OSKALOOSA, Iowa – The Graceland University men's wrestling team delivered a strong performance at the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships, with all 12 Yellowjackets advancing to the second day of competition and multiple wrestlers earning podium finishes. The event, which served as the final qualifier for the NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships, was held at William Penn University and featured some of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation.

Graceland battled through a deep field of competitors, showing resilience and determination. The Yellowjackets posted multiple top-eight finishes, with John Schuttler (197), Joseph Teguia (184), and Juan Lopez (165) leading the way with top-five placements.

Tournament Breakdown

125 – Clemente Delgado (6th place, 8.0 team points)

Delgado started strong, winning his quarterfinal match by decision (8-5) over Jose Gonzalez (Dickinson State) after receiving a first-round bye. He faced a setback in the semifinals, getting pinned by Gabe Gonzales (Grand View) in 1:23, before dropping two more hard-fought consolation matches, finishing sixth overall.

133 – Nick Foster (5th place, 10.0 team points)

Foster recovered from a technical fall loss (19-2) in the quarterfinals to rally in the consolation bracket. He secured a fall (1:41) over Niko Gonzalez (Baker) before falling in the consolation semifinals. He capped his tournament with a 4-3 decision win over Arojae Hart (Central Methodist) to claim fifth place.

133 – TJ Smith (7th place, 5.0 team points)

Smith dropped his quarterfinal match (6-1) to Jackson Cockrell (Grand View) but rebounded in the 7th-place match, defeating Niko Gonzalez (Baker) by major decision (10-2).

141 – Caden Lopez (8th place, 3.0 team points)

Lopez battled through the bracket but fell in both of his contested matches. Edrich Nortje (Dickinson State) pinned him in the quarterfinals (3:42), and Carson Jensen (William Penn) secured a second-period pin (4:25) in the consolation round.

149 – Ryan Anderson (6th place, 11.0 team points)

Anderson earned an opening-round decision (17-16) over Alex Walker (Central Methodist) but suffered a loss in the quarterfinals. He won two consecutive matches in the consolation bracket, including a fall (6:42) over Hector Diaz (William Penn), before falling in both the consolation semifinals and 5th-place match.

165 – Juan R. Lopez III (5th place, 13.5 team points)

Lopez started with a loss in the quarterfinals (18-13) to Brenden Parks (Missouri Valley) but dominated his way through the wrestlebacks. He earned a tech fall (20-3) over Vincent Carpena (Benedictine) and a fall (3:00) over Kale Corley (Dickinson State) before finishing with a fall (5:46) over Brenden Parks in the 5th-place match.

165 – Jeraimiah Nyberg (7th place, 8.0 team points)

Nyberg suffered a technical fall loss (17-2) to Dylan Whitt (Grand View) before rallying in the consolation rounds. He won by technical fall (18-1) over Noah Sample (Baker) and secured 7th place via injury default.

174 – Jett Nelson (8th place, 3.0 team points)

Nelson lost his quarterfinal match by major decision (15-7) to Christion Griggs (Benedictine). He battled through the consolation rounds before being forced to medically forfeit his 7th-place match.

184 – KJ Fry (6th place, 12.0 team points)

Fry opened his tournament with a technical fall (16-0) over Eli Messik (Baker) but fell in the quarterfinals by major decision. He rebounded with two more wins in the consolation bracket before falling in the 5th-place match.

184 – Joseph Teguia (4th place, 11.5 team points)

Teguia was one of Graceland's top finishers, winning his quarterfinal match by decision (4-1) over Branson Bottorff (William Penn). He dropped a close semifinal match (4-1) to Sincere Hall-Osbourne (Central Methodist) and finished 4th after losing to Jameel Coles (Grand View) by major decision (10-1).

197 – John Schuttler (4th place, 15.0 team points)

Schuttler had a strong showing, winning his quarterfinal match by technical fall (16-0) over Anthony Hackman (William Penn). He fell in the semifinals to Garavous Kouekabakilaho (Grand View) by tech fall (20-5) before bouncing back with a fall (1:43) over Jake Henson (Central Methodist). He finished 4th after a decision loss (11-4) to Elijah Hynes (Missouri Valley).

285 – Kazz Hyson (6th place, 10.0 team points)

Hyson advanced after a quarterfinal pin (4:05) over Randy Gonzalez (Missouri Valley) before losing a sudden victory match (2-1) to Tyler Casey (St. Ambrose). He finished 6th after two more closely contested decisions.

Looking Ahead

Next up for the Graceland wrestling team is the NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship in Park City, Kansas, at Park City Arena, March 6-8. The Yellowjackets will await the announcement of their national qualifiers, which will be released soon on GUjackets.com.

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