Mattern Wins at 285, Broncos Take 5th as Host of GPAC Championships

(Hastings, NE) – The men's wrestling team got the benefit of hosting the GPAC Tournament on Friday and Saturday, which included some great matches to end up taking fifth with 76 points, after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason.

Freshman Koen Mattern, ranked #12 in the NAIA at 285, trailed 7-0 midway through his first match in the quarterfinals, but flipped the with with a takedown and pin at the 4:11 mark to move on to the semifinals to take on #20 Eli Criblez of Doane. Mattern went ahead 4-0 in the second and got a takedown, as well as a point for riding time to win 8-0. 

Taking on seventh-ranked Jakob Jerabek from Morningside in the final, Mattern had two takedowns in the first period to take an early 6-0 lead. The bout got tied up late in the third period at six, but Mattern got a point for ride time to clinch the title, becoming the first Bronco to win the GPAC since 2022 with the 7-6 win, going 4-0.

At 133, sophomore Justin Rodriguez earned a pin over Waldorf just over a minute into his first match, then rallied from an 8-2 deficit with a couple of takedowns and eventual pin at the 5:50 mark to defeat Bryce Karlin of Concordia. 

In the semifinals against Briar Cliff's Jarrod Gilliam, Rodriguez trailed 8-5 in the second period and fought back to make it 10-all going to the third. He recorded a late reversal and earned a near fall to win, 16-10. Battling ninth-ranked Matthew Terrence of Doane in the final, he got pinned two minutes in to take second at 3-1.

Sophomore Creel Weber lost his first round match in a competitive battle at 125, a 15-9 decision, to Briar Cliff. In his first consolation match, he pinned Northwestern's Taye Jordan at the 4:41 mark, then advanced to the consolation semifinals by forfeit. Weber trailed 6-0 early, then fought back late in the second to get within two at 6-4, but got pinned in the third period. He lost 9-0 in the fifth place bout to Morningside.

Junior Israel Manriquez won by fall to open his day at 165 over Midland, but got pinned in the quarterfinals by Briar Cliff. In his consolation quarterfinal match, he got a takedown to take a 3-0 lead in the second period and held on to win, 3-2, over Dakota Wesleyan's Eli Isakson. In his next match he lost by tech fall, then got pinned by Briar Cliff in the fifth place match to finish 3-3.

Freshman Esteban Sedano battled at 174, dropping his first match by tech fall to Morningside after a bye. In the consolation quarterfinals, he pinned his Northwestern opponent midway through the third after being tied at three going to the third. He lost by tech fall in his next match, but managed to take fifth by pinning Briar Cliff's Ethan Gregg at the 3:56 mark after trailing 4-3 in the second period, going 4-2 overall.

Also competing at 133, sophomore Logan Hackman lost to Doane in his first match by fall after a bye. He won 5-3 over Northwestern in his first consolation match, then got pinned in the consolation quarterfinals at the 1:26 mark, ending at 2-2.

Junior Dalton Michael got pinned by Concordia, but rebounded with a 15-0 tech fall win over Briar Cliff before beating freshman teammate Gant Browning to advance to the consolation quarterfinals. Michael was pinned two minutes into that match to finish at 2-2. 

Prior to that, Browning moved onto the second round at 141 with a pin over Waldorf, then after losing by fall against Doane in the quarterfinals, he lost the match to Michael by major decision in his first consolation match to end his day at 1-2.

At 157, sophomore Nicholas Freeland dropped his opening match to Concordia after a bye, then won a 16-3 major decision in the consolation bracket to move on to the consolation quarterfinals. Freeland was unable to win that match, ending his run at 2-2.

At 197, junior Matheson Rodriguez lost by tech fall in the quarterfinals by tech fall after his bye. In the consolation quarterfinals, he got pinned by Concordia at the 1:49 mark, finishing at 2-2.

Freshman Conall Liburdi got pinned just over a minute into his first match at 184 against Doane, then after a bye in the consolation bracket, he lost by fall to Waldorf to conclude his day at 1-2.

Also at 197, freshman Aiden Griffin was pinned at the 3:39 mark in the quarterfinals after a bye and lost his consolation match to Dakota Wesleyan to fall to 0-2.

Hastings will now await the announcement from the NAIA for the list of the National Tournament Qualifiers. Nationals will take place on March 6-8 in Park City, KS.