Small Crew Produces Top 5 Finishes
Concordia sent a small crew to gain experience at the Northland Open in Thief River Falls and came away with five Top 5 finishes.
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (2/01/20)---Concordia sent a small crew to gain experience at the Northland Open in Thief River Falls. The group of seven athletes came away with five Top 5 finishes and were led by freshman Sam Kulseth who posted a first-place finish in the 133-pound weight class.
Kulseth, who was Told just a few months ago that he might never wrestle again, displayed tremendous grit and determination as he earned the tournament championship with an 11-7 victory in his first match. He then followed that with a first-period pin to finish the day.
Kulseth's only other collegiate action came at the Ridgewater Open in early January.
Junior 141-pounder Benjamin Bogart and freshman 285-pounder Chase Dockter also earned spots in championship matches and both secured runner-up finishes. Bogart followed a bye in the quarterfinals with a pin in the semis. He then squared off against a Division I opponent in the finals and battled to the end but fell just short in the match.
Dockter, who competed in Concordia's dual with St. John's on Friday night, earned his first collegiate win with a first-round pin. Dockter dominated his semifinal match before his opponent was forced to default due to injury. Dockter then came close in the title match, losing a tight 4-0 decision. It was only Dockter's second collegiate invite and continued to show his progress and produced many highlights.
Freshman Gabe Allen finished in fourth place at 157. He posted his Top 5 finish on the strength of a comeback victory by fall in the consolation semifinals.
Freshmen AJ Backes and Austin Ratliff were also credited with team points for placing fourth and sixth. Backes posted a Top 5 finish at 149 and Ratliff was sixth at 285.
UP NEXT: Concordia will head back to Wis.-Eau Claire next weekend to at the Don Parker Open on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Saturday recaps sponsored by Bufffalo Wild Wings: Grab your friends and get to B-Dubs on Sunday nights for College Nights at 9 p.m. 50% off 1 food item with ID and $3 apps at the Buffalo Wild Wings located on Hwy 10 in Moorhead.
