Baker wrestling just completed Christmas break, but before break, the Wildcats most recent competition took place at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. With approximately 250 entries comprised mostly of NCAA Division II competitors, the Wildcats had a great day of elite level competition. Leading all Baker wrestlers was local Baldwin standout Alan Callahan (125) with a 3-2 record on the day.
With any new program, there are always a lot of “firsts” that come along with being the new kid on the block. Such as, November 7, 2009 marked Baker University’s first ever dual victory with 30-21 win over York College. November 8, 2009 marked Baker’s first ever college wrestling tournament to be held on the Baker campus which brought another first, Baker’s first ever wrestling national qualifier, which Baker actually produced five that day. Junior Clarence Jordan (Waterloo, IA) became the first Wildcat wrestler to appear in the NAIA National Rankings on December 8, 2009.
The Wildcat wrestlers have also and most importantly excelled in the academic arena as well. At the end of the Fall semester, the Wildcat wrestling program compiled a 2.79 grade point average with almost half of the team averaging a 3.0 or higher. Two Wildcat wrestlers completed a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the fall term.
What will 2010 bring for the Baker grapplers? To kick off 2010, Baker will head north to Hastings College in Hastings, NE to take on the Broncos in dual meet action at 6 pm on Friday evening January 8th. On Saturday January 9th, the Wildcats will compete in the Quality Inn Hastings Open in tournament action. The Wildcats have qualified seven wrestlers for the NAIA National Championships and are looking to add more.
Stayed tuned for more news, results and updates on Baker University Wildcat wrestling in the weeks to come.
