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GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Graceland Wrestling Surges at Heart Duals, Secures Two Key Conference Wins

Graceland Wrestling Surges at Heart Duals, Secures Two Key Conference Wins

Results

DAVENPORT, Iowa — December 13, 2025 — The Graceland University men's wrestling team continued its steady climb through the Heart of America Athletic Conference with a 2-1 performance at the 2025 Heart Duals, held Saturday on the campus of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. The Yellowjackets recorded dual wins over Baker University and William Woods University, dropping only one contest to Missouri Valley College.

Entering the season picked last in the Heart preseason coaches poll, Graceland has now knocked off multiple teams that opened the year ranked ahead of them, cementing the program's emergence as a legitimate contender in the conference.

"These guys believe in the work we're doing every day in the room," said Head Coach Evan Hansen. "We've earned every step forward. This weekend was another statement — we belong."

Dual One: Graceland 26, Baker 16

Graceland opened the day with a dominant team performance, collecting seven individual bout wins and controlling the upper weights to pull away from Baker.

Key victories came from Invi Bella (157) with a major decision (19-6), and Stephen Dickerson (165) with a gritty 18-13 decision. Jeraimiah Nyberg (174) poured on points in a technical fall (17-1 in 4:02), and Chris Wohrley (184) delivered a major decision (14-2).
Caden Lopez (141) and Oran Varela (285) each earned decisions, and KJ Fry (197) added bonus points with a major decision (17-5).

Dual Two: Missouri Valley 34, Graceland 9

The Yellowjackets ran into a seasoned Missouri Valley lineup in their second dual, suffering losses in eight of ten matches.

Bright spots included Caden Lopez (141) remaining unbeaten on the day with a 4-1 decision over Blaine Ortiz, and Nyberg (174) securing a fall at 6:44 against Braelen Toles. The Vikings' strength in the middle and upper weights proved too much, with multiple tech falls and major decisions widening the gap.

Dual Three: Graceland 28, William Woods 21

Graceland finished the day on a high note with a team win over William Woods, highlighted by three wins by fall and a strong finish in the upper weights.

Christian Trujillo-Quintana (125) got things rolling with a pin in 3:43, while Joe Frazier (141) scored a major decision (17-4). Bella (157) picked up his second win of the day, pinning Whit Nichols in 6:05.
To close out the dual, Wohrley (197) and Kazz Hyson (285) each delivered first-period falls, sealing the victory despite a one-point deduction for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Top Performers

  • Caden Lopez (141): Finished 3-0 on the day with two decisions and a major decision.

  • Invi Bella (157): Collected two bonus-point wins, including a fall and major decision.

  • Jeraimiah Nyberg (174): Posted two bonus-point victories — a fall and a tech fall.

  • Chris Wohrley (184/197): Earned both a major decision and a fall across two matches.

  • Upper weights (197, 285): Delivered clutch pins in both dual wins.

Program Momentum Builds

Saturday's performance at the Heart Duals represents a continuation of Graceland's upward trajectory in 2025. What began as a season of rebuilding has evolved into one of strategic growth, depth development, and consistent team scoring.

From top to bottom, the Yellowjackets' lineup demonstrated resilience, technical development, and a growing ability to close out duals, especially in the third period and bonus-point opportunities.

Graceland University will now break for the holidays before returning to action on Saturday, January 3, at the Central Open, hosted by Central College at the Kuyper Athletic Complex in Pella, Iowa. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. CST.

For more information on Graceland Men's Wrestling and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.