Wrestling Celebrates Senior Night with 33-12 Victory Over Baker

LAMONI, Iowa – The Graceland University men's wrestling team closed out its home slate with a dominant 33-12 victory over Baker University on Senior Night. Thirteen graduating seniors were honored before the match, and the Yellowjackets delivered a strong performance to cap off their final home dual.

Senior Night Honorees

Prior to the dual, Graceland recognized 13 seniors for their contributions to the program:

• Ryan Anderson (Deerfield Beach, Fla. – Criminal Justice)
• Invi Bella (Livonia, Mich. – Business Admin, Econ. & Accounting)
• Sam Fleming (Brooksville, Fla. – Criminal Justice)
• Nick Foster (Sparks, Nev. – Sports Management)
• Riley Harger (Earlham, Iowa – Allied Health)
• Juan R. Lopez III (Fontana, Calif. – Allied Health)
• Kohlter Mariscal (Eagle River, Alaska – Allied Health)
• Jett Nelson (Boise, Idaho – Business Management)
• Brayden Phillips (Stansbury, Utah – Economics)
• John Schuttler (Manson, Iowa – Accounting)
• TJ Smith (Chicago, Ill. – Criminal Justice)
• Tre Thomas (Topeka, Kan. – Biology)
• Will Weidman (Dixon, Ill. – Criminal Justice)

Each senior played a vital role in shaping the program, and their leadership was on display in their final home event.

Dual Recap

Baker took an early lead as Saoul Prado (BU) defeated Clemente Delgado (GU) by technical fall (19-4) in the 125-pound bout, giving the Wildcats a 5-0 advantage. The momentum continued for Baker at 133 pounds, where Christian Nishi-Rivera (BU) secured a 13-2 major decision over Terrance Smith (GU), extending the lead to 9-0.

Graceland responded at 149 pounds with Ryan Anderson (GU) securing a 9-4 decision over Joseph Triscornia (BU), putting the Yellowjackets on the board at 9-3. That momentum continued into the 157-pound match, where Invi Bella (GU) edged out Jakob Stovall (BU) with an 8-7 decision, closing the team score gap to 9-6.

The Yellowjackets took control in the middleweight classes. At 165 pounds, Juan Lopez (GU) pinned Keegan Troutman (BU) in the first period, giving Graceland its first lead of the night at 12-9. At 174 pounds, Jett Nelson (GU) followed with another fall over Noah Sample (BU), extending the lead to 18-9.

Graceland continued to dominate as Joseph Teguia (GU) won by technical fall (20-4) over Eli Messik (BU) at 184 pounds, securing five more team points. At 197 pounds, John Schuttler (GU) added to the Yellowjackets' total with a 14-2 major decision over Braden Thompson (BU).

The night concluded with Sam Fleming (GU) receiving a forfeit win at 285 pounds, solidifying the final score at 33-12.

Key Takeaways

• Graceland won eight of 10 matches, including two pins (165, 174 lbs.), a technical fall (184 lbs.), and a major decision (197 lbs.).
• The Yellowjackets' strong performances in the middle and upper weights turned the tide, securing 27 unanswered points from 165 pounds through heavyweight.
• Senior leadership was evident, as five of Graceland's wins came from graduating wrestlers.

Up Next

Graceland wrestling will next compete in the Central College Last Chance Invite next Saturday in Pella, Iowa.

For more information on Graceland men's wrestling and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.