Four Blue Hawks qualify for NAIA nationals, take fourth as a team
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Dickinson State put together a solid performance at the Heart of America Conference Championships over the weekend, with four wrestlers earning automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships and taking fourth place as a team after entering the weekend ranked 6th in the conference.
Jose Gonzalez (125), Edrich Nortje (141), and Tate Nordby (174) each finished in second place to earn Second Team All-Conference Honors and a bid to the national tournament, while Jackson King (184) took third place to earn Honorable Mention All-Conference and his bid to nationals.
Isaac Anderson (174) and Chase Nutting (285) both finished in sixth place to earn a spot among the "placers" but were unable to secure an automatic bid.
The Blue Hawks finished in fourth place as a team thanks to strong performances from their top six wrestlers, and points from 10 of 12 wrestlers, outperforming their sixth-place ranking heading into the weekend. DSU led all teams at the tournament with 15 pins.
"It was a great overall effort," said head coach Justin Schlecht. "The guys wrestled with lots of offense and were competing at a high level. We are excited about our opportunities going forward at the national tournament."
#1 Grand View (Iowa) took home the team title for the ninth consecutive year.
Final Team Standings
1st Place – Grand View University – 212 points
2nd Place – Graceland – 148.5
3rd Place – Missouri Valley – 110
4th Place – Dickinson State – 99
5th Place – Baker – 89
6th Place – Central Methodist 75
7th Place – William Penn – 51
8th Place – Benedictine – 37.5
9th – St. Ambrose – 35.5
10th – Waldorf - 14