Hastings, Neb. – Two Dakota Wesleyan men's wrestlers extended their seasons with strong performances at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship on Friday and Saturday.
Behind two national qualifiers, The Tigers secured a fourth-place team finish out of nine programs, earning 81.5 points. Doane (Neb.) claimed the team title with 218.0 points.
"I was really pleased with our guys' performances," said head wrestling coach Martin Mueller. "This sport can be brutal at times, but that's what makes it beautiful. While some of our guys may not be satisfied with their individual results, I saw a fight in every single match.
Tukker Boe, Jackson Remmers, and Cole Hennings all wrestled above their seeds. These three underclassmen—two of them true freshmen—had an outstanding tournament, and I'm excited about their future. Temu (Mindbileg) keeps improving every time he steps on the mat, and it's fun to watch. Z (Zach Zitek) wrestled like a true veteran. We had a tough loss we wish we could take back, but we battled hard, and he's heading to Nationals for the second straight year. Anything can happen in March, and I'm thrilled for the two guys who qualified. It's a great time to be a Tiger, and I couldn't be prouder of this team."
DWU Individual Results:
- Zachary Zitek (Sr., Dwight, Neb.) – 4th place at 141 pounds, qualifying for Nationals for the second year.
- Temuujin Mendbileg (So., Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) – 2nd place at 184 pounds, earning his first career Nationals berth.
- Jackson Remmers (Fr., Howard, S.D.) – 4th place at 157 pounds, finishing with a 2-2 record.
- Kaleb Bigelow (Sr., Pinedale, Wyo.) – 4th place at 174 pounds, also going 2-2 on the weekend.
- Colten Hink (Sr., Dillingham, Alaska) – Finished 1-2 at 197 pounds.
- Tanner Hennings (Jr., Brewster, Minn.) – Went 0-2 at 285 pounds.
- Cole Hennings (Jr., Brewster, Minn.) – Placed 6th at 285 pounds with a 2-2 record.
Next Up:
Zitek and Mindbileg will represent Dakota Wesleyan at the 68th Annual NAIA National Championship in Park City, Kan., on March 6-8.