4 Podium Finishes In Final Top-Level Regional Tune Up

WHEATON, Ill. (1/27/24)---Concordia recorded four podium finishes and 28 wins among their 10 wrestlers who traveled to Illinois to compete in the final high-level invitational against the top regional competition.

Ty Bisek, Gabe Zierden, Kellen Schauer and Elijah Hunt led the Cobbers with Top 8 finishes at the prestigious Pete Willson Invitational hosted by Wheaton College.

In addition to the podium finishes for the Concordia quartet, No.11-ranked Zierden came away with one of the three top individual prizes at the meet. He earned the Jack Swartz Award for Most Falls in the Least Amount of Time honor as he recorded five pins in a total time of 9:52.

The wins and podium finishes helped the Cobbers finish in sixth place in the final team standings at the meet that included 32 participating schools. 

Zierden went 7-1 in Illinois to post a third-place finish in the 197-lb weight class. He opened with a pin but then lost in the Round of 16. Zierden then went on a huge rampage, winning six straight bouts to earn third-place honors. Of the six straight wins, four were by fall and only one went past the first period.

Zierden is now 24-2 on the year and has 14 pins.

Bisek, who entered the weekend ranked third at 133 in the latest NWCA national rankings, rattled off four straight wins to earn a spot in the championship match. He recorded two pins and a major decision in trek to the finals. Bisek lost the championship match 8-6 to another Top 10 wrestler. Bisek didn't have a takedown in the title bout but had a pair of reversals and an escape in the 2-point loss.

The loss is only the second of the season for Bisek, who is now 21-2 on the year.

Schauer, who recently got back into action after sustaining an injury in early November, went 4-2 to earn his 7th-place finish at 149. He was able to regroup after a loss in the Round of 16 and record three straight wins to get to the 7th-place match.

Schauer had a pin and a tech fall at the invite and is now 10-6 on the year.

Hunt continued his stellar senior season. One of the few Cobbers who has wrestled in every meet this year, Hint went 4-2 to claim 7th place at 165. He advanced to the quarterfinals with a pin and won by injury default, but then lost in the quarterfinals to a wrestler from Elmhurst (Ill.). Hunt rallied to record a win by a major decision and then won 11-7 in the 7th-place match-up.

The four wins bring Hunt's season record to 16-7 on the year.

Senior Tyler Bents and sophomore Mason Swanson were the other two Concordia wrestlers who advanced to the quarterfinals in their weight class.

Bents, who was wrestling in only his second meet since No.4, claimed an 11-2 major decision win in the round of 16 at 149 but then lost two straight to finish his meet.

Swanson won his first two bouts at heavyweight to reach the quarterfinals. He claimed a 10-0 major decision win in the opener and then put his opponent's shoulders on the mat at the 4:09 mark of his Round of 16 match. Swanson then lost 6-4 in the quarterfinals and 15-1 in the fourth round of the consolation bracket.

UP NEXT: Concordia will host its home opener next week. The Cobbers will square off against the University of Jamestown on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.  

Final Pete Willson Wheaton Invitational Team Standings
1. Wisconsin - Lacrosse - 144.5
2. Wisconsin-Eau Claire - 143.5
3. Wisconsin-Whitewater - 110.0
4. Cornell College - 109.0
5. Messiah College - 95.5
6. Concordia College (Moorhead) - 87.5
7. Ohio Northern - 84.0
8. Ferrum College - 74.5
9. Olivet College - 66.5
10. North Central (IL) - 63.0
11. Augustana College - 62.5
12. University of Chicago - 60.5
13. Ozarks - 55.5
T14. Cortland State - 53.0
T14. Roanoke - 53.0
16. Rhode Island - 47.5
17. University of Mount Union - 45.0
18. Case Western Reserve - 43.0
19. Wisconsin-Stevens Point - 41.5
20. Millikin University - 39.0
21. Elmhurst University - 33.0
22. Wheaton - 30.5
23. Milwaukee School of Engineering - 29.0
24. Buena Vista University - 24.5
25. Concordia University (WI) - 22.0
26. Mount St. Joseph University - 17.5
27. John Carroll University - 16.0
28. Heidelberg University - 14.0
29. Alma College - 12.0
30. Wisconsin - Platteville - 11.5
31. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 6.0
32. Muskingum University - 1.5