Bonus Point Bouts Bounce Cobbers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (1/04/18)---Ricky Briggs and Aaron Dick combined to go 6-0 on Day 1 of the NWCA National Duals Meet but it wasn't enough to see the Cobbers through to the second day as they went 1-2 and were eliminated from the top dual meet of the season.

Concordia started the day by losing 24-19 to No.21-ranked Centenary (N.J.) in the opening round of the championship tournament. The Cobbers then rallied to beat SUNY-Cortland (N.Y.) 34-6 in the second round of the consolation bracket before finally losing 30-10 to No.7-ranked Wabash (Ind.).

The Cobbers are now 3-8 in dual meets this season with seven of their eight losses coming against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the nation.

Briggs, who was seeing his first action for the Cobbers this season, went 3-0 on the day. He posted a pair of one-point decisions against wrestlers from Centenary and Wabash and then earned a forfeit win against Cortland.

Dick continued his stellar senior season. He started the day by pinning Dino Cancellieri of Centenary. He then recorded a 13-4 major decision against Benjamin Ilyod  of Cortland and then finished off the day with another major decision against Chris Diaz of Wabash.

Dick has now won seven of his last eight matches and is 14-6 on the season.

The difference in the opener against Centenary came down to bonus point bouts. Both teams won five individual matches. However, Centenary earned bonus points in all five of their wins as opposed to only two for the Cobbers.

Concordia trailed 19-10 in the match before decisions by Jacob Johnson and Briggs brought CC to within three points at 19-16. Centenary then closed out the match with a technical fall at 197 to take a 24-16 lead.

The Cobbers won the first three matches against Cortland and followed that up by claiming the final five matches in the team dual. Jake Nohre, Dick and Cole Kubesh staked Concordia to a 13-0 lead. CC led 13-6 before Joe Heinz, Johnson, Briggs, Ethan Kimber and Kody Van Den Eykel all recorded wins to push the final total to a 28-point margin.

The final match against Wabash was a one-point affair after Dick posted his major decision a 133. Unfortunately for CC the Little Giants then rattled off five straight wins to take a 27-4 lead with three matches left.

Briggs earned his win at 184 before Kimber came away with a 9-4 decision at 197 to give CC 10 points.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will stay on the road for national-level competition when they travel to Mount Vernon, Iowa to compete in the Matman Invite on Saturday, Jan. 13.

Final Score:
Concordia-Moorhead 10, #7 Wabash (Ind.) 30
Date: January 4, 2018
Location: Fort Wayne, Ind.
Tournament: NWCA National Duals
Start Time: 5:00 p.m.
End Time: 6:15 p.m.
Total Time: 1:15

Individual Match Results:
125 - Sunny Nier (WC) tech. fall Jake Nohre (CC); 18-0 (Wabash leads 5-0)
133 - Aaron Dick (CC) maj. dec. Chris Diaz (WC); 21-8 (Wabash leads 5-4)
141 - Brice Everson (WC) tech. fall Cole Kubesh (CC); 16-0 (Wabash leads 10-4)
149 - Austin Bethel (WC) dec. Ty Johnson (CC); 12-9 (Wabash leads 13-4)
157 - Kyle Hatch (WC) pin Cole Sladek (CC); 2:15 (Wabash leads 19-4)
165 - Jared Timberman (WC) dec. Joe Heinz (CC); 7-2 (Wabash leads 22-4)
174 - Darden Schurg (WC) tech. fall Jake Johnson (CC); 21-6 (Wabash leads 27-4)
184 - Ricky Briggs (CC) dec. Hunter Bates (WC); 6-5 (Wabash leads 27-7)
197 - Ethan Kimber (CC) dec. Grant Gough (WC); 9-4 (Wabash leads 27-10)
285 - Max Bishop (WC) dec. Kody Van Den Eykel (CC); 6-2 (Centenary leads 30-10)

Match Notes:
- Concordia is now 3-8 in dual meets this season.
- Wabash is ranked 7th in the latest NWCA Division III national rankings.
- Wabash is now 3-1 in dual meets this season.
- Wabash won 7 bouts in the dual.
- Concordia won 2 of the final 3 individual matches in the dual.
- Concordia won 2 bouts decision and 1 by major decision.
- Wabash won 6 of the first 7 bouts in the match.
- Wabash won 3 bouts by technical fall, 3 by decision and 1 by pin.