (Concordia Wis.) 15-12 won by decision over Ayden Friese (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 8-3)

197
Gabriel Zierden (3-1) placed 3rd and scored 14.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Gabriel Zierden (Concordia-M`head) 3-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Gabriel Zierden (Concordia) 3-1 won by major decision over James Huntley (Wis.-Eau Claire) 22-8 (MD 10-2)
Semifinal - Isaac Lahr (Wis.-La Crosse) 4-0 won by fall over Gabriel Zierden (Concordia-M`head) 3-1 (Fall 0:47)
Cons. Semi - Gabriel Zierden (Concordia) 3-1 won by major decision over Nick Sundberg (Wis.-Whitewater) 24-13 (MD 14-2)
3rd Place Match - Gabriel Zierden (Concordia) 3-1 won by decision over Colten Cashmore (Wis.-Oshkosh) 3-2 (Dec 6-0)

285
Chase Dockter (1-2) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Grant Miller (Wheaton (IL)) 9-6 won by decision over Chase Dockter (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Dec 10-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Chase Dockter (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 won by fall over Harlen Nolasco (St. Olaf) 1-3 (Fall 5:40)
Cons. Round 2 - Noah Wieczorek (Wis.-Stevens Point) 23-16 won by fall over Chase Dockter (Concordia-M`head) 1-2 (Fall 5:57)