On Thursday, the Red Raider wrestling team knocked off the Waldorf Warriors 41-7 riding three forfeits, two technical falls, one major decision and one pin.
It was senior night in the Bultman as Waldorf took a 4-0 lead after the first match when Kyle Penalosa controlled Northwestern’s sophomore Sam Klarenbeek 15-4 at 125 pounds. NW would soon earn those points back by winning the next three matches.
At 133 pounds, junior Jake Hergott pinned Waldorf’s Jacob Adams and junior Jake Clifton of NW earned a win by forfeit at 141 pounds. Sophomore Elijah Dahl kept the bonus point streak alive by comfortably defeating Dario Gamino by a technical fall in the first period in the 149-pound bout. After four matches, the Red Raiders had plenty of breathing room, leading Waldorf 17-4.
Waldorf won their only other match of the night when Zach Milks beat NW freshman Carter Behler 5-4. The thrilling match at 157 pounds helped Waldorf pull back within 10 points in the dual score. Sophomore Brandon Shuler got the Red Raiders back on track, defeating his opponent by a technical fall in the third period of the 165-pound match.
Waldorf was open in the next two weight classes, giving junior BJ Groskreutz and senior Zach Fishman wins by forfeit, pushing the dual score to 34-7 in favor of NW.
Senior Tyree Cox got his final win in the Bultman Center, edging Dirk McOmber 11-10 at 197 lbs.
In the final match of the night, Red Raider heavyweight senior Derek Jaurigue controlled Waldorf’s Ryan Dugger 8-0, ending Senior Night on a high note for NW.
This competition concluded the regular season for the Red Raiders, finishing 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the GPAC. Their standing makes them tied for second place with Morningside, who is right behind Concordia. The Red Raiders now have their sights set on the NAIA North Qualifying tournament 9 a.m. Saturday in Seward, Neb. From there, they will be looking to send wrestlers to the NAIA National Tournament in Topeka, Kan., on March 4-5.
